Spiritual Journaling for Manifesting

There are so many ways to journal, and so many different supplies you can use. Even with just a pen and notebook, you can build a tremendously powerful spiritual practice through consistently writing.

And as regular listeners know, a powerful spiritual practice leads to easy manifesting! To answer the question of “how to journal” I’m going to share three major tips with you.

Just start, the words don’t matter 

Truly. The actual words you write make no difference, especially when it’s the first time you journal for spiritual growth. The only thing that matters is putting ink on the page. 

You could write “I don’t know what to write” over and over again for all the difference it makes. I promise that this fear of not knowing what to write has no leg to stand on. 

You’ll be blown away by how much inspiration comes flooding into your mind the moment you break the writing ice. 

The barrier to entry for journaling is paper thin. We’ll go over more specific journaling types in a minute to help you get over the fear of the blank page. 

Do it consistently 

Journaling consistently is where the magic happens. Just the same as any other practice or habit, consistency breeds expansion. 

You wouldn’t expect to lose weight after just working out once and eating one salad right? You can’t expect your whole world to be transformed after writing just one page once.

Find a way to work journaling into your regular (or budding) spiritual practice. You only need a few minutes. Or maybe you’ll find you love it so much that journaling deserves its own time slot in your day. You won’t know unless you stick with it. 

Keep it just for yourself 

You know that old sitcom trope of the teenage girl writing in a diary with a lock on it and their little brother finds it and reads it and she gets pissed? 

I think that’s a very real fear for a lot of people who don’t regularly journal. It’s completely justified because it’s meant to be for your eyes only. It’s hard to be completely vulnerable if there’s a chance of someone else reading it. 

Of course, some of us listening couldn’t care less if someone else reads our journals. Others would rather litter the ocean with old journals than ever let them fall into someone else’s hands. 

Regardless of which camp you’re in, start your journaling practice with the intention of keeping it to yourself. That will eliminate any filtering or censoring.

How to Write A Journal

What makes a good journaling practice? Do you have to journal a specific way for it to be a valid practice? Absolutely not! What makes your practice spiritual is your unique spin on things. 

Having a specific time of day in which you engage in an activity is essential for building a habit quickly and successfully. I always encourage you to do what works for you, but to also challenge yourself. Don’t be so quick to declare that something doesn’t work for you without being thorough. Only you will truly know if you’ve actually practiced enough, and I will always trust your decision. Just be honest with yourself, have you actually made a sincere effort? (this applies to many things beyond journaling by the way).

Personally, I love journaling right away in the morning, or right before bed. Also, whenever inspiration strikes! I want to leave plenty of room for intuitive guidance to lead me elsewhere. But also have enough structure where there’s reliability. 

Consistent journaling is so good for moving through feelings of anxiety, sadness, overwhelm, confusion, grief, happiness, and so much more. By consistent, I don’t just mean picking up a pen only when these feelings arise. I mean journaling at least once daily about whatever is on your mind. 

If you wait until you’re at the breaking point to crack open your notebook, then it’s not really a practice. 

Putting pen to paper is best used as a management strategy. That’s a much more masculine word to use if you don’t resonate with the idea of a “practice.” 

Regardless, the goal is to get ahead of the dis-ease rather than wait for it to arrive to be dealt with. Just like taking care of your physical health, preventative action is equally as important as treatments after diagnosis.

Whether you’re currently in the midst of a calm period or a stormy period, it’s time to pick up a journal and just start. If you’re here listening to this now, and it’s resonating, your guides are nudging you to give journaling a try. 

Effective journaling and spiritual journaling are not mutually exclusive. We can use journaling as a mindfulness tool that aids in our manifesting, and I’ll share some styles and techniques with you today to give you plenty of ideas!

Journaling Styles

Okay, now we’ve come to the fun part! Let’s explore different styles of journaling and see if anything resonates with you. 

Diary Style

We already mentioned the “diary” style of journaling where you write about your daily life. Even the mundane things. It’s not a novel so it doesn’t have to read like a narrative or a story. 

This is my most common form of journaling. It’s very “morning pages” if you’re familiar with that concept. Basically, you’re just brain-dumping all over the page. Anything and everything that comes to mind can be written down. They can be the most ordinary things or the most extraordinary. 

