There’s something wonderful about a brand-new journal.

And something slightly intimidating.

You open it to the first clean page, pick up a pen…and suddenly you have absolutely no idea what belongs there.

A blank journal offers endless possibilities, but sometimes that’s exactly the problem. With no prompts and no rules, where do you begin?

The answer is simpler than you might think:

Start with something you want to remember, explore, plan, or enjoy.

Your journal doesn’t have to become a traditional diary. It can become whatever you need it to be.

Keep Track of the Little Things

You don’t have to write about your entire day. Try recording one small piece of it instead.

Something that made you laugh.

A conversation you want to remember.

Something unexpectedly good that happened.

A place you visited.

A meal you really enjoyed.

Something you’re looking forward to.

One sentence is enough.

Over time, those little entries can become an unexpectedly meaningful record of your life.

Make Lists About Absolutely Anything

Lists are one of the easiest ways to start using a blank journal.

Try keeping lists of:

• Books you want to read
• Movies you’d like to watch
• Places you want to visit
• Favorite restaurants
• Recipes you’d like to try
• Projects around the house
• Gift ideas
• Things you’re grateful for
• Goals for the year
• Things you’d like to learn
• Favorite memories
• Ideas you don’t want to forget

Not everything you write has to be profound.

Sometimes a useful list is exactly what a journal page should be.

Give Your Ideas Somewhere to Land

Ideas have an unfortunate habit of arriving when we’re doing something else.

You think of a project you’d like to try, something you want to change, a gift idea for someone, a business idea, a decorating idea, or something you want to look up later.

Then you tell yourself you’ll remember it.

And, of course, you don’t.

A journal can become a permanent place to land those thoughts.

They don’t have to be organized perfectly. Get them onto the page first. You can decide what to do with them later.

Use It for Something You Love

A journal can also revolve entirely around one of your interests.

If you love gardening, record what’s blooming, what you planted, and what worked.

If you love cooking, keep favorite recipes, changes you made, and meals you’d like to try.

If you love reading, write down books you’ve finished, favorite characters, memorable ideas, or what you’d like to read next.

Travelers can record trips. Artists can sketch. Music lovers can keep favorite songs. Hobbyists can record projects, plans, and discoveries.

A journal doesn’t have to have a universal purpose.

There only has to be your purpose.

Write to Your Future Self

Here’s an interesting page to try:

Write about your life exactly as it is today.

Where are you living? What are you enjoying? What’s frustrating you? What are you working toward? Who are you spending time with? What are you hoping will happen next?

Don’t try to make it sound important.

Just make it honest.

Then leave it alone.

Imagine finding that page five years from now.

The ordinary details may turn out to be the most interesting part.

Don’t Be Afraid to Mix Things Together

Your journal doesn’t have to fit neatly into one category.

Page one can contain a memory.

Page two can be a grocery list.

Page three might hold an idea.

Page four could contain a sketch.

Page five might be something you don’t want to forget.

That’s one of the best things about a blank journal: nothing tells you what the next page has to be.

Don’t Wait for the Perfect First Page

Sometimes we hesitate to begin because a beautiful new journal feels too nice to mess up.

So here’s permission to mess it up.

Cross something out.

Change your mind.

Write sideways.

Skip three pages.

Start in the middle.

Tape something into it.

Use different pens.

Your journal isn’t supposed to remain perfect.

It’s supposed to become yours.

Make It Yours

That idea inspired the Make It Yours journal collection from Quiet Harbor Books.

Different covers reflect different interests, places, hobbies, and personalities, but what happens inside is entirely up to the person holding the journal.

No rules apply to what belongs on those pages.

A journal might eventually contain plans, memories, lists, prayers, sketches, dreams, recipes, observations, or thoughts that haven’t quite become anything yet.

The blank page isn’t asking you to write something extraordinary.

It’s simply giving you a place to begin.