i'd say my biggest journaling fail is self imposing rules about the aesthetic, content, duration, style of journaling... my journal is the one place where I want to truly feel free
My first thought was this idea of having to ‘catch up’. I haven’t written in my journal for months and now feel overwhelmed with the idea of starting again. I always feel as though there is so much to catch up on and it will end up feeling like a chore. I just have to remind myself that I don’t have to write about the things I was once worried about and if I do write about it then I definitely don’t have to write in as much detail as I would if I had written it in the moment it happened. Also another fail for me is censoring what I feel. Thank you for this video 🥰
The first thing that came to mind was "censoring myself", like not writing what I really want to write or not writing the way I want to write, because of fear of my own feelings
So why do you have to finish a journal? Just see it as a travel notebook. For this trip in your life you just finished before the end of this notebook and now you can start another. Maybe you do something else with the unused pages?
my first reaction was to laugh at how such a concept could exist. journaling is often a reflection of life - mundane, confusing, messy, reflective, random, and deeply healing. it's our own space to create and explore and simply be. how could there ever be failures in such a process?
With something as free and expressive as journaling, The only thing that comes to my mind that I could consider a fail is putting too much pressure on yourself. You need to be able to enjoy the experience.
For me a fail is not journaling. This year I started “a few lines a day” 5 year book. I have not missed a day. I have never come close to 3 months straight before.
Omg yes to the forgetting to document big moments and then feeling crushing anxiety about all of the events I have to document all at once because I've forgotten too many things!!!
When talking about journaling expectations I thought of Anne Franks diary and how before I've thought about how my journal might end up being a piece of history. Interesting to think about how that may have affected my writing.
Definitely don't think that you are the only person who started Journaling because of Anne Franks diary and preimmposed the idea of historical purpose.
Tina I loved this so much - your description of the emphasis of product vs process on social media describes so clearly these vague thoughts I have about it, thank you! When I find myself hurrying to get words out or struggling to fill a page I remind myself to let my shoulders go (they are *always* tense by that point!), feel the pen on the paper, the seat under me. And just write. Which is what it's all about :)
The first thing I think about is: I didn't journal for many years and I really regret it. I started writing in a journal when I was around 14-15, but after a year or two I stopped. It was not until 2015, when I was 26 years old, I started journaling and have almost done it everyday since. There is so much from when I was a child / teenagers I may have forgotten. So I wish I had written in journals at that time of my life. Another fail is that I tried to start writing in a journal several times in my late teens and early twenties, but each time I stopped because I felt like I had nothing to write about and often I was preoccupied with everything being so perfect. Nothing needs to be perfect in a journal, the one place you can be yourself 😊 Now I write about everything and I don't care about how I write, if I need to decorated the pages or not. I do what I want. I wish I realized earlier what a journal can mean to you, if you stop caring about everything being beautiful all the time and just let your feelings out. Life isn't always sunshine and happiness, and your journals should not be either. Love your video 🥰
Thank you for this comment, Elin! It really is all about finding our own freedom and giving ourselves permission to let go of all expectations & rules ✨
The first thing that came to my mind was perfectionism and being able to be vulnerable enough to tell the truth. I have an inner fear that anyone could have access to my thoughts, and so in a way my inner self tries to make everything as perfect as possible if they do get their hands on my journal. I want to be able to just let go and enjoy it for myself!
My list of journaling failures: -not consistently keeping up in my journal (such as not writing about my day on that specific day) -skipping days -writing in PENCIL -not being transparent with myself -purposefully not writing about negative events so I don’t remember them or because I’m ashamed (embarrassing things, friendship breakups, etc.) -not including my own personal thoughts about the world around me vs only writing about what I did that day -forgetting/losing journals
The first "journal fail" that I think of is not finishing a notebook. I have gotten a lot better about not beating myself up over this lately because I remind myself that journaling is supposed to be fun and therapeutic. So if that means switching notebooks before they're "done" then so be it!
Such an interesting one Tina. I always think that when I miss days that I failed that day as its gone and my thoughts and parts of the day are gone forever from my memory. I also wish I had journalled earlier in my life as I feel like I'd love to look back at how I felt at different points in my life.
I needed this video. The Universe gifted it to me 🥰 Thank you for creating it. I've stopped journally because of the expectations I put on it, and have lost focus of why I need this journey! Thank you so much!
first things that came to mind: including visual elements and the page ends up looking bad aesthetically, writing something that didn't help or doesn't feel true to my feelings or beliefs, trying something new and not liking it in hindsight
When I think of Journaling fails. I typically think of the types of prompt Journals that I never use or finish. that I just find awful. Other things I think of as Journaling fails are promp lists that I intend to use and don't. I don't generally think that you can "fail" at Journaling unless you don't Journal when you intend to.
My big journal fails are 1. Not documenting my struggle with my dad dying of cancer. 2. Not documenting my own journey through cancer. It seems when life is really hard I don't journal because It feels impossible to find the words when I'm in the midst of it all. As a result I don't have a record of my toughest times and how I got through them. I regret that.
I think that journaling fail to me is, was, not journaling daily & that would lead me to not want to or just not write at all. Sometimes I didn't like what I was documenting, because it wasn't 'pretty' or 'welcoming' to me & I would start ripping out pages & just no longer finding joy in writing or wanting to journal anymore. Now I add whatever I want, write what I want, journal whenever I want. I came to the realization that I love journaling because I love writing. Taking notes, poems, lyrics, I just love writing, paper to pen & vice versa. The only way I now have or feel failure in my journaling is if I'm not enjoying it, or feeling relief about what I've written or created..
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about journal fails, is when you don't journal from your own soul and mind. When you journal, but you wonder how the outside world would look upon the page. When you're comparing yourself too much to others. I think some people are very much focused on the aesthetics and how something looks and if it's pretty enough to be on social media. That takes away the pureness of journaling for me. Today I started a new bullet journal, and I made a lot of mistakes in it and my pages looked not aesthetically pleasing at all, but I just shrugged and went on, not caring about it. Because it's about ME. And it's a tool to help me to be closer to myself. It's not about the looks.
YES! I can hear the freedom and empowerment in your words ✨ it feels so good to accept ‘mistakes’ and recognize that this moment, this notebook is for you and you alone!
This is slightly off topic but I would love a video where you read excerpts from your journal, if you’re comfortable, I’ve always just loved the way you write 💕
This was good for my soul today. I’ve been a little too hard on myself lately, and this brought me back to feeling centered and not pressured. Thank you.