If you ever do choose to reread journals, these are the types of entries that will be cherished. Especially if you allow loved ones to read your journals after you’re passed on. Which is an unexpected benefit of journaling–leaving behind keepsakes for those who love you.*

*Caveat: please remember to write in your journals for you first. If you want to write with the intention of someone else reading it in the future, keep it separate. I’m actually doing this for my daughter! I have a special notebook that I am slowly filling with letters for her. I originally thought I would keep it all throughout the first year of her life, like a baby book, keeping track of all the “firsts.” That didn’t happen because a working mom doesn’t always prioritize her self-care. But it’s alright because she’ll still get a nice keepsake in the future from me. 

Affirmations

Instead of writing about your day, you could simply write your affirmations over and over again. This is a great way to reprogram your brain to believe in the truth of your affirmations. The more you recite your affirmations, the more deeply embedded they become in your subconscious, and the more your brain will work to reinforce them. That’s the magic of affirmations! 

This is my go-to journaling style. If I don’t want to write about my day or I only have a couple of minutes, I love writing down affirmations. It’s grounding, recentering, and reminds me of what’s most important. 

Scripting

Scripting is a similar concept, and I’ve talked about it before on this podcast. Instead of just writing out affirmations, you can write out a narrative of your perfect life. Here’s an example:

“Every morning I am excited to wake up and sit with God during meditation. I drink nourishing tea along with a healthy breakfast while looking out into my backyard forest. I welcome my first healing clients of the day in my home healing space where they receive all the healing, coaching, and guidance they need through me. I am compensated well for my gifts. I eat dinner with my whole family before we spend the whole evening together.” 

This is a powerful journaling practice because it’s directly related to manifesting. Rereading these types of entries can accelerate the manifesting process because you’re writing it in the active, present tense voice. The Universe responds to this type of language the fastest! 

Bullet Points

If writing out long sentences and paragraphs is too tedious for you, try bullet points. Or a similar idea–sticky notes. Keeping it short and succinct will save time and mental space. 

This technique works really well for high-energy people who quickly move from one activity to the next. And/or for those who have no idea where to start with journaling. 

I love making lists in my journal. It’s very effective at clearing my brain. And it also helps me see patterns or similarities (like rewriting the same activity for two different lists). 

Doodling

Maybe you’re not as interested in words as you are in art. Journaling is still for you! You can journal in your sketchbook, or sketch in your journal book. 

Pictures speak a thousand words or something right? So for every picture you draw in your journal, you’ve basically written a thousand words. I like that logic. 

Sometimes it’s hard to capture our feelings or thoughts in words. I say it all the time, language is painfully limited. Art helps fill in the gaps. Why not combine these two things to make your journal a unique work of art in itself? 

Scrapbooking 

This is an extension of doodling. Scrapbooking, or junk journaling, uses way more materials than just pens and paper. Scrapbooking in your journal adds so much personality to it, and reiterates the stories told by your written words. 

Lately, I’ve fallen in love with watching ASMR scrapbooking videos on YouTube. I love the styles of materials, it’s such a fun and expressive form of art. I love hearing the sounds of the scissors and pens and paper while I’m working or doing my own art journaling. I’ve been enjoying this more than music or white noise. 

Automatic Writing 

And the final journaling style I want to talk about today is automatic writing. Maybe you’ve heard of this style before. It’s a very common practice for those who want to deepen their connection with the Universe. 

This is when you channel messages from Spirit through journaling. You’re not necessarily aware of the words on the page until you reread it afterward. 

This is also a great activity for improving the intuitive connection. After your regular meditation practice, when your mind is nice and relaxed and your spiritual connection is strong, set the intention for an automatic writing session. Then, pick up your pen and let the words flow. 

I’m not going to lie, this one definitely takes practice. Good thing we love practicing spiritual skills! Because we know we can master anything we put our minds to! 

I’m not very experienced in automatic writing, but I’m learning. It was a little awkward at first but I see the potential. It’s another way of practicing divination.

Thank you so much for reading! And as you go on your way today, know I’m sending you an abundance of love, light, and inspiration. Blessed be!