How to Journal When You're Too Busy to Journal

Confession from a stationery founder: I did not journal consistently at ALL this summer. I’d pick up my Female Founders Journal here and there, start a day then forget to finish it, or just miss a week altogether. I fell out of the habit completely. So if you’ve ever fallen off the wagon, know that you’re not alone. 

Being honest, I felt the repercussions of not taking a few minutes every day to write and reflect. I felt overwhelmed and was constantly chasing a moving target without taking a second to pause. 

At the beginning of October, even though I hadn’t completely finished my last journal, I needed to treat myself to a clean slate with a fresh-out-of-the-packaging Female Founders Journal. It felt soooooooo satisfying to start with a brand new notebook!

Journaling for busy people can be such a hard habit to build; we already have so much to do! If you’re wondering how to start journaling (or stay in the habit of journaling), read on. This is my five minute journal routine that’s worked to keep me consistent for the last 30 days. Plus, I’ll share some journaling prompts for entrepreneurs.

Can you journal in five minutes?

It really is as simple as five minutes a day with a pen and paper for you to feel confident, encouraged and resilient moving through your founder journey. I’ll give you three daily practices from an article I wrote for Entreprenista that will help you push past imposter syndrome as a woman business owner:

1. Write something you’ve achieved every day. We’re quick to gloss over the good, so keep a daily log of wins and accomplishments, no matter how big or small. It’s an ongoing confidence practice to help you push past self-doubt.

2. Make peace with imperfection. Doing something at 80% will always be better than doing nothing at all. Release yourself from standards that are nearly impossible to attain.

3. Bask in past successes. Writing your wins is one thing, reflecting on them is another. Go back and review your log of wins to see proof of your success.

Why founders quit journaling

It’s hard to fix something when you’re not sure why it isn’t working. So let’s get into why founders quit journaling. Every new notebook starts with the best of intentions, but a few pages in the momentum can get lost, and that notebook ends up in a paper graveyard along with the rest of them. 

1. A blank page feels overwhelming. I remember when I first sat down to create the Female Founders Journal: it was me, a pen and a blank, lined notebook. Also, an equally blank stare on my face. I had no idea where to begin. I could write anything, where would I even start? It was total writer's block. After a few days I started getting a feel for what would eventually become the BRAGS and PEARL prompting frameworks (more on that below) but at first, having no direction felt overwhelming and I’m sure it’s the same for a lot of journalers. A blank notebook makes you do all the work, before your workday begins. A guided journal with prompts made specifically for women entrepreneurs takes the guesswork out of what to write.

2. Taking time to reflect feels like a luxury. As a founder I’m always onto the next thing, when one thing is done then there’s another task to take on. Finding a few minutes to choose reflecting over responding to another email takes discipline. I know my business is important, but I need to remember that without me there isn’t a business and that taking time for myself matters too. It’s not indulgent, it’s a necessity.

3. Three pages feels like a second job. I’ve heard of the popular morning pages technique, and while it seems like an awesome exercise for creativity, the idea of freewriting three pages first thing every morning stresses me out. I’m already juicing, getting a workout in, cleaning the house and making breakfast from scratch. I can’t add three pages of writing on top of that. Instead, my daily journaling habit is a five minute situation. Two minutes in the morning to anchor in my vision and then write on a quick confidence-building prompt and then a quick three-minute reflection session at the end of the workday where I acknowledge myself for what I’m proud of.

The five-minute version

Journaling isn’t something I do because it’s part of an aesthetic morning routine. It’s a priority for my mental health to have a practice that leaves me feeling confident, motivated, resilient and empowered. I do it to continuously increase my positive self-talk so that the voice in my head is moving me in the right direction, not telling me negative stories.

Here’s what a daily page in the Female Founders Journal looks like, it takes about five minutes to fill out:

🩷 Inspirational quote from a diverse group of female leaders

✨ Vision statement keeping you connected to the why behind your business

☀️ Morning prompt that builds confidence

🌙 Evening prompt to reflect on the day

🎉 Celebration statement to recognize your wins daily

The Female Founders Journal is a 90-day guided journal for women entrepreneurs with more than 180 prompts, reviewed by a licensed therapist. It’s designed to turn self-doubt into self-belief. All it takes is two minutes in the morning and three minutes in the evening to strengthen your confidence muscle.

Want to get journaling prompts directly from the Female Founders Journal? Click here to receive five days of confidence journaling prompts sent to your inbox to start and end your day.

What to do when you miss a week

While I’m on an amazing journaling streak right now and I’ve been super consistent with my morning and evening writing ritual for the last few weeks, I’m honest enough to know that there WILL be a day where I fall off track. 

Holding myself to unrealistic expectations is setting myself up for failure. I’m not going to be perfect. Making a plan in advance to get back on track sets me up to win when I’ve gotten out of the habit. When I miss a week, here’s what I do:

1. Give myself grace. Off days happen and that’s okay. Forgiving myself, keeping it light and focusing on progress, not perfection, stops me from beating myself up over missing an entry (or five!). No big deal.

2. Make a choice now. Right now in this present moment I notice it. So I can grab my Signature Pearl Pen and start writing, or I could…not. When I notice it, I make an active choice to do something about it in the moment, rather than furthering the story of being out-of-habit.

3. Make it fun. If something feels like a chore I’m less likely to do it. But if it’s a fun activity that I can look forward to, of course it’ll be easier to keep up with. I make journaling fun by rewarding a full week of entries with stickers from my Pearl Sticker Sheet on each page. I cozy up with a cup of tea and put my phone down for a few minutes of undisturbed me time. I turn on some Lofi journaling beats and get into a flow state. These endorphin inducing activities make writing a part of my day that I look forward to.

I’ve tweaked my routine in the last few weeks and this is something that’s really working for me: I leave my journal on my desk so it’s easy to open up at the start of the workday. Once I’m done my morning entry, I move it over to my bedside table so that it’s a no-brainer to do my end-of-day reflection. There’s a bit of back and forth between my office and my bedroom, but it’s the shift that’s making me stick to the habit, so it’s working!

Making it easier than it currently is

One of the reasons that women entrepreneurs pick the Female Founders Journal as their guided journal of choice is because of our proprietary journaling frameworