Preparing Your Journal (Preparing to Journal): The Second Step in Journaling (Journal Setup)

Now that we have decided what journaling medium we are going to use in our journaling (digital or paper), it's time to setup our journals. 

JOURNAL SETUP

How do you begin your journal? You might wonder. 

I'm glad you asked. Let me share my suggestions. 

Come up with a name or title for your journal. What do you want to call your journal?

Example of what I call mine: "2022 SD Journal #20."

Huh. What does that mean? I put the year, my initials, and then the number of the journal that it is. Prior to #1, I never called them a number (a volume number) and I see my error now. It's so much easier just to say or write, "Journal #20," than "2022 The Journal of Stacy Duplease #20. "

That's the abbreviated name of your journal.

Then, in the next line, I call it something that the rest of the world would understand if they find my journal. So I call it, "The Journal of Stacy Duplease."

See. If someone finds this journal, or reads it, they know who it belongs to and whose story is contained in its pages. 

Next, put the "Starting Date." and then write the starting date.

If you have a paper journal, you might want to put a line about: "If lost and found..." Fill in the blank with your information so they can return it to you. 

Then, turn the page and start journaling. 

Yep. It's really that simple.

And the fact that you do not begin journaling until the next page means that if someone sees the cover of that journal for whatever reason, your actual journaling is hid behind the next page. So your journaling is kept private.