To me 'journal fails' is when I sat down to journal but did not write anything or write only 2-3 lines; not because that's all I have to say, but because I realized that am trying to edit myself, put too much pressure/expectation (as you mentioned) and think too much. For this reason, I like using a timer and giving myself just 1-3 mins. of freewriting, to journal as fast as possible and just keep going until the time is up :) - Interestingly enough, when we look at our answers in describing what 'journal fails' look like, most likely, that corresponds to how we live life and how we generally view 'failure' in our own lives as well :)
The first thing that came to my mind is putting off journaling even when your head is overflowing with thoughts and you know you need to write them down
You have such a wonderful yet awe-inspiring interpretation of the passage, Tina! It really opens your eyes, or rather, it wakes you up from this sort of dreamlike fantasy and just go with the flow instead. Journaling doesn’t have to be aesthetic or picture-perfect. I mean, my handwriting is not pretty for starters and I don’t always have memorabilia around to stick on one of the pages of my journal. I agree that’s it’s all about the long-winding process and not the final destination, or product, I should say. I’ve always struggled with instilling unrealistic expectations on myself, but now I realize I don’t have to be so hard on myself all the time. I’m no way a flawless person, but I continue to do my best somehow, even if I don’t get to please every single person in my life.
When i think about journaling fails, my fist thought is lying about your life, your feelings or your actions. Making yourself « the hero » is a journaling fail
For me a journal fail is starting a journal project with a specific idea in mind, like a knitting journal, or reading journal, or writing prompt journal, and then just NEVER picking it up to work on it. For me the fun of journaling is the process of actually working on it, and when it just sits on a shelf for months at a time without so much as a glance from me, that is a fail.
Oh man, I’ve done this a ton of times too. I think I have 3 unfinished reading journals and a knitting journal too 😂 multiple notebooks just don’t work for me and it’s taken me a long time to accept that!
@@OverallAdventures I understand that completely! I think the reason I feel so bad when I don't work on something is that it feels like a waste of a notebook. I don't like unnecessary waste, so I always feel bad when I unintentionally do it.
tbh, the only thing I said was if I messed up the first page. What I wanted to say further is that you are actually the person who helped me breakthrough from all those failures that you mentioned. I used to have pretty drawing on the sides, sometimes put stickers and craft papers to make my journal pleasing to look at. Yet, when I saw your video on stream of consciousness writing a few years back, it definitely changed my perspective. It's okay to write freely, to not have perfect grammar all the time, and to just let the thoughts flow onto the paper.
I think there are two types of journaling fails - fails you recognize in the now and fails you recognize in the future. For fails in the now, things like misspelling the month or gluing something in crooked - things that are annoying but ultimately don't change the content of your journal. Fails in the future are things where, when you're rereading your journal a few years in the future, you wished that you had written more about something. You wish that in the entry where you first met your best friend you had written more of your impression of them. Or you mention offhandedly that you're happy but you don't write why you're happy and it just bothers you that the chronicles of your life are incomplete in that way.
After watching the video and reading some of the other comments I think that four years of journaling every single day (except for a few weeks in april 2020, those dark pandemic times) I've become desensitized to a lot of the failures that used to bother be. In the beginning I wanted a beautiful, aesthetic, hand-drawn journal but as time went on and I couldn't reach that state of perfection I became more focused on improvement (process over product!)
This is such a beautiful and important point. You’re making me wonder if this is why I’m typically so resistant to reading my old journals! Maybe there’s some ‘future fail’ that I’m worried about! Thank you for this 💜
Honestly the first thing I think of is not journaling (especially because I’m going through a very hectic and constantly changing/significant time in my life). If I don’t journal I feel like I put it off until I have time to recap what I didn’t write about 😖 which puts me off from journaling sometimes but I do like the chronology and documentation of doing it that way. Edit: Idk if this made sense lol! Basically just putting journaling off because you dont want to or have time to write, and then putting it off because you need to catch up with what you didnt write!
I loved how thought provoking this video was! It was so honest and raw. It really made me stop and think about how much I "hang my hat" so to speak. I spend a lot of time thinking or contemplating things about my journal, or I'll scroll ideas, but to never actually follow through and do it! That would be my definition of journal failure. I have said this before but I am SO HAPPY you returned to UA-cam. You are so inspiring to me. You are an amazing soul, your aura radiates! Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday, Tina! Thank you for being here with us along our journey.
My first thought about journaling fails is thinking "this is something I should journal about" and then deciding to do it later and forgetting, or thinking I will remember the whole thought or idea. Such a fail because humans are not great at keeping ideas, but are meant to HAVE ideas. I heard that somewhere and it stays with me everytime I think maybe I should write something down.
Any time the journal is opened, and pen hits paper, it is a journaling success. The only failure I find is when I have "the feeling"- the feeling where I know in my soul and in my whole being, that it is time to write. Or draw. Or scribble. Or stare. And I ignore. Journaling failure comes not in the act of, but the absence of- the times when I need it most, but convince myself I do not have the courage to do so.
What I think of when I think about failure in journaling, is the fact that I don’t write enough, all these important and sad/happy moments where I feel like I should document them but I’m too lazy… also, I think about when I write entries when I’m really angry or upset, and then later I regret writing it. Or making an art piece/something artsy and it totally flops. With journaling I just feel like I’m running behind so much as well that I could never catch up but I don’t wanna skip over all the time that passed…
I think the biggest journaling failure is when you're pushing too hard or trying too hard or just forcing it too much and then sitting down to write feels like an obligation or a chore cause that to should be (in my opinion) a fun hobby, a creative activity and not something that you hate. (I hope it made sense 😬) And thank you Tina for a great thought-provoking video❤️
Adding that book to the wishlist!! I’ve had many a journal fail and have gotten so frustrated the poor journals have either their pages ripped or thrown right in the trash! I’m trying to let myself just be and switch around if the mood calls. I don’t need to stick with just one notebook or theme, I don’t need to finish every notebook i started by the end of the year, it doesn’t have to be just for poems or doodles but all the things. Just allowing ♥️
Yes 🙏 I think in some ways, journaling is all about letting go of expectations and just explore! Allowing our intuition and needs to change, change, change 💜
the typical thing i can think of is missing out a lot of days that i wanted to include and look back on. Even though you dont have to write everyday, if it's a personal need and you dont have the time oder motivation that feels like failing yourself. Another thing might be making journaling into a huge pressure without even enjoying it and doing it because people say it's nice. For some people journaling or some journaling techniques just don't work. And of course being to afraid to let your awnest, raw thoughts ou and hiding yourself because you don't want to afmit stuff to yourself or are afraid of someone finding the journal. Now i'm interested what ur going to say i'm going back to the vid :)
1. Judging my past self when reading journal entries (it’s much nicer to cherish your past self: she didn’t know!!) 2. Not finishing a notebook, but also 3. Not permitting myself to quit a notebook I don’t like. 4. Not writing about big events. 5. Not writing about ‘me’, turning my story into someone else (don’t know how to explain this in english! Haha).
