7 Positive Journaling Techniques for Conscious Creators

“Writing is a very strong point of focus. In fact, it is your strongest point of focus.” – Abraham Hicks

Traditional journaling is usually a way to record your current reality, events that have already happened and to process feelings, emotions and disappointments. But focusing on negative thoughts and writing them down in a journal can be detrimental to your ability to create the life you desire.

Whatever you give your attention to grows. So when you relive the negative aspects of a situation, you are continuing the momentum and perpetuating the negative vibration of it.

Positive journaling is different from traditional journaling because it focuses your attention on the positive aspects in your life and will help to train your thoughts into a better feeling place. Positive journaling will empower you to create your best life.

Benefits of a Positive Journal

Noticing the positive: The more you pay attention to the positive, the more positive you will notice.
Looking for the positive: Not only will you passively start to notice the good stuff in your life, you will also start actively looking for more.
Short-circuiting the negative: You will start noticing more quickly when you’re heading down a negative thought path and automatically start reaching for alternative, life-enhancing thoughts.

Here are 7 positive journaling techniques to help you focus on the good stuff:

1. Positive Life Journal

A Positive Life Journal details positive things about you and your life. The only rule for the journal is that anything you write in it has to have a positive focus.

Your Positive Life Journal can include:

“I am…” statements. Look over the list of List of Positive Character Traits (PDF) and write your current personality traits, to reinforce the amazing person you already are, and the traits that you aspire to.
“I am proud of myself for…” List the things (big or small!) that you are proud of yourself for.
Your dreams and desires. Write a list of all your dreams and desires and allow yourself to daydream about them being fulfilled.
Things that make you happy. Write about things that make you smile.
Inspiring quotes. Personally, I love quotes! Record any quotes that inspire you.
Good news of the day. If something wonderful happens, write it in your journal and add a date so that you can look back on it!
Add your own personal touches – start filling it up with things that make you feel good!

2. Gratitude/Appreciation Journal

One of the most popular journaling techniques among conscious creators is a Gratitude Journal. I prefer to call it an Appreciation Journal because appreciation is a higher, purer vibration than gratitude. Whatever you choose to call it, the premise is the same: spend a few minutes at the end of every day writing about the things that you are thankful for.

Benefits of a Gratitude/Appreciation Journal:

Raises vibration
Reduces stress levels
Elicits calm, happy feelings
Offers a positive perspective of your day
Gain clarity of what you want more of in your life
Helps you to focus on what really matters

Your Appreciation Journal doesn’t have to be deep. What you are thankful for can be as simple as “lunch with a friend” or “the book I read” or “my family.” What you appreciate and are thankful for is unique to you and you can write whatever lights you up.

3. Abundance Journal

A twist on the gratitude/appreciation journal is an Abundance Journal. Writing in an Abundance Journal is a great way to acknowledge and celebrate the abundance you’re currently receiving – whatever you focus on grows and makes you a magnet for more.

Here are some ideas for your Abundance Journal:

Income received
Finding money on the street
A gift from someone
Winning a prize
Someone treats you to breakfast/lunch/dinner
Buying something you wanted on sale
Interest on a bank account or investment

Abundance is a two way street and is evident not only in the receiving of it. You can also include ways that you are generous towards others:

Buying a gift for someone
Having a friend over for dinner
Giving a tip for great service
Donating money to a cause you care about
Donating clothes you no lnger wear to a thrift store

An Abundance Journal is a great way to document, appreciate, and celebrate the abundance you’re currently allowing in. And it’s a sure way to let the Universe know that you’re open to allowing in even more!

4. Future You Journal

The Future You is one of thirty manifestation exercises offered by spiritual life coach Janeen Clark. This journal technique will help to give you some clarity on what you truly want for your life.

To begin, answer the following questions:

What do you look like in your future? What do you weigh? What is your hair color? How do you dress?
Are you happily married, happily divorced, happily single, or happily seeing one or more people who are happy to share you?
What is your career? Or maybe are you happily retired with millions of dollars spending your days on the golf course?
Where do you live? Do you own a mansion or a rustic cabin in the woods?

