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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ohio U chapter.

I am a huge fan of bullet journals, and truthfully, journals as a whole. One of the most frequent gifts I receive for Christmas or my birthday is blank journals. They’re very satisfying to me, especially with all of their possibilities.

But, those “possibilities” are also what makes them so intimidating. I find it hard to find a journal and know exactly what intention I want it to maintain. I currently have a multitude of journals that serve completely different purposes and have entirely different themes–eating, therapy, art, meditation, and miscellaneous. 

With that being said, whenever I do start a new journal  I’m not exactly sure of what direction I want it to take. So, for anyone else either first starting or continuing their journaling journey, here are a handful of ideas to hopefully propel you in a good direction!

Monthly Goals

Monthly goals are a great way to start a journal. This enables you to not have to necessarily journal daily, but just at least a few times a month to get into the routine and allow yourself to monitor your progress for whatever goals you may have for yourself. 

Something I love to do is have a page dedicated to a specific month and having a distinct design associated with it. It’s perfect for a pop of color and adds a great organization to your journal!

Water/Food Intake

This one may be a bit challenging, and in some ways, I do not recommend monitoring food intake, which is another article completely on its own. BUT I think there are some great positives as well to make it a  beneficial and productive journaling exercise. 

For one, I think tracking water is extremely helpful. I never realized how little water I drank until I started tracking it! A great way to track water in your journal is to have a cute drawn monitoring system–perhaps 8 water droplets a day that you can fill in with a marker whenever you finish a glass!

For food, depending on your mindset and your intention, this could mean tracking specific meals, helping with the transition from eating meat to eating plant-based, or simply could mean writing down different recipes you want to try and crossing them off/reviewing them once you make them!

Budgeting & Wish Lists

This idea is super beneficial and responsible, while still appearing very cute and satisfying in the journal format! This is an easy way to track your expenses and plan ahead for your monthly budget. This could mean creating almost a “spreadsheet” of how much money is allotted each month for necessities like gas, food, and bills, and then how much money is allotted for enjoyments like restaurants or other activities with friends. 

Alongside budgeting, another great idea is making wish lists for things that you want to buy but perhaps cannot justify the purchase at this time. This can help with budgeting to set a goal for when you will be able to treat yourself to one particular thing, or it can just be a helpful list when your birthday comes around!

Movie Reviews

These are some of my favorite things to journal! Whether movie, tv shows, or music, I find it super fun to dedicate pages of my journal to reviewing the media that I consumed–whether good or bad! These can be super fun too because you can add photos of the actors/musicians and rate your enjoyment!

Gratitude & Reflection

This idea is the very basis of most journals and goes back to the classic diary style as well. I think dedicating either an entire journal or just a couple of pages every once in a while to sharing your gratitude for the day and reflecting on your life is extremely wholesome and grounding.

The only constant thing to remember when adopting any of these ideas or themes is to keep your journal entries authentic to yourself. This means recognizing that your journal cannot be forced into an aesthetic that you yourself do not relate to. It also means being honest with yourself when it comes to journaling–sometimes your pages aren’t going to look that attractive or polished, and sometimes you may forget to journal for months. All that matters is that you recognize the process and enjoy journaling when you do it!

Lauren Serge

Ohio U '23

Lauren Serge is currently a senior at Ohio University, majoring in Journalism and specializing in Marketing and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is the current President and Co-Campus Correspondent for the Her Campus OU chapter. She enjoys writing, walking, spending time with her family, friends, and her dog, as well as catching up on her many favorite tv shows.
Caitlin Hunt

Ohio U '21

Caitlin Hunt is a fourth year journalism news and information student at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. On campus, Caitlin is involved with the Ohio Fellows, Cru, and is a Templeton Scholar. She has served as a TODAY Show intern and a NAJA fellow. In her free time, she takes in as much pop culture as she can! She is always watching tv shows and movies, listening to music and obsessing over the latest Broadway musical. Check out her monthly blog, Caitlin's Pop of Culture to see what she's watching!