How to Organize Your Thoughts for Journaling

Read these great tips for how to organize your thoughts for journaling so you can easily make this habit stick!

There are so many books and resources online to help you get organized. However, there are so few about organizing your thoughts. When my head is feeling full, I have found that it’s hard for me to be productive, much less helpful, or get things done. To help give my brain a little extra space and become more organized, here is how to organize your thoughts in a journal.

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Get to know yourself better

Some people will never need or use a single planner and can magically remember everything they need to know without any trouble. However, the reality is that very few of us can use this technique well. The process of getting to know yourself and how you work can help you better organize your thoughts.

Do you need to make lists? Just jot notes as you think of them? Would a daily brain dump be more helpful? Or scheduling regular journaling sessions?

Put your thoughts into words

This is often the most challenging part of organizing our thoughts. We have to write out the thoughts in our head onto paper. When I’m journaling, I like to have a place where I can just dump all of my thoughts on paper. I don’t think about turning it into a to-do list or organizing it at this point; I only write.

By getting all my thoughts onto paper, I can then go back and figure out where I need to organize. Start by putting your thoughts down, then go back and find a way to organize them.

Track patterns

Do you notice that you have more thoughts in the morning? At night? Keep track of these patterns and know when the best time for you to journal is. It won’t be the same for everyone, so you need to keep track of patterns. You can even turn your journal into a bullet-style journal with a habit tracker to visualize how your mind works.

Write down your goals

How many times have you thought up something you wanted to do then forgot it by lunchtime? This happens to me all the time! This is why it’s so important to write down your goals and dreams. This way, you can help hold yourself accountable and make sure you don’t forget them.

Transition back to the old written to-do list

Why did we ever stop writing out a to-do list? In a world full of technology, it’s so easy to stop writing down our task lists. Instead, transition back to the good old pen and paper, and get in the habit of writing out your to-do list. This will not only help you remember it better, but you’ll be a lot more organized in the process!

Something as simple as a journal and a few sheets of paper have entirely transformed the way I organized my entire life! By starting with my thoughts and working outward from there, I can easily remember what needs to get done and help plan out my thoughts into actionable to-do lists!