How to Stay Consistent Journaling: My Morning Routine That Changed Everything

June 15, 2025 · By Josh

I fell into a journaling habit. I started consistently dumping my thoughts onto the page every morning after reading The Artist’s Way. Now I lose my mind if I can't. That is the power of habit. Journaling helps me stay focused on the most important priorities in my life by giving me the space to put them all out there and clear my mind.

Staying consistent with your journaling routine is the most important part of the process. Without a consistent routine, you are just scattershot, throwing words out into the world and the patterns never arise.

Here are some simple steps to develop a journaling routine and help you form a better mental space to face the challenges of life.

Why Journaling Matters for Mental Health

When I first started journaling, I didn't think much of it. It was just a practice of writing freely. What I found was that by slowing down and thinking through the different variables in my life, I started to recognize patterns. I started to see my struggles for what they were. Some are legitimate struggles, and others just mental constructs. It was the slowing down and writing that forced me to distinguish the two apart.

At first I didn't think it would work, but over time I've come to realize that journaling every morning helps me center myself for the day ahead.

It's also helped me cope with life's struggles. My children's illnesses, marital disagreements (she's always right), and major life decisions. Mulling them over in a non-judgmental way gave me the space I needed to process them.

Journaling has centered me in the now. We've all heard the gurus talk about being present. That is easier said than done. Pulling a dreamer out of the clouds is not an easy feat. It takes a lot of practice. Journaling is the practice that has helped pull me out of my head and put me in the moment.

What Kills Consistency

Noise

As soon as we wake up, we open our phones and check our notifications. Did the post get likes? Did our newsletter get read? Did anyone buy my KDP book last night? Most people look at their phones before they ever get out of bed. I am guilty of it. If I am not careful, that scrolling will turn into the entire morning and I will have accomplished nothing.

This is the number one killer of a consistent writing and journaling schedule. Nip it in the bud. If you catch yourself scrolling, put the phone down and open a program like TypeSlate. Set the word count or timer and write. This will prevent you from escaping back into your social medias .

Judgment

This is a sneaky one. Even when we write somewhere that no one will ever read, there is a little voice in the back of our head telling us that someone might.

If you want, you can set TypeSlate’s save folder to the recycling bin. Finish writing, empty the recycling bin, and done. No one will ever read what you wrote. The perfect journaling tool.

Skip Days

These are the definition of inconsistency. The beauty of starting a habit is that once it is formed, these become unpleasant experiences. The more you do something regularly, the more uncomfortable it becomes to skip it.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. Commit to journaling 21 days in a row and you will find it difficult not to.

Privacy

Always looking over the proverbial shoulder. Is someone going to read my journal? This is one of the advantages of writing in a virtual typewriter like TypeSlate. Save it to some unmarked folder on your computer or password-protect it, and bam, nobody will ever read it.

Unlike writing in Google Docs or a SaaS product like TypeShare , where they are actively training their AI models on everything you write, TypeSlate is built for your privacy.

Create a Ritual You Enjoy

One way that I've managed to stay consistent in my journaling is the ritual I've built up around it. Every morning I brew a cup of coffee and open my computer. I turn on TypeSlate and make sure my folder is “Morning Journal.” I set the word count to 750 and I write.

I push through. Slowly my mind wakes up. Sometimes I scream into the keys:

aaaahahahahahahahslkjasf;dlf ja

Just to get the angst out. But after the screams, I develop thoughts. By the end of the ritual, I've purged my brain of the noise and hopefully put a few thoughts out onto the page worth expanding on.

What About When I Miss a Day of Journaling?

Just ignore it. Don't let it become the habit. If you miss a day, forget about it and don't be too critical of yourself. Tomorrow is another day. I've even journaled in the middle of the day when I missed my morning journal.

Developing the habit

Remember that after 21 days it will be hard to quit. One of the best things I’ve done to maintain my consistency is to create the perfect tool for journaling. You are in luck because you do not need to write 1700 lines of code. You can download it for free. Happy Journaling.