14 Ideas for Using a Morning Journal to Plan Your Day

The time change has happened in the U.S. Each year, I noticed the time change has its pluses and minuses.

For example, I got an extra hour of sleep on November first. That’s a plus. As a minus, I have to list how late it seems earlier in the evening (i.e., is it bedtime? No, it’s 5PM).

I am definitely a morning person, which means I tend to be more productive earlier in the day. So, a major perk of the time change, as I see it, is having more sunlight in the morning.

And, the reason I find that so helpful is because it makes me feel like I have more time to do my morning self-care routine, drink a cup of hot tea, and plan my day in my morning journal.

I don’t do all of my planning in the morning. In fact, on Sunday night, I tend to plan out my week in my master weekly planner, the family calendar, and my personal weekly planner.

And, even though I review my daily planner and give myself some reminders to do the next day, I have found it helpful to do a quick, 15-minute planning session each day in my morning journal.

Why I Use a Morning Journal as Part of My Morning Routine

I have written about the importance of having a morning routine in a prior post. I didn’t always have a morning routine, but after I started working and became a mom, I soon discovered that a morning routine was necessary to keep me feeling grounded each day.

I find that morning routines are not just a list of to-dos that you make yourself do. They evolve as you try different things and figure out what works for you and what you’re most likely stick with.

My best recommendation is to do one or two things for yourself each morning and see how they work. You can replace or add a new habit every week or so until you find a routine that feels helpful.

In full disclosure, I will admit that morning journaling is primarily a weekday event. That is because I have so much more to keep organized on the weekdays than on the weekends.

But, while I don’t officially journal much on the weekends, I still get up on weekend mornings and make planning my first priority after finishing my self-care morning routine. This is because I find it so helpful to have a game plan for the day, which is what morning planning does for me.

Even before the shutdown, which has had me working from home since March 2020, I was using my morning journal on a daily basis. As an attorney, some might wonder why I would spend even one minute of the day writing down essentially two lists. But, I promise, it has made me far more productive.

Right before I sit down to start my work for the day, I take my morning journal and add some thoughts and lists to help start my day. I make sure that I am in a quiet space and that I’m starting early enough that I can work without interruption. I also sit somewhere other than where I work.

So, at the office, I was journaling at a table in my office instead of my desk. At home, I’ll either journal at the kitchen table (I work in the dining room with my kids, who are in virtual school), or if the weather is nice, I’ll sit on my porch.

The time I set aside for morning journaling is sacred time. Because I approach it this way, I find my mind is better at brainstorming ideas and I go to work in a much happier mood.

Ways to Use a Morning Journal to Start Your Day

There is no one way to use a morning journal. And, like a morning routine, you may find that your morning journal practice may change and evolve over time.

I keep my journal time to a minimum, since I’m super busy and have a tendency of being a perfectionist and getting overwhelmed. But, if writing for more than a half hour or filling up several pages works for you, go for it!

For me, there are two things I always include in my morning journal: a few paragraphs of actual journaling and a few lists. Here are ideas for both:

Journaling

Brain Dump. Books like “The Artist’s Way,” recommend writing three pages of journaling each morning to clear your mind and promote creativity. The idea is to get everything that is cluttering your mind onto a piece of paper (and yes, the suggestion in this book is to write it out on paper in your own handwriting, as that process will lead to more inspiration than just typing out your thoughts). This can help you process your feelings, organize your thoughts, and reveal ideas that you can put into action later in the day. “The Artist’s Way” is a great book, that I highly recommend. You can find it here: (#Ad).

Scripting. I mentioned this in my first post on decoding planner terms. Scripting is a method promoted by Planner Perfect, where you write out your intentions and desires as though they have already happened. You describe these things in as much detail as you can to help bring them about in your life. While the Planner Perfect method usually recommends scripting your day the night before, I find it easier to write out my desires and intentions in the morning when my mind is fresh and I’ve let go of whatever anxiety I took to bed with me the night before.

Fist-Shaking. There was a time when I was going through a particularly difficult season. My daughter was ill, my body was falling apart, and my work became overwhelming. I was really unhappy, but I kept persevering. While it’s good to be strong (especially when caring for someone who is leaning on your strength), I learned that it’s not so good to hold negative thoughts and feelings inside. My first journal was filled with my anxieties, frustrations, and fears. I was angry and resentful about my situation, so I used my journal to shake my fist at the sky. After doing this for many months, I moved on to other forms of journaling, but I will still return to this from time to time if I have to purge negativity from my mind.

Letters to (fill in the blank). They can be to God, but don’t have to be, if you’re not comfortable with that. They can be to your past self (like your inner child), your future self (to read later), or to a loved one who has passed away. You can even make up a name. Writing letters to a third party is a way of getting thoughts and feelings out by almost confessing them. Even if you have no one to talk to, it can be helpful to do this- much like you may have done when you were younger and wrote to “Dear Diary.” The fictional character in the novel, The Color Purple, wrote letters to God. And, Anne Frank wrote to “Kitty.” This is a comforting way to feel as though you’re confiding in someone while keeping your thoughts private.

Reflections on Readings. If part of your morning routine is to read something—a self-help book, scripture, or perhaps a devotional—you may find that journaling about what you just read that morning will help process the material and anchor what you’ve learned in your mind.

Gratitude. You’ll see I list this twice, and that is because gratitude falls into both the journaling and list-making categories. To journal about gratitude, I recommend choosing one or two things to write about. These should be things that you recognize as having truly brought you a sincere sense of thankfulness. When you journal about your gratitude, dig deep. By exploring the depth of your gratitude for even the most mundane things—the chirping of birds or seeing the leaves change on a walk—you can foster a sense of wonder and hope about your life you didn’t realize could exist.

