✨ Types of Journaling: Find the Style That Fits Your Life

✨ Types of Journaling: Find the Style That Fits Your Life

marium hanif

Introduction

There is no one way to journal. Your notebook is as versatile as your life. Some days it holds numbers and lists; other days it’s filled with memories, sketches, or quiet confessions.

The beauty of journaling lies in its flexibility. It can be practical, creative, emotional, or even spiritual — and it can change as your season of life changes.

Here are some of the most popular types of journaling, with simple step-by-step guides to help you begin.

1. Finance Journal

A finance journal helps you build awareness of your money habits and take control of your financial future.

How to start:

  1. Write down all your income streams.

  2. Track your daily or weekly expenses in simple categories.

  3. Reflect monthly: Where is your money going? Where can you adjust?

  4. Add goals: savings milestones, investment targets, or debt-free countdowns.

📌 Pro tip: Pair your finance journal with monthly reflection prompts to notice spending patterns and track progress.

2. Daily Journal

Your anchor for everyday life. A simple, consistent practice to check in with yourself.

How to start:

  1. Date the page.

  2. Write down 3 highlights from your day.

  3. Add a short reflection or a mood check.

📌 Pro tip: Keep it short. Even 5 minutes a day builds powerful self-awareness over time.

3. Scrapbook Journal

A creative journal that blends memory-keeping with visual storytelling.

How to start:

  1. Collect mementos: photos, tickets, pressed flowers, handwritten notes.

  2. Paste or washi-tape them into your journal.

  3. Add a line or two of text to anchor the memory.

📌 Pro tip: Use one insert in your Eli & Kai cover purely for scrapbook journaling to separate it from daily writing.

4. Traveller’s Journal

Capture adventures, both near and far, while they’re still fresh.

How to start:

  1. Begin with a packing list or itinerary.

  2. Each day, jot down highlights of your journey.

  3. Add sketches, doodles, maps, or ticket stubs.

📌 Pro tip: Travellers often prefer A6 notebooks — compact enough to carry everywhere.

5. Gratitude Journal

A proven way to boost happiness and focus on what matters.

How to start:

  1. Each day, write down 3 things you’re grateful for.

  2. Reflect briefly on why they matter.

  3. Review past entries to notice patterns of joy.

📌 Pro tip: End your day with gratitude journaling — it helps shift the mind into a restful state before sleep.

6. Commonplace Journal

A timeless practice of collecting wisdom and weaving it with your own reflections.

How to start:

  1. Collect quotes, ideas, or passages that resonate.

  2. Record them neatly, noting the source if you like.

  3. Beneath each entry, reflect: Why does this matter to me?

  4. Organise by theme or let it flow freely.

📌 Pro tip: Over time, this becomes your personal library of wisdom.

7. Diary

The classic journaling style — a safe space for unfiltered thoughts.

How to start:

  1. Write today’s date at the top of the page.

  2. Let your words flow freely without editing.

  3. Use it to process emotions, work through challenges, or record memories.

📌 Pro tip: Treat it as your judgment-free zone. There’s no wrong way to diary-write.

Closing Thought

Your journal doesn’t have to fit into just one category. It can be a blend of lists, gratitude, sketches, and reflections — because it’s yours.

That’s the beauty of journaling: it adapts to you. Whether you’re tracking goals, preserving memories, or simply checking in with yourself, your notebook becomes the most personal book you’ll ever own.

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