Heather is absolutely amazing. She made a whole video answering a question for me about journaling. It really meant a lot to me. She is a very special human!
My fails (disclaimer. not a day journaler): - writing events in narrative form, in too much detail. It made me often not finish it. Writing in notes is much better for me, more raw, expressice, authentic. - writing everything in one journal. Reading about heavy, mental health stuff side by side other (less negative) things makes ot a bit sad. Recently I started a separate journal for that, finally :) - I regret not having a record of things I would now love to come back to, because at that time I was hyperfocused on journaling about certain mental health stuff or other things (although I'm not mad at myself, because at that time, I needed to vent and process those things).
I love this debate on multiple or single journals! I’m so glad to hear that another notebook has helped you 💜 I wish I could maintain more than one at a time, but I always end up abandoning one
Started but never finished bullet journals came into my mind immediately. Writing/thought journals are easy for me. I just can't with the bullet journal for whatever reason
What came to my mind was not finishing a journal, or having a strict time goal and not reaching it.. I inevitably miss a day or two because I work nights and have a bunch of other life things going on, and I find that handwriting changes with my mood.. I think you’ve mentioned that in past journal flip thru videos??
Tina, I just wanna say that I am glad you were born in this world world and I am certain that many people are too. Grateful for all of your contents, especially this one. Writing should be a safe method or way especially when we feel overwhelmed but when we started to have expectations and/or when we started to compare our journals to those aesthetic ones, it is no longer a safe place for us. It defeats the purpose. I have been feeling anxious and overwhelmed about how my journals look like to the point where I forget that the purpose is to just vomit the words.
Speaking on expectations of a journal, I think it's also interesting to consider "intent" when writing a journal. I think for me, I get frustrated when my "intent" turns into a hardline expectation and then I start focusing more on the product rather than the journey, like you mentioned.
You've inspired me so much since I've been watching your videos. I've enjoyed journaling so much more and started using it to help me find clarity in my mind and document my journey. The first thing I thought of as a journaling fail is not making sense, or forcing myself to journal when I don't feel like it, as well as thinking I don't have anything important or big or exciting enough to write about. I found some journals from when I was a few years younger and realized my day to day life and the way I expressed myself back then were the most interesting things to look back on, more interesting than the big things that I can remember without reading about them. I now write about whatever is on my mind however insignificant.
My first thought of what a journaling fail might be would be like a pen exploding over the page just when you're done writing. I imagine a slow motions, dramatic 'noooooo' scene, lol.
Very interesting!! I think the only way to fail at journaling (or anything!) is to never start or never try. We consider whatever it is we try, whether journaling or something else, a “fail” only by having a certain standard by comparing it to others like it. If we realize that comparison is an imaginary ranking system in our minds, then we can view whatever we’ve tried, even if it’s only one journal entry or only knit three rows of a sweater, as something we’ve brought forth into the world, something we’ve created. No matter the end result, if you try something, then you’ve created SOMETHING, which is never a fail. So that’s why I think the only way to fail, once realizing comparisons aren’t an actual way to measure success, is to never try in the first place. 💚 Hopefully that makes sense! 💚
Hi Tina. I just wanted to come on here and say I really resonate with this video. I've been watching you since 2016 and have been working on the same journal since. I am only on page 180 but I find myself always coming back eventually. I found in recent years I only come back during hardship, placing an expectation on the journal to be used only as a crutch. I wrote last night because I realized I do not need to wait until things get rocky to use the journal. It can be more than one topic. Thanks again. You've been endlessly inspiring to me since I was in high school.
Hey Ali! Thanks for being here for so many years 🙏 I feel your words and can totally relate. Isn’t journaling such a wild hobby? It really can change over the years as we grow and change too
I never saw skipping days as a fail, I never want to put that kind of pressure on myself, I just write when I feel like. Also censoring myself is something that happens but I think It´s also part of the process, to slowly become more and more honest with yourself. For me it´s definitely starting a journal and not finishing it. Also putting pressure on myself to conform to a journaling aesthetic or to expect to write like Shakespeare and as a consequence not writing at all. But I´d say those are more setbacks than fails, as long as I keep journaling and work on these setbacks then I´m not failing.
This video!! My failure thoughts regarding journaling are fickle.. on one hand I feel like failing if I abandon a journal but at the same time I feel like a failure also with sticking in one that doesn’t bring me joy. And the silly rambles - thank you for this uplifting video!
thanku for spreading this message. i was really starting to hate my journals since they are not aesthetically pleasing and i am so grateful for hearing this
a fail for me would be making rules. i dont want to force myself to write something when im not in the mood. something else i thought of is dishonest writing. not writing my emotions out deep enough because im too scared to admit certain things even on paper lately ive been trying to brain-dump write. just write down sentence after sentence whatever im thinking about. dont care about flow or logic. its interesting stuff to look back on and read
My only fail so far is not rereading my journals after a while. Now I’m in the process of moving I find my old journals and I’m positively impressed with my thoughts back then.
I’d say not finishing my journal and trying to make my journal look as ✨aesthetic✨ as instagram journalers, and then hating the outcome and wanting to burn my entire book. Big fails for me.
When I try to "perform" in my journal. When I focus too much on the end product and not enough on the process. When I use my journal too much to ruminate and spiral when I am depressed.
First thought of a journaling fail... Having a plan as to what I want in a journal/notebook, how I want it to make me feel when I write in it and look back in it...then once I start to fill it, I feel as if I did something wrong...like I tried to make my vision happen and I didn't get there. It's not calling to me anymore.
Loved this. The process is so much more important than the product! Journey > Destination! I also never really thought about why I get so frustrated by super short form content that is all the rage right now, and that's exactly it! It deprives us of appreciating the PROCESS. Art, creativity, expression, discovery, growth...none of it can be obtained in an instant.
I agree 100%. Journaling should be a free process. You just do it whenever you want to because it makes you happy; It gives you an escape. And remember that nothing is perfect. Your journal is unique in its own way because of the imperfections. That’s what gives it character (in my opinion)
I agree with all those tripping points within a journal, some of mine were putting expectation to write in one colour, to write in A4, and to make it look 'chunky'. The tripping points that I put on myself made me turn away from journaling but I came back with a more freerer mindset. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and the pages within the book- it's nice to here it from another perspective. The way you explain it with examples is super easy to understand. Thank you !
