Write Your Way to Success with Journaling

Why Journaling Works

In an article from Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, Gustafson, 2017 states “The subconscious mind is habitual. It has programs in it – habits. These habits play automatically without us thinking of them.” so to me this statement highlights that the repetitive act of journaling every day can help build new habits in your subconscious mind and if you constantly journal about your goals, this could help you achieve them by allowing your mind stay focused on what you truly want. 

On top of that, studies show that positive journaling (gratitude) helps keep your emotions regulated, increases your resilience and helps reduce anxiety and depression (Smyth et al., 2018). Based on these studies, you can see that daily intentional goal-setting and focusing on what you are grateful for helps to set your brain up for success (Gustafson, 2017; Smyth et al., 2018).

My Experience with Journaling

In the past (and when I’ve stuck to it), I have found journaling has helped keep me motivated. As someone with dyslexia and a mind full of scattered thoughts, journaling has been a game-changer. It helps me stay organized, creating structured systems that bring clarity and focus instead of letting my ideas spiral into chaos.

For me, intentional journaling means using prompts and guidelines to align with my annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily goals—rather than just dumping my thoughts onto paper (though that has its benefits too). I’ve always been more of a brain-dumper, but in 2025, I’m committed to developing a more purposeful journaling habit. In fact, I’ve even designed a journal to help me stay focused and achieve my personal goals. You can find a digital and physical journal in my online shop if you fancy!

Here are a few ways that intentional journaling has helped me so far:

1. Health and Wellness goals

I have found that planning out my weekly workouts, what I’m going to eat (meal prep) and tracking my progress in the gym, helps me stay focused and stick to the plan. It helps to keep me accountable and motivated as I can look back and see my progress. Usually, when I don’t make these plans, it’s easy for me to forget about them and say “I’ll start next week”.  

2. Brain Dumping for a Clear Mind

This is where the chaotic part of my brain gets let loose so I feel like I can make sense of what’s going on. I write everything I’m thinking and feeling down and it helps me to remove the mental fog and make sense of what’s going on. From there, I can pick out pieces that I need to work on, create action points and feel more focused. Mostly this exercise makes me feel clear-headed.

3. Gratitude for Reduced Anxiety

Sometimes that niggly anxious feeling kicks in and it’s due to all the problems I am focusing on and they start to build up, especially on bad days. For me, writing down what I am grateful for, helps to re-frame my mind and focus on the positives so more of that comes my way and it becomes my reality. Energy flows where focus goes! This truly helps with mindset. 

4. Goal Setting

Whether it’s writing down my skincare routine, when I plan to meditate, or planning out my week or milestones for my online business, my journal helps me plan all the things that are important to me. For someone who has a scattered brain and forgets things easily, I find writing down thoughts throughout the day on my notes app, or a piece of paper, and then putting it into my journal at the end of the day helps me keep on top of things. At the end of the day, I consolidate and make sense of everything and put my thoughts into actionable goals. This method has made a huge difference in my life as I tend to forget things easily – Tip: write everything down as soon as you think it! 

Journaling for Turning Your Life Around

When you’re at the start of your journey in turning your life around, journaling is a fantastic tool to help you do so. Here’s why:

• Keeps You Focused on Your Goals: Writing your goals down regularly keeps you focused on the goals you want to achieve and why you want to do so, it makes your goals tangible;
• Keeps You Accountable: No one else is responsible for you achieving your goals, so it can help you keep yourself accountable and committed;
• Keeps You Inspired and Motivated: Reviewing past entries can show you how far you’ve come in your journey and what you’ve achieved, which helps keep you motivated;
• Helps to Shift Your Mindset: Journaling can help you achieve a growth mindset by focusing on solutions and what you’re grateful for, rather than problems (Hiemstra, 2001).

Make Journaling Your Own

Everybody has different goals and different needs in life, so there is no right or wrong way to journal. Finding the perfect journal practice is through trial and error. You may prefer to journal daily, or you might find that overwhelming and prefer to journal every week, but whatever you choose, staying consistent is the key so find something that you can stick to. 

Over time, I have found that the more I journal, the easier it gets and I hope to make it a key part of my lifestyle from 2025 onwards. I plan to forever use journaling as a tool to keep on track of my wellness, lifestyle and mindset goals and live my life more intentionally. If you have similar goals to me or want a ready-made intentional journal, I have created one already that you can use. Alternatively, start with a blank journal, start writing and see where that takes you. 

If you stick to it, it may even help you become the version of yourself you’ve always wanted to be.

Until next time,

Greta @ How To Turn Your Life Around

🔗 Related Reads:

• How Self-Confidence Transforms Your Relationships
• Money Mindset for Success
• How to Deal with Toxic Work Colleagues and Protect Yourself

References & Disclaimers:

Gustafson, C. (2017, December). Bruce Lipton, PhD: The jump from cell culture to consciousness. Integrative Medicine (Encinitas), 16(6), 44–50. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6438088/

Hiemstra, R. (2001). Uses and benefits of journal writing. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2001(90), 19–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.17

Pierson, J. (2022). The power of the subconscious mind. Paper presented at the Delaware Hospice Family Support Center, Delaware. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365211107_The_Power_of_the_Subconscious_Mind 

Smyth, J. M., Johnson, J. A., Auer, B. J., Lehman, E., Talamo, G., & Sciamanna, C. N. (2018). Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health, 5(4), e11290. https://doi.org/10.2196/11290 

Disclaimer:

The content provided on this blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. While journaling, gratitude practices, and goal-setting can be beneficial tools for personal growth, mental well-being, and productivity, individual experiences may vary. Always consult with a licensed therapist, counsellor, or healthcare provider if you are experiencing mental health challenges or need personalised advice.

The information shared on this blog reflects the personal experiences and opinions of the author and is not intended to be a replacement for professional services. Readers should use their own judgment and discretion when applying any tips, strategies, or practices discussed.

By using this blog, you agree to take full responsibility for your own mental health and well-being. The author and any associated parties are not liable for any outcomes or consequences that may arise from following the advice or suggestions shared.