You've been planning to keep a journal -- to track your career, note kids' growth, or sort through puzzling experiences. But where to begin? It's easier than you think. You may have already begun!

Difficulty Level: easy      Time Required: 10-30 minutes

1. In a blank book, or on a piece of notebook paper, write today's date.
2. Use ink rather than pencil. If you really prefer pencil, don't erase.
3. Put the page number "1" somewhere on the paper, or number a few pages in the notebook.
4. Make a short list of reasons you'd like to keep a journal.
5. Briefly note your current interests, obsessions, worries, or projects.
6. If you feel stuck, refer to things you've written lately: email to friends, to-do or shopping lists, office memos.
7. Consider whether you want to cover everything or focus this journal on one aspect of your life.
8. Write for a predetermined time, for as long as you feel like it, or until you're interrupted.
9. Sign off, giving a moment's thought to when you'd like to write again. Schedule it, if that works for you.
10. If your second entry is weeks or months later, don't worry about it! Write about what's kept you away, or don't. Move forward.
    

1. Keep your favorite kind of pen with your notebook.
2. Inexpensive materials can help you feel free to experiment.
3. Your journal writing is for you. It doesn't have to be deathless or daily.