Journaling failure for me is comparison. Comparing my journal to other people's journals and then stopping because mine doesn't look as nice or as cohesive as another's.
Journal fails for me are : not writing in my middle school ( i had so many good days ) and when i buy a cheap notebook that starts falling apart after using it and not taking my journals with me in summer and in holidays
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of "journaling fails" is inconsistency. Or feeling bad and having this need to "pick up" where I left off from the last time I made an entry. Lately, I've been trying to use tarot cards to help access my emotions on a deeper level, and sometimes that's even difficult - things like tarot or "shadow work" bring up things that rear its ugly head very quickly, as there's no build up to those realizations. When it hits you, it hits you. Another thing I think of when it comes to "journaling fails" is ruining a very pretty journal with messy handwriting or scribblings out of misspelled words.
Love it! I have a few journaling friends that love to pair tarot with writing. I have one beloved tarot deck, but I haven’t used it with journaling for many, many years. Thank you for this comment!
My first reaction to journaling fails things: #making the background for journal entry too dark for text #messing up with dates, making a cipher to text without a key #making entry about traumatic event too early, without prossesing it #emotional entry without describing a life event UPD. After watching this video I realised, that whriting for future self is actually good strategy for me. If I can read the text to refill my memory, it means that this text was already worth it.
I used to think I had to write every day. After several times of not having something I stopped. I didn't do anything for several years. Now I realize that I don't need to have something every day. It's great if I do. There's a lot of funny conversations at work. When I don't have anything from there for several days it makes me excited about the possibility of something that maybe I'll want to write.
My first thought of journal fail is buying a bunch of varied and different journals(borderline hoarding) and then never using them…..some expensive journal covers too.
Social media influences me so much when I'm writing because I suddenly want to make each page as beautiful as I see them on social media, Pinterest. I keep wanting this journal to be eye-pleasing and perfect, so it feels more like work every time I pick up a notebook. I'm working on not caring about the look because it's not even necessary since I don't plan on sharing it to anyone, why would I want to make it beautiful? I'm a perfectionist so it's challenging for me
The first "fail" that came to my mind was choosing the wrong journal and forcing myself to stick with it even though I hate it! Did it a few times in my years of journaling but recently learned the beauty of letting go, simply saying no this isn't doing it for me and getting a new one. Simple yet my mind made it so difficult for so long hahaha
Wonderful advice! That book sounds incredible and I'm definitely on the lookout for it. I also thought about setting expectations as a failure with personal journaling. We are creatures of habit and it can be a bummer because it sets an expectation of needing to journal at a certain time, certain things, but like you phrased it so beautifully - journaling is the place to just be. Thank you for sharing!
Trying to make a pretty "display page" or pretty writing or something and it looking terrible! Those always get me down when my vision in my head doesn't match what's on the page. When a journaling session feels empty- like I cared more about the curation of how it looks than recording anything important or worth noting. When I get a kind of journal I don't like (lines are too close together or the grid pattern is too bold, doesn't lay flat etc etc) and then I'm stuck with this thing I can't use but don't know how to get rid of. When I get to the end of a journal and hate all my spreads. When I bring my journal but forget my fave pen Feeling shame about not writing for long period of time Hating my handwriting
Biggest "failures " -not writing more descriptive -overly whining on the page -repetitive words or phrases -ignoring some key moments/ feelings that arise.
First thing that comes to mind when I think of my personal journal fails: trying to adopt someone else’s aesthetic, using too many stickers, not capturing moments soon enough.
I paused the video and thought for a good 5 minutes and I actually couldn’t think of a “fail.” There’s no way to do journaling wrong?? (More realistically my thought was “it’s journaling it’s not possible to f@$k it up??”) And then I self reflected and I’m already with the mentality that in order to learn and grow, you gotta GOTTA be okay with playing the fool, give urself permission to mess up bc it’s gonna happen and then just go with it! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
Failure: not writing for days, weeks, maybe months at a time. Failure: writing too much about other people. Revelation: I WANT to spawns more time focusing on myself and my own energy Failure: not being happy when I write.
i'd say my biggest journaling fail is self imposing rules about the aesthetic, content, duration, style of journaling...
my journal is the one place where I want to truly feel free
YES!
This was what I immediately thought of as well 😅
My first thought was this idea of having to ‘catch up’. I haven’t written in my journal for months and now feel overwhelmed with the idea of starting again. I always feel as though there is so much to catch up on and it will end up feeling like a chore. I just have to remind myself that I don’t have to write about the things I was once worried about and if I do write about it then I definitely don’t have to write in as much detail as I would if I had written it in the moment it happened. Also another fail for me is censoring what I feel. Thank you for this video 🥰
The first thing that came to mind was "censoring myself", like not writing what I really want to write or not writing the way I want to write, because of fear of my own feelings
AGREED!
A journal fail to me -first thought- is the MANY journals I've started but never finished. But I have a hard time finishing things.
So why do you have to finish a journal?
Just see it as a travel notebook. For this trip in your life you just finished before the end of this notebook and now you can start another.
Maybe you do something else with the unused pages?
my first reaction was to laugh at how such a concept could exist. journaling is often a reflection of life - mundane, confusing, messy, reflective, random, and deeply healing. it's our own space to create and explore and simply be. how could there ever be failures in such a process?
This!!! 🙌
With something as free and expressive as journaling, The only thing that comes to my mind that I could consider a fail is putting too much pressure on yourself. You need to be able to enjoy the experience.
Agreed 🙏
For me a fail is not journaling. This year I started “a few lines a day” 5 year book. I have not missed a day. I have never come close to 3 months straight before.
Omg yes to the forgetting to document big moments and then feeling crushing anxiety about all of the events I have to document all at once because I've forgotten too many things!!!
When talking about journaling expectations I thought of Anne Franks diary and how before I've thought about how my journal might end up being a piece of history. Interesting to think about how that may have affected my writing.
Definitely don't think that you are the only person who started Journaling because of Anne Franks diary and preimmposed the idea of historical purpose.
