Starting a paper journal sounds simple: picking a notebook, a pen and sitting down to write. But in practice, many obstacles appear. Not knowing where to start, feeling there is no time, fear of “doing it wrong” or thinking you have to write every single day for it to count. It is easy to feel excited at the beginning and drop it after a couple of weeks.
This article is a calm guide to help you start journaling in a realistic way. We will look at why it is so hard to keep the habit, how to choose a simple journal to begin with, what kind of routine actually helps and what you can write when you do not know where to start. The idea is not to create another obligation, but to open a space on paper that can stay with you over time.
Why journaling is hard to start (and keep)
Before talking about routines and notebooks, it helps to name what gets in the way:
- Perfectionism: feeling that every page has to be deep, beautiful or “worth it”.
- Lack of time: busy days, with the impression that sitting down to write is a luxury.
- Not knowing what to write: opening the journal and feeling blank.
- All or nothing: writing every day for a week and, after the first break, giving up.
Seeing these patterns as something normal already lowers the pressure. Journaling is not an exam or a project you have to “do perfectly”, but a practice you can adjust to your moment. You do not need to write every day or fill pages; you just need a form of writing that feels simple and possible for you now.
When you look at journaling as a space for presence, not as another task on your list, it becomes easier to give it a place in your day.
Choose a simple journal to start with
You do not need the perfect notebook to start writing, but it does help to have something you feel like opening and that can stay with you for a while. This is where the difference appears between any random notebook and a travel journal as a system, with a cover that stays and inner notebooks that change.
A modular travel journal lets you:
- Keep the same cover for years and change only the inserts.
- Separate uses: personal journal, work notes, lists, projects.
- Adapt what you carry inside depending on your stage.
If you like this format, you can go deeper with the guide to choosing your travel journal.
To start journaling, the important thing is that your journal is:
- Comfortable to use: a size you can open where you usually write (desk, sofa, coffee table…).
- Pleasant to the touch: paper where your pen moves smoothly.
- Visually calm: without too many distractions on the page.
If you choose a system like notāre, you can decide whether Muse in A5 format or Nomad in passport size makes more sense for your paper journal:
- Muse, if you want more space to write and review your weeks.
- Nomad, if you prefer something compact that can stay with you throughout the day.
The key is not to get lost in the endless search for “the best journal ever”, but to choose a simple one and begin.
Design a journaling routine you can actually keep
Most attempts at journaling fail because we start with too much ambition: writing every day, for a long time, about complex topics. It works much better to start small.
When and how much to write
Instead of thinking about “writing in your journal every single day”, you can decide:
- A likely time of day, not a perfect one: at the end of the afternoon, after dinner or just before turning off the light.
- A very small amount of time: 5 minutes is enough to start.
- A clear structure for those minutes (we will see one in the next section).
Some ideas to help the routine stick:
- Keep the journal visible, where you tend to be at that time (bedside table, desk, side table).
- Attach journaling to something you already do: after your coffee, when you close the laptop, when you get into bed.
- Accept that there will be days without writing. Instead of seeing it as a failure, you can simply come back the next possible day, without explanations.
A daily journaling habit is not built by never missing a day, but by coming back many times, even if it is only for three lines.
What to write when you do not know where to start
One of the most common blocks is not knowing what to put in the journal. Having a few simple structures means sitting down to write does not depend on having great ideas, but on following a small script.
Some basic ideas:
Three things from today:
- Something that went well.
- Something that stirred you.
- Something you want to remember.
What is on my mind right now:
- List thoughts, worries and ideas without filtering.
- There is no need to organise; the goal is just to clear your head a little.
One question a day:
- What do I need today?
- What do I want to let go of this week?
- What has surprised me lately?
Mini state log:
- How your energy feels (high, medium, low).
- How your focus feels (clear, scattered).
- Something that brought you calm or joy today.
You do not need to use all these ideas at once. You can choose one or two and repeat them for a few weeks. Having a repeatable structure makes opening the journal easier than facing a blank page every time.
If you would like more concrete ideas, in the notāre newsletter we share a resource with 12 ideas to start your notāre and your paper journal, designed to try things out without pressure.
Create your notāre and keep getting ideas to write
Starting to journal is not about changing your life in a month, but about creating a small space where you can think, feel and notice what is happening to you with a bit more calm. A well‑chosen travel journal and a simple routine can become a stable support in the middle of changing weeks.
To support that process, you can:
Choose a notāre travel journal that matches how you like to write: more spacious like Muse, more compact like Nomad.
Subscribe to the notāre newsletter to receive the resource with the 12 ideas to start your notāre, new journaling prompts and ways to integrate your journal into everyday life without adding more noise.
You can start today with something as simple as three lines at the end of the day. The rest, over time, will be shaped by your own rhythm.