After you have the basics down start to write your journal as if you already ARE that person! Write in it daily as the “new” you in the present tense. What are you excited about? What are you looking forward to? What are you appreciating about your life? Write down how you want to look, feel, work and live in as much detail as you can imagine.

Have fun with this! Use your “Future You” journal to describe the awesome life you are headed towards!

5. Pray Rain Journal

Pray Rain Journaling, a term coined by Good Vibe Coach, Jeannette Maw, is a technique used to manifest your desires. The process is simple: Get a journal, a pen, and write for 5-10 minutes a day about what you want as if you already have it. Each individual journal is devoted to one focused subject (money, business, relationship, job, etc.). By the time you get to the end pages you will have it or be very close to manifesting it.

The term ‘pray rain’ comes from:

“…author Gregg Braden’s story about his Native American friend, David, who took him on a quest to bring rain during a long drought in New Mexico in the ‘90s.

David surprised Gregg when instead of singing, chanting and dancing in extravagant costumes, he instead spent a few quiet moments in a sacred circle of stones with his eyes closed.

When Gregg asked what the deal was (Gregg was expecting costumes, dancing and chanting), David laughed and said if he prayed FOR rain he wouldn’t get rain. Because…

When we pray FOR something, we acknowledge its absence, and that acknowledgment empowers the very condition we don’t want.

What David did was “pray rain.”

He felt the rain falling on his arms, collecting under his toes, smelled it in the air, tasted it on his tongue, imagined shoulder high corn due to all the rain that’s come.

He FELT rain.

He didn’t ask for it to rain, he imagined it raining now.

As the story goes, it did indeed rain.

Lots. It actually flooded.”

– Jeannette Maw, The Magic of Pray Rain Journaling

Jeannette Maw documents a number of success stories, including several of her own, in her book, The Magic of Pray Rain Journaling. Check it out if you want more details about the process or just want to be inspired.

6. Self-Love Journal

Self-love is the foundation for being who we really are and the basis of a joyful life. If this foundation isn’t solid, life feels shaky and unstable.

When you start expressing self-love, you experience positive shifts and life moves forward with more ease. Things begin to magically fall into place. Relationships improve. Health improves. And life begins to feel really, really good.

Loving yourself first and creating a deep internal relationship has many magical benefits. When you begin a love affair with yourself, you will:

Gain a true sense of self
Recognize and prioritize your needs
Set loving boundaries
Stop seeking happiness outside of yourself
Accept good things in your life more easily

Self-love is not selfish. Self-love is about celebrating the freedom of being you and connecting to your innermost needs. It’s about who you truly are while releasing your destructive patterns. Loving yourself is a divine relationship with yourself that will radically improve every single aspect of your life.

For inspiration on what to write in your Self-Love Journal, check out 50 Self-Love Writing Prompts.

7. Higher Self Journal

Do you sometimes feel blocked from your own inner guidance and higher wisdom? Do you sometimes have trouble making decisions or understanding your life’s path?

Communicating with your Higher Self (also known as Inner Being or Soul) through journaling is a wonderful tool to help you access your higher wisdom and receive guidance throughout life’s journey.

Writing to yourself from a place of wisdom, love and patience is a beautiful way to cultivate your inner voice and give yourself the encouragement and support you need. Through the words of your Higher Self you will find direction, confidence, hope, faith, inspiration and courage. Connecting with your Higher Self through journaling has the power to show you your unique path and to remind you of your power.

To begin, meditate until you feel ready, then open your eyes and write a question in your journal. Sit quietly, listen for the answer, and write it down. In the beginning you may be speaking with your ego, and you will know by the answers provided. Allow yourself to go deeper. Before long you’ll notice a shift in the answers you’re getting. When the answers become more wise and knowledgeable you will know you are speaking to your higher self.

Choose one of the journaling techniques from this list and make it a 30-day experiment. Find a regular time each day to write and see what happens.

If you do it, I would love to know how it goes! Please share your experience in the comments below.