Tina I loved this so much - your description of the emphasis of product vs process on social media describes so clearly these vague thoughts I have about it, thank you! When I find myself hurrying to get words out or struggling to fill a page I remind myself to let my shoulders go (they are *always* tense by that point!), feel the pen on the paper, the seat under me. And just write. Which is what it's all about :)
The first thing I think about is: I didn't journal for many years and I really regret it. I started writing in a journal when I was around 14-15, but after a year or two I stopped. It was not until 2015, when I was 26 years old, I started journaling and have almost done it everyday since. There is so much from when I was a child / teenagers I may have forgotten. So I wish I had written in journals at that time of my life. Another fail is that I tried to start writing in a journal several times in my late teens and early twenties, but each time I stopped because I felt like I had nothing to write about and often I was preoccupied with everything being so perfect. Nothing needs to be perfect in a journal, the one place you can be yourself 😊 Now I write about everything and I don't care about how I write, if I need to decorated the pages or not. I do what I want. I wish I realized earlier what a journal can mean to you, if you stop caring about everything being beautiful all the time and just let your feelings out. Life isn't always sunshine and happiness, and your journals should not be either. Love your video 🥰
Thank you for this comment, Elin! It really is all about finding our own freedom and giving ourselves permission to let go of all expectations & rules ✨
The first thing that came to my mind was perfectionism and being able to be vulnerable enough to tell the truth. I have an inner fear that anyone could have access to my thoughts, and so in a way my inner self tries to make everything as perfect as possible if they do get their hands on my journal. I want to be able to just let go and enjoy it for myself!
My list of journaling failures:
-not consistently keeping up in my journal (such as not writing about my day on that specific day)
-skipping days
-writing in PENCIL
-not being transparent with myself
-purposefully not writing about negative events so I don’t remember them or because I’m ashamed (embarrassing things, friendship breakups, etc.)
-not including my own personal thoughts about the world around me vs only writing about what I did that day
-forgetting/losing journals
I can relate to ALL of these! Thanks for sharing
The first "journal fail" that I think of is not finishing a notebook. I have gotten a lot better about not beating myself up over this lately because I remind myself that journaling is supposed to be fun and therapeutic. So if that means switching notebooks before they're "done" then so be it!
Yes, yes, yes 🙌
Such an interesting one Tina. I always think that when I miss days that I failed that day as its gone and my thoughts and parts of the day are gone forever from my memory. I also wish I had journalled earlier in my life as I feel like I'd love to look back at how I felt at different points in my life.
I needed this video. The Universe gifted it to me 🥰 Thank you for creating it. I've stopped journally because of the expectations I put on it, and have lost focus of why I need this journey! Thank you so much!
Thinking it should be perfect, without mess.
THIS!
first things that came to mind: including visual elements and the page ends up looking bad aesthetically, writing something that didn't help or doesn't feel true to my feelings or beliefs, trying something new and not liking it in hindsight
When I think of Journaling fails. I typically think of the types of prompt Journals that I never use or finish. that I just find awful. Other things I think of as Journaling fails are promp lists that I intend to use and don't. I don't generally think that you can "fail" at Journaling unless you don't Journal when you intend to.
I think omitting the truth is a fail. I think when people lie in their journals they are doing themselves a disservice.
My big journal fails are 1. Not documenting my struggle with my dad dying of cancer. 2. Not documenting my own journey through cancer. It seems when life is really hard I don't journal because It feels impossible to find the words when I'm in the midst of it all. As a result I don't have a record of my toughest times and how I got through them. I regret that.
Every time I write i put down what I do today and remember what I did on that day and I always reread everything.
I think that journaling fail to me is, was, not journaling daily & that would lead me to not want to or just not write at all. Sometimes I didn't like what I was documenting, because it wasn't 'pretty' or 'welcoming' to me & I would start ripping out pages & just no longer finding joy in writing or wanting to journal anymore.
Now I add whatever I want, write what I want, journal whenever I want. I came to the realization that I love journaling because I love writing. Taking notes, poems, lyrics, I just love writing, paper to pen & vice versa. The only way I now have or feel failure in my journaling is if I'm not enjoying it, or feeling relief about what I've written or created..
YES!!!!
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about journal fails, is when you don't journal from your own soul and mind. When you journal, but you wonder how the outside world would look upon the page. When you're comparing yourself too much to others. I think some people are very much focused on the aesthetics and how something looks and if it's pretty enough to be on social media. That takes away the pureness of journaling for me.
Today I started a new bullet journal, and I made a lot of mistakes in it and my pages looked not aesthetically pleasing at all, but I just shrugged and went on, not caring about it. Because it's about ME. And it's a tool to help me to be closer to myself. It's not about the looks.
YES! I can hear the freedom and empowerment in your words ✨ it feels so good to accept ‘mistakes’ and recognize that this moment, this notebook is for you and you alone!
Growth! I hope to get this point one day. I just want to tear out all the pages especially when I read previous words I’ve written.
You inject so much wisdom into my life! Thank you!
TRUE.
This is slightly off topic but I would love a video where you read excerpts from your journal, if you’re comfortable, I’ve always just loved the way you write 💕
This was good for my soul today. I’ve been a little too hard on myself lately, and this brought me back to feeling centered and not pressured. Thank you.
Glad to hear it! Sending softness & gentleness your way 💜
To me 'journal fails' is when I sat down to journal but did not write anything or write only 2-3 lines; not because that's all I have to say, but because I realized that am trying to edit myself, put too much pressure/expectation (as you mentioned) and think too much. For this reason, I like using a timer and giving myself just 1-3 mins. of freewriting, to journal as fast as possible and just keep going until the time is up :) - Interestingly enough, when we look at our answers in describing what 'journal fails' look like, most likely, that corresponds to how we live life and how we generally view 'failure' in our own lives as well :)
That’s EXACTLY what I was hoping that we would all realize with this long list we’ve got in the comments ☺️
The first thing that came to my mind is putting off journaling even when your head is overflowing with thoughts and you know you need to write them down
You have such a wonderful yet awe-inspiring interpretation of the passage, Tina! It really opens your eyes, or rather, it wakes you up from this sort of dreamlike fantasy and just go with the flow instead. Journaling doesn’t have to be aesthetic or picture-perfect. I mean, my handwriting is not pretty for starters and I don’t always have memorabilia around to stick on one of the pages of my journal. I agree that’s it’s all about the long-winding process and not the final destination, or product, I should say. I’ve always struggled with instilling unrealistic expectations on myself, but now I realize I don’t have to be so hard on myself all the time. I’m no way a flawless person, but I continue to do my best somehow, even if I don’t get to please every single person in my life.
