6 Mindsets to Get the Most Out of Journaling

Many Life Note journalers have never kept a journal before. I get it—same here. I only started a year ago.

At first, I felt like I needed to “write something good.” Like my journal had to be deep or wise or worth rereading later. But I slowly began to notice something: the more honest (and less polished) I got, the better I felt.

These six mindsets are what I return to when my journaling feels stuck, performative, or flat. They’ve helped me turn journaling from a chore into a ritual—something that helps me process, reflect, and feel more whole.

Let this be your invitation to journal as if no one’s watching (because they aren’t), and to show up for yourself—messy, curious, and fully human.

1. Candlelight, Not Spotlight

“Meditations may be as special as they are because they were never intended for us to read.” Daily Stoic

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius scribbled his reflections during military campaigns, never intending for them to be published. And yet, Meditations has guided millions across centuries.

Why? Because it was written for no one else. His vulnerability—his raw, uncertain questions—became his legacy.

When I first began journaling, I kept imagining some future version of myself reading every word, judging it like a résumé. That made it harder to be real. But journaling isn’t about crafting a narrative for your future self. It’s about telling the truth in the moment.

Misconception to forget. “A good journal should impress future readers (or future-me).”

Journal prompt. If no one—including future-me—could ever see this page, what truth would I put down right now?

2. Process Beats Performance

“Fifteen-minute, no-filter writing sessions cut stress and burnout during lockdown.” Harvard Business Review

In 2021, a group of frontline health-care workers began using short expressive writing breaks during the pandemic. Just 15 minutes of raw journaling—no structure, no edits—helped many feel calmer, sleep better, and even regain a sense of control.

This wasn’t about elegant language. It was about honesty. Science backs this up: psychologist James Pennebaker found that those who wrote freely for 20 minutes over four days showed measurable improvements in immune function and emotional regulation (American Psychological Association).

What mattered most? Not how it sounded. But that they showed up.

Misconception to forget. “Journaling only ‘works’ if each paragraph sounds smart.”

Journal prompt. Set a 15-minute timer. Write about one worry, without stopping or fixing a single typo. When the buzzer rings, close the entry.

3. Permission to Be Messy

“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” — Anne Lamott Goodreads

Lamott calls them “shitty first drafts.” And her students at Stanford actually keep folders of them on purpose. Not because they want to publish junk—but because it lowers the stakes enough to start.

I borrowed that trick. It helps me remember: this is allowed to be incomplete, chaotic, human.

You don’t need to be eloquent to be real. You just need to show up.

Misconception to forget. “A tidy journal equals a tidy mind.”

Journal prompt. Write the worst, messiest version of today’s thoughts. Extra credit: include at least three incomplete sentences.

4. Keep the Hand Moving

“Set a timer, keep the pen moving, never pause.” —Natalie Goldberg Natalie Goldberg

A friend of mine—a screenwriter—was stuck for weeks. Then she tried Goldberg’s “keep the pen moving” technique. Ten minutes a day, no breaks. She didn’t stop to think.

Within a week, her draft was flowing, and oddly, so was her mood. She even sent me her Fitbit stats—her heart rate had dropped during those morning sessions.

When we keep writing—even nonsense—we often stumble into clarity we didn’t know we had.

Misconception to forget. “I should stop to think of the perfect word.”

Journal prompt. Describe everything you can see from where you sit. Don’t lift your hands until two full minutes pass.

5. Kind Curiosity Beats Perfectionism

“Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield we lug around thinking it will protect us.” — Brené Brown Goodreads

Perfectionism might look like high standards, but it often hides fear: fear of failure, of judgment, of not being “enough.”

Studies on positive-affect journaling found that people who ended their entries with kind, affirming thoughts felt more resilient. They even scored lower on depression scales.

I started adding a single line at the end of my entries, like:

“Thanks for showing up, Daniel.”
And you know what? It softened something in me. The inner critic started to lose his grip.

Misconception to forget. “Being hard on myself keeps my standards high.”

Journal prompt. Close today’s entry with: “Thank you, ___ (your name), for showing up.”

6. Rituals > Inspiration

“Morning Pages are three longhand pages first thing in the morning—and they work.” yourcreativedna.com

Creatives from Alicia Keys to Elizabeth Gilbert swear by Morning Pages—three pages of brain-dump writing, first thing in the morning. Gilbert says it helped her birth Eat, Pray, Love. Keys says it grounds her before studio sessions.

I tried it. Three quick pages before my first sip of coffee. No filters, no editing. And slowly, the static in my mind settled. I didn’t always discover genius ideas. But I did feel more connected to myself. More centered.

The magic wasn’t in the words. It was in the ritual.

Misconception to forget. “I need to feel inspired before I journal.”

Journal prompt. Tomorrow morning, write three uncensored pages starting with “Right now I feel…,” then lock the entry and leave it unread for 24 hours.

One Last Thought

Your journal is not a novel. Not a blog post. Not a legacy project. It’s a sandbox for your inner world—meant to be played in, shaped, and sometimes smashed.

Some days, it’ll be poetic. Other days, it’ll be emotional junk food. That’s okay. Journaling is not about consistency of quality—it’s about consistency of presence.

Let it be candlelight, not spotlight. Soft, slow, and just for you. Because when you journal as you are, not as you think you should be—something honest begins to unfold.

And that’s where the real wisdom lives.