Lists

Gratitude. I’ll start the section on lists where I ended the section on journaling, with gratitude. Each morning, I write down at least 5 things I am grateful for. (I also write five things before I go to bed). I try to identify things in my life that may not be big, but make an impact. For example, if my husband makes my tea for me in the morning, or I get an extra-long hug from one of the kids, those are the things that make my list. Gratitude is not just pointing out the things in our lives that are positive. Instead, it is a way to see how our lives, no matter what season we are in, have good things in store for us. It also helps to set us up for more blessings as we live a life that we are grateful for. For more on gratitude lists, see my post here.

Top 3’s. I have never liked having a single Top 3 list in my planner. While it was nice for the planner company to encourage me to single out my priorities for the day, it failed to consider that I wear more than one hat, particularly on weekdays when I sometimes work, teach a class, and manage my family and personal tasks. So, if you are juggling tasks for different hats you wear in life, I recommend having more than just one “Top 3” list. I currently work on two each day. Feel free to have has many as you like for things like: Work, Personal, Family, School, Homeschool, etc.

To Dos. This one is obvious, right? But, I have some tips on how to make a really effective to do list, and using the morning journal is the best way to do this. I basically write out my to do list twice. The first time is in my morning journal where I brainstorm everything I think I need to do in a day. I will look at my weekly planner (which has a master to do list) and the previous day’s page in my daily planner (where I add reminders for the next day), and transfer things from there onto my list. Because I color-code my planner, I leave myself space to write the category the task falls under (for example, work, blog, kids, personal) and a number to help prioritize it. When I write my to do list in my daily planner, I keep the categories separated and prioritized– something I would not be able to do if I used my daily planner as the place to brainstorm my day. Although it takes a few minutes to transfer this information, I am SOOO much more productive using this method than I was before I tried it.

Appointments. Even if you have a planner with hourly or time-blocked spaces, it can be helpful to just list out the things that will require you to do or be somewhere at a specific time. The reason for that is that as you write out your Top 3 or To Do Lists, you may forget how much time you actually have available to fit in all the things you would like to do that day. On days that I have long appointments, I find it helpful to list them out and remind myself that I cannot have a long to-do list.

Goals. A friend encouraged me to read books by Rachel Hollis, and her goal-setting book, Girl Stop Apologizing, had a couple of ideas that I have incorporated into and kept up in my morning journal. The first is to write out my “10 Dreams I Made Happen.” Much like the scripting method, Rachel Hollis recommends writing out goals in the past tense, as though they have already taken place. I write these out every day to keep them in the forefront of my mind. The only time I change them is when I have achieved one or my passion for the goal has changed. The second thing I do is write out “The Goal I am Achieving First.” This helps me to remember what my most pressing goal is. I highly recommend reading the book, which you can find here (#Ad):

Yesses and Nos. Sometimes we need to set boundaries to maintain our sanity in life. And for me, I often have to set boundaries with myself. Writing out the things you have agreed to do – promises you have made to yourself or others—can help make those things a priority during your day. Equally as important are the things you have stated you will not do. That can be anything from eating junk food to checking social media during the workday. Either way, you are honoring the boundaries you set and holding yourself in check through your journaling.

Mantras and Affirmations. These can be short and sweet, and listing them will remind you of the ideas, statements, and philosophies you believe are important in your life. So, go ahead and list them out- whatever they may be. That can include “I am enough,” “My Work is Important,” “All is Well.” Writing them out each day, like the list of goals I mentioned earlier, will help to solidify them in your mind.

Lessons Learned. While I noted in the journaling section that you can process your thoughts about something you have read, it is also effective to boil down the takeaways from a morning reading and write them out in list form. For example, a devotional reading may remind you that: difficult things are a part of life, we all experience suffering, and there is a caring God or Power who will get us through those times. Just listing out the lessons can help you carry what your learned into your day.

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My favorite morning journal supplies

This is not a long list. I think morning journaling should be a simple process that does not take a long time. But, having a few supplies can be helpful.

A Journal. Of course, a place to write down your thoughts is an obvious requirement. It can be in any kind of notebook like a traveler’s notebook, spiral-bound journal, or book-bound journal. I have been using a Stalogy 365 A5-sized notebook for the past couple of years, and I love it. It has thin paper, very similar to Japanese Tomoe River Paper. It has a light-colored grid that is small, which allows for a lot of writing on one page. You can write in it with most any inks, including fountain pen. And, more importantly, Frixion pen erases from it entirely. (#Ad)

And, if you’re going to purchase a Stalogy notebook, I find it nice to keep it protected in a pretty cover with pen loops. This is the one I bought for my notebook off of Amazon. It has a velvety fabric cover on the exterior with interior sporting a dark green leather. There are slots for business cards and small papers, as well as 2 pen loops. (#Ad)

Pens. Pens are also key. Many people love fountain pens, as the ink flows easily, which reduces hand strain. But, as someone who likes to be able to erase her mistakes, I am completed devoted to Frixion pens. Here is my favorite set. (#Ad)

Washi Tape. Some folks, particularly those using the scripting method, use washi to not only decorate their journals but to divide the different sections of their journals. Thin or regular washi could help with this. Here is a nice set of thin washi that has simple designs. (#Ad)

Morning journaling is a relaxing practice that helps me to plan out my day and maximize what I will get done without becoming overwhelmed. I find that it is helpful for any lifestyle, whether you work full-time outside the home, work in the home with small children, or have a more unstructured day.

I feel much more calm and organized at the end of my short session. I am also more focused as I consider my long-term goals while I work on my daily tasks.

Do you morning journal? What are some of the ways your journal? What kinds of lists do you keep? Leave a message in the comments!

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** Image of person in yellow jacket journaling found on Pixabay. Images of sunrise, journal with coffee, hand journaling, and hand list-making found on Unsplash.

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