Isn’t it incredible how these lessons in our notebooks can be applied to ourselves and how we live our own lives?! Magic ✨
When i think about journaling fails, my fist thought is lying about your life, your feelings or your actions. Making yourself « the hero » is a journaling fail
Forgetting my Journal. I have bought new ones on vacations and small trips. Now I have a travel journal that I keep in my suitcase. :)
For me a journal fail is starting a journal project with a specific idea in mind, like a knitting journal, or reading journal, or writing prompt journal, and then just NEVER picking it up to work on it. For me the fun of journaling is the process of actually working on it, and when it just sits on a shelf for months at a time without so much as a glance from me, that is a fail.
Oh man, I’ve done this a ton of times too. I think I have 3 unfinished reading journals and a knitting journal too 😂 multiple notebooks just don’t work for me and it’s taken me a long time to accept that!
@@OverallAdventures I understand that completely! I think the reason I feel so bad when I don't work on something is that it feels like a waste of a notebook. I don't like unnecessary waste, so I always feel bad when I unintentionally do it.
Sometimes feeling like I am somehow not worthy because of the whole journaling aesthetic displayed on social media.
I procrastinated a lot when it comes to journaling
tbh, the only thing I said was if I messed up the first page.
What I wanted to say further is that you are actually the person who helped me breakthrough from all those failures that you mentioned. I used to have pretty drawing on the sides, sometimes put stickers and craft papers to make my journal pleasing to look at. Yet, when I saw your video on stream of consciousness writing a few years back, it definitely changed my perspective. It's okay to write freely, to not have perfect grammar all the time, and to just let the thoughts flow onto the paper.
Thank you so much! Glad to hear that the stream of consciousness video helped ✨ might be time to make another one on that topic!
I think there are two types of journaling fails - fails you recognize in the now and fails you recognize in the future. For fails in the now, things like misspelling the month or gluing something in crooked - things that are annoying but ultimately don't change the content of your journal. Fails in the future are things where, when you're rereading your journal a few years in the future, you wished that you had written more about something. You wish that in the entry where you first met your best friend you had written more of your impression of them. Or you mention offhandedly that you're happy but you don't write why you're happy and it just bothers you that the chronicles of your life are incomplete in that way.
After watching the video and reading some of the other comments I think that four years of journaling every single day (except for a few weeks in april 2020, those dark pandemic times) I've become desensitized to a lot of the failures that used to bother be. In the beginning I wanted a beautiful, aesthetic, hand-drawn journal but as time went on and I couldn't reach that state of perfection I became more focused on improvement (process over product!)
This is such a beautiful and important point. You’re making me wonder if this is why I’m typically so resistant to reading my old journals! Maybe there’s some ‘future fail’ that I’m worried about! Thank you for this 💜
@@darcyemmett6828 yes! It really is a process of letting go of perfectionism
ding ding ding missing days is the first that came to my mind too! 2nd up missing or not journalig about big or memorable happenimgs
My failure is setting a goal to write every day and not writing every day due to being mentally and physically exhausted.
Honestly the first thing I think of is not journaling (especially because I’m going through a very hectic and constantly changing/significant time in my life). If I don’t journal I feel like I put it off until I have time to recap what I didn’t write about 😖 which puts me off from journaling sometimes but I do like the chronology and documentation of doing it that way.
Edit: Idk if this made sense lol! Basically just putting journaling off because you dont want to or have time to write, and then putting it off because you need to catch up with what you didnt write!
I loved how thought provoking this video was! It was so honest and raw. It really made me stop and think about how much I "hang my hat" so to speak. I spend a lot of time thinking or contemplating things about my journal, or I'll scroll ideas, but to never actually follow through and do it! That would be my definition of journal failure.
I have said this before but I am SO HAPPY you returned to UA-cam. You are so inspiring to me. You are an amazing soul, your aura radiates! Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday, Tina! Thank you for being here with us along our journey.
My first thought about journaling fails is thinking "this is something I should journal about" and then deciding to do it later and forgetting, or thinking I will remember the whole thought or idea. Such a fail because humans are not great at keeping ideas, but are meant to HAVE ideas. I heard that somewhere and it stays with me everytime I think maybe I should write something down.
Any time the journal is opened, and pen hits paper, it is a journaling success. The only failure I find is when I have "the feeling"- the feeling where I know in my soul and in my whole being, that it is time to write. Or draw. Or scribble. Or stare. And I ignore. Journaling failure comes not in the act of, but the absence of- the times when I need it most, but convince myself I do not have the courage to do so.
What I think of when I think about failure in journaling, is the fact that I don’t write enough, all these important and sad/happy moments where I feel like I should document them but I’m too lazy… also, I think about when I write entries when I’m really angry or upset, and then later I regret writing it. Or making an art piece/something artsy and it totally flops. With journaling I just feel like I’m running behind so much as well that I could never catch up but I don’t wanna skip over all the time that passed…
I think the biggest journaling failure is when you're pushing too hard or trying too hard or just forcing it too much and then sitting down to write feels like an obligation or a chore cause that to should be (in my opinion) a fun hobby, a creative activity and not something that you hate. (I hope it made sense 😬) And thank you Tina for a great thought-provoking video❤️
Yes! This totally makes sense 💜 thank you for sharing this point - it’s so important to add to the list!
That was really good. Your journal should be a friend that you write to and tell about your life as it unfolds.
Thank you, Kelly
Adding that book to the wishlist!! I’ve had many a journal fail and have gotten so frustrated the poor journals have either their pages ripped or thrown right in the trash! I’m trying to let myself just be and switch around if the mood calls. I don’t need to stick with just one notebook or theme, I don’t need to finish every notebook i started by the end of the year, it doesn’t have to be just for poems or doodles but all the things. Just allowing ♥️
Yes 🙏 I think in some ways, journaling is all about letting go of expectations and just explore! Allowing our intuition and needs to change, change, change 💜
the typical thing i can think of is missing out a lot of days that i wanted to include and look back on. Even though you dont have to write everyday, if it's a personal need and you dont have the time oder motivation that feels like failing yourself.
Another thing might be making journaling into a huge pressure without even enjoying it and doing it because people say it's nice. For some people journaling or some journaling techniques just don't work.
And of course being to afraid to let your awnest, raw thoughts ou and hiding yourself because you don't want to afmit stuff to yourself or are afraid of someone finding the journal.
Now i'm interested what ur going to say i'm going back to the vid :)
1. Judging my past self when reading journal entries (it’s much nicer to cherish your past self: she didn’t know!!) 2. Not finishing a notebook, but also 3. Not permitting myself to quit a notebook I don’t like. 4. Not writing about big events. 5. Not writing about ‘me’, turning my story into someone else (don’t know how to explain this in english! Haha).
Heather is absolutely amazing. She made a whole video answering a question for me about journaling. It really meant a lot to me. She is a very special human!
