How to Choose a Journal so You'll Use it.

There's no point in buying a journal if you're not going to use it. But picking out the RIGHT journal will help encourage you to write. So here's what I'd recommend.

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Pick out a journal you really like. It doesn't have to be expensive, but the more you like how your journal looks, the more apt you'll be to use it.

1. You'll find beautiful, inexpensive journals at Marshalls, or TJ Maxx.

2. Avoid a journal with a standard book binding. There's nothing more frustrating that fighting with a journal to keep a page flat. If you're right handed, it's easy to write on the right side, but hard on the left and vise versa if you're left handed. If a journal isn't comfortable to write in, you don't do it. Instead...

3. Avoid bindings where you can lift out pages without taking the rings off. Those are for planners where you want to add and remove pages from day to day. A journal needs to be durable and stable because of all the times you'll open and close. Pages falling out by accident will become a deterrent to your writing. Here are a couple of my favorite journals.

4. Choose a journal that's spiral bound. It's much easier to write when the journal can be laid flat with two pages open or flipped around to just one page open.

5. Pay attention to the spacing of the lines. Personally, I write with big loopy cursive so narrow lines are frustrating to me. It seems like a small thing but remember, we're trying to remove every obstacle from your path that has the potential to derail your journaling. And here's another lesser important point, but worth mentioning about the lines. I like faint, soft, barely-there lines as opposed to thick opaque dark lines. It's just a visual preference but it's something to consider.

6. Size consideration. I'd recommend getting a journal of medium size. Too small and it's clumsy in your hands and you can't get much on one page. Too large and you might feel like you're not writing enough because so much of the page is left blank when you're finished. It's also harder to cart around. Medium (as in 6x9") is pretty perfect. Still portable, easy to hold, and easy to write in while curled up on the couch.