4 Ways to Keep Up with a New Journaling Habit

Just a few quick observations after completing week one of this InkTober challenge. These are helpful for anyone who is looking to make writing more of a daily habit and want some tips on how to get into a groove.

1. Have your tools at the ready. If you have 10 minutes between loads of laundry, or are waiting for be seen by the Doctor, it helps to have all your supplies readily available to draw, ink and write your entry.

2. Keep it loose, keep it simple. These are not fully finished works of art we're trying to accomplish. This is an exercise to flex our creative muscles. Perfectionism is the enemy. For example, I just noticed that I've incorrectly numbered days 5 & 6 on my pages. Not going to sweat it. Just move on and keep putting ink to paper.

3. Hold yourself accountable through your peers. One of the great aspects of these online "challenges" is that they are highly social and provide immediate feedback through likes, comments and follows. If you miss a day or two, the thought may enter your head before any of your peers may say anything at all, but it's your conscience telling you that there are people you are letting down by not keeping up!

4. Get ahead. Life throws wicked curveballs at you sometimes. Sure, I'll have time to do the page today, but tomorrow I might have a client call me late, do an emergency home repair, take care of a sick child, etc. When I had extra time, I invested it into doing a page ahead so that I could skip a day if needed.

If you would like to participate in InkTober and are looking for more writer-friendly daily prompts, please feel free to use our list of InkTober prompts to kickstart your journaling habit.

Anyone have any strategies they use to keep their journaling going, especially when you've hit a lull? Please feel free to share below in the comments.