WaySpa could forever gush about the art of journaling, and we definitely have. Who knew that something as simple as a pen and paper could change your life so profoundly? Daily writing rituals help you reap rewards in the form of manifestation, gratitude, stress relief, and more. And while we’re fond of this technique at any hour, there’s something special about morning journaling. This process lets you set your goals for the day and symbolizes a fresh start in every way, helping to steer you in the right direction and reflect on what the future holds. It’s a cliche, but it’s true. Life is a marathon rather than a sprint… and morning journaling lets you track your mantras, hopes, dreams, and more along the way. Here are just a few other reasons to start your AM writing routine as soon as possible!

Goal-setting

When most people reflect on their goals, they think large and long-term. These can include getting a promotion, proposing to your partner, running a big marathon and more. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with aiming big, but have you tried to slow things down a bit instead? Daily morning journaling lets you create one or two small goals for the day and stick to them. This in turn builds confidence and good patterns to prepare you for further achievements.

Small Goals —Big Results

For example, writing in your journal that you’re aiming to eat at least one vegetable per day provides inspiration and accountability. As you incorporate more green beans and spinach into your diet, you’ll become more motivated to get healthy and train for that marathon. From a relationship standpoint, you can put it in writing that you’re hoping to give your partner at least one compliment for day. Jotting it down in your journal makes you more likely to follow through and come out with a stronger and more loving relationship than ever! Be kind to yourself and set a few small goals to follow each day, and you’ll understand that thinking small is more important to your journey than you ever imagined.

If you’d like to focus on your wellness goals, Papier.com has handy tips and beautiful journals for sale.

Self-care

The mornings are often a stressful time. Many of us struggle to simultaneously get ourselves ready for work, prepare the kids for school, and fix a decent cup of coffee before 9 a.m. Sitting down to write in your morning journal may sound laughable! However, that’s exactly why you should begin practicing this self-care technique. It gives you a bit of calm before the storm that is your busy day. You can transfer your innermost thoughts to the pages of your morning journal, releasing a “brain dump” of sorts that cleanses your mind of stressful and toxic thoughts.

Your Judge-free Zone

As for what you should put in the pages of your morning journal during a brain dump? That’s entirely up to you, as it’s a space where you’re free to be vulnerable and left unjudged. If you’re nervous about a big job interview, go ahead and say so. When you’re feeling a bit lost in your friendships or college classes, that’s perfectly fine to document as well. Regardless of what’s going on inside your head, taking a moment in the mornings to write down your thoughts is simply good for your soul and self-care routine. It’s a proper type of purge that releases you from your stresses even if only for a few seconds, and lets you express yourself in a judge-free zone.

Self-reflection

What’s going well in your life, and what isn’t? Is there anything in your routine that can be altered to provide you with what you deserve? These are the types of questions that can be answered once you practice self-reflection in the form of morning journaling. Your job is not only to provide a new entry each morning but also look over your past writings and assess what is and isn’t working. Whether you’ve written down a 5×5 manifestation mantra, what makes you most excited each day, your long-term goals or practically anything else… the results speak even louder than words. You must take charge of your morning journal and decide if you’re achieving the results you want, while reflecting on what can be changed.

For instance, you’ve vowed to study for thirty minutes each night to get an A in your world history class. Is this method successful? Or should you alter it to help you achieve your goals faster? You grow out of your aspirations or mantras over time, which means that you’ll need to establish new ones as you grow as an individual. Your morning journal helps you track this progress and practice self-reflection on a regular basis. This provides a beautiful journey with less bumps along the way.