I couldn’t agree more 🙏
I discovered Heather's channel a few months ago, I am so happy to hear you are friends! That book is going on my wishlist.
My fails (disclaimer. not a day journaler):
- writing events in narrative form, in too much detail. It made me often not finish it. Writing in notes is much better for me, more raw, expressice, authentic.
- writing everything in one journal. Reading about heavy, mental health stuff side by side other (less negative) things makes ot a bit sad. Recently I started a separate journal for that, finally :)
- I regret not having a record of things I would now love to come back to, because at that time I was hyperfocused on journaling about certain mental health stuff or other things (although I'm not mad at myself, because at that time, I needed to vent and process those things).
I love this debate on multiple or single journals! I’m so glad to hear that another notebook has helped you 💜 I wish I could maintain more than one at a time, but I always end up abandoning one
Started but never finished bullet journals came into my mind immediately. Writing/thought journals are easy for me. I just can't with the bullet journal for whatever reason
What came to my mind was not finishing a journal, or having a strict time goal and not reaching it.. I inevitably miss a day or two because I work nights and have a bunch of other life things going on, and I find that handwriting changes with my mood.. I think you’ve mentioned that in past journal flip thru videos??
Yes! My handwriting totally changes too depending on my mood. I need to do more research on this - would be fun to expand upon in a video
Tina, I just wanna say that I am glad you were born in this world world and I am certain that many people are too. Grateful for all of your contents, especially this one. Writing should be a safe method or way especially when we feel overwhelmed but when we started to have expectations and/or when we started to compare our journals to those aesthetic ones, it is no longer a safe place for us. It defeats the purpose. I have been feeling anxious and overwhelmed about how my journals look like to the point where I forget that the purpose is to just vomit the words.
Speaking on expectations of a journal, I think it's also interesting to consider "intent" when writing a journal. I think for me, I get frustrated when my "intent" turns into a hardline expectation and then I start focusing more on the product rather than the journey, like you mentioned.
Mmm this is an important perspective! I didn’t think of discussing intent. Thank you!
Not finishing a notebook especially if it has beautiful paper.
Agreed! ESPECIALLY if it has pretty paper.
My journaling fail is not being able to be 100% honest even in my journal.
You've inspired me so much since I've been watching your videos. I've enjoyed journaling so much more and started using it to help me find clarity in my mind and document my journey. The first thing I thought of as a journaling fail is not making sense, or forcing myself to journal when I don't feel like it, as well as thinking I don't have anything important or big or exciting enough to write about. I found some journals from when I was a few years younger and realized my day to day life and the way I expressed myself back then were the most interesting things to look back on, more interesting than the big things that I can remember without reading about them. I now write about whatever is on my mind however insignificant.
I love how your video begins. I wish every content creator would remind us to think for ourselves.
My first thought of what a journaling fail might be would be like a pen exploding over the page just when you're done writing. I imagine a slow motions, dramatic 'noooooo' scene, lol.
Looooooove this 😍
Very interesting!! I think the only way to fail at journaling (or anything!) is to never start or never try. We consider whatever it is we try, whether journaling or something else, a “fail” only by having a certain standard by comparing it to others like it. If we realize that comparison is an imaginary ranking system in our minds, then we can view whatever we’ve tried, even if it’s only one journal entry or only knit three rows of a sweater, as something we’ve brought forth into the world, something we’ve created. No matter the end result, if you try something, then you’ve created SOMETHING, which is never a fail. So that’s why I think the only way to fail, once realizing comparisons aren’t an actual way to measure success, is to never try in the first place. 💚 Hopefully that makes sense! 💚
YES 🙌 creation (even the tiniest of gestures) is still magic!
Hi Tina. I just wanted to come on here and say I really resonate with this video. I've been watching you since 2016 and have been working on the same journal since. I am only on page 180 but I find myself always coming back eventually. I found in recent years I only come back during hardship, placing an expectation on the journal to be used only as a crutch. I wrote last night because I realized I do not need to wait until things get rocky to use the journal. It can be more than one topic. Thanks again. You've been endlessly inspiring to me since I was in high school.
Hey Ali! Thanks for being here for so many years 🙏 I feel your words and can totally relate. Isn’t journaling such a wild hobby? It really can change over the years as we grow and change too
I never saw skipping days as a fail, I never want to put that kind of pressure on myself, I just write when I feel like. Also censoring myself is something that happens but I think It´s also part of the process, to slowly become more and more honest with yourself.
For me it´s definitely starting a journal and not finishing it. Also putting pressure on myself to conform to a journaling aesthetic or to expect to write like Shakespeare and as a consequence not writing at all. But I´d say those are more setbacks than fails, as long as I keep journaling and work on these setbacks then I´m not failing.
Love this perspective!
This video!! My failure thoughts regarding journaling are fickle.. on one hand I feel like failing if I abandon a journal but at the same time I feel like a failure also with sticking in one that doesn’t bring me joy. And the silly rambles - thank you for this uplifting video!
Thank YOU for this incredible book! It inspired the whole thing 💜
thanku for spreading this message. i was really starting to hate my journals since they are not aesthetically pleasing and i am so grateful for hearing this
a fail for me would be making rules. i dont want to force myself to write something when im not in the mood. something else i thought of is dishonest writing. not writing my emotions out deep enough because im too scared to admit certain things even on paper
lately ive been trying to brain-dump write. just write down sentence after sentence whatever im thinking about. dont care about flow or logic. its interesting stuff to look back on and read
Brain dumping is a perfect way to ‘break’ those rules! Love this 💜
My only fail so far is not rereading my journals after a while. Now I’m in the process of moving I find my old journals and I’m positively impressed with my thoughts back then.
I’d say not finishing my journal and trying to make my journal look as ✨aesthetic✨ as instagram journalers, and then hating the outcome and wanting to burn my entire book. Big fails for me.
I’m so with you on this! Part of the reason why I had to delete Instagram was that I kept getting in the aesthetic journal trap
My only thought was forgetting to journal for several days
When I try to "perform" in my journal. When I focus too much on the end product and not enough on the process. When I use my journal too much to ruminate and spiral when I am depressed.
I actually wrote that down! About when do you have another time to not have a goal daily. Absolutely Brill! Thx love! Hugs from Napa ♥️🤗
Awww sending you hugs right back Justine 💜💜💜
First thought of a journaling fail... Having a plan as to what I want in a journal/notebook, how I want it to make me feel when I write in it and look back in it...then once I start to fill it, I feel as if I did something wrong...like I tried to make my vision happen and I didn't get there. It's not calling to me anymore.
Loved this. The process is so much more important than the product! Journey > Destination! I also never really thought about why I get so frustrated by super short form content that is all the rage right now, and that's exactly it! It deprives us of appreciating the PROCESS. Art, creativity, expression, discovery, growth...none of it can be obtained in an instant.
Thank you (as always) for the comment and insight! I am right there with you on short form journaling - it totally frustrates me too!
Yep! What you said is exactly how I see Journaling fails. If I am not Journaling and about the big things in my life what is the point. Ahhh pressure.
Oh my gosh I need to watch this every time I journal. I LOVED this. Very good. Thank you
Awww thank you SO much, Robin 💜 glad to hear it!!
I agree 100%. Journaling should be a free process. You just do it whenever you want to because it makes you happy; It gives you an escape. And remember that nothing is perfect. Your journal is unique in its own way because of the imperfections. That’s what gives it character (in my opinion)
Couldn’t agree more 💜
I agree with all those tripping points within a journal, some of mine were putting expectation to write in one colour, to write in A4, and to make it look 'chunky'. The tripping points that I put on myself made me turn away from journaling but I came back with a more freerer mindset. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and the pages within the book- it's nice to here it from another perspective. The way you explain it with examples is super easy to understand. Thank you !
Journaling failure for me is comparison. Comparing my journal to other people's journals and then stopping because mine doesn't look as nice or as cohesive as another's.
Journal fails for me are : not writing in my middle school ( i had so many good days ) and when i buy a cheap notebook that starts falling apart after using it and not taking my journals with me in summer and in holidays
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of "journaling fails" is inconsistency. Or feeling bad and having this need to "pick up" where I left off from the last time I made an entry.
Lately, I've been trying to use tarot cards to help access my emotions on a deeper level, and sometimes that's even difficult - things like tarot or "shadow work" bring up things that rear its ugly head very quickly, as there's no build up to those realizations. When it hits you, it hits you.
Another thing I think of when it comes to "journaling fails" is ruining a very pretty journal with messy handwriting or scribblings out of misspelled words.
Love it! I have a few journaling friends that love to pair tarot with writing. I have one beloved tarot deck, but I haven’t used it with journaling for many, many years. Thank you for this comment!
@@OverallAdventures You're very welcome, Tina! Thank you for the reply. ❤
My first reaction to journaling fails things:
#making the background for journal entry too dark for text
#messing up with dates, making a cipher to text without a key
#making entry about traumatic event too early, without prossesing it
#emotional entry without describing a life event
UPD. After watching this video I realised, that whriting for future self is actually good strategy for me. If I can read the text to refill my memory, it means that this text was already worth it.
I used to think I had to write every day. After several times of not having something I stopped. I didn't do anything for several years. Now I realize that I don't need to have something every day. It's great if I do. There's a lot of funny conversations at work. When I don't have anything from there for several days it makes me excited about the possibility of something that maybe I'll want to write.
My first thought of journal fail is buying a bunch of varied and different journals(borderline hoarding) and then never using them…..some expensive journal covers too.
Social media influences me so much when I'm writing because I suddenly want to make each page as beautiful as I see them on social media, Pinterest. I keep wanting this journal to be eye-pleasing and perfect, so it feels more like work every time I pick up a notebook. I'm working on not caring about the look because it's not even necessary since I don't plan on sharing it to anyone, why would I want to make it beautiful?
I'm a perfectionist so it's challenging for me
I can totally relate to this! I stopped collaging because it started to feel more like ‘work’ instead of fun
@@OverallAdventures I'm glad to know I'm not the only one feeling like this ❤
The first "fail" that came to my mind was choosing the wrong journal and forcing myself to stick with it even though I hate it! Did it a few times in my years of journaling but recently learned the beauty of letting go, simply saying no this isn't doing it for me and getting a new one. Simple yet my mind made it so difficult for so long hahaha
Ooofff this is a good one! I’ve done this way too many times
Wonderful advice! That book sounds incredible and I'm definitely on the lookout for it. I also thought about setting expectations as a failure with personal journaling. We are creatures of habit and it can be a bummer because it sets an expectation of needing to journal at a certain time, certain things, but like you phrased it so beautifully - journaling is the place to just be. Thank you for sharing!
Am I the only noticing the dark wood on the right looks like a wheat sprout ? It made me happy.
Oh my gosh!! Love this!! Honestly, it distracts me sometimes when I’m editing 😆 I will look at it differently now 🌾
Thanks for this FREEING commentary & Amen to all of it!
I’m loving all of these comments! We all seem lighter & freer! Let it goooo ✨
I love this video so much! Thank you for speaking about this. I think I put some pressure on myself to make it look pretty.
I’m SO glad that it resonates with you!
Trying to make a pretty "display page" or pretty writing or something and it looking terrible! Those always get me down when my vision in my head doesn't match what's on the page.
When a journaling session feels empty- like I cared more about the curation of how it looks than recording anything important or worth noting.
When I get a kind of journal I don't like (lines are too close together or the grid pattern is too bold, doesn't lay flat etc etc) and then I'm stuck with this thing I can't use but don't know how to get rid of.
When I get to the end of a journal and hate all my spreads.
When I bring my journal but forget my fave pen
Feeling shame about not writing for long period of time
Hating my handwriting
My first thought was not finishing a journal or not liking a journal, very curious to scroll down/resume the video to see what other people think!
Biggest "failures "
-not writing more descriptive
-overly whining on the page
-repetitive words or phrases
-ignoring some key moments/ feelings that arise.
Not finishing a notebook, because of to many pages, to big paper size or not having motivation to finish the notebook.
First thing that comes to mind when I think of my personal journal fails: trying to adopt someone else’s aesthetic, using too many stickers, not capturing moments soon enough.
Journaling fails for me are:
Not journaling for a long time
Being strict with yourself
Wanting to share
I paused the video and thought for a good 5 minutes and I actually couldn’t think of a “fail.” There’s no way to do journaling wrong?? (More realistically my thought was “it’s journaling it’s not possible to f@$k it up??”)
And then I self reflected and I’m already with the mentality that in order to learn and grow, you gotta GOTTA be okay with playing the fool, give urself permission to mess up bc it’s gonna happen and then just go with it! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
Yessssss 🙌
Not finishing a notebook is definitely the first thing I think about as a journaling fail 😬
My idea of failure:
-ripping a page
-spilling water so the words become illegible
😭
Failure: not writing for days, weeks, maybe months at a time.
Failure: writing too much about other people.
Revelation: I WANT to spawns more time focusing on myself and my own energy
Failure: not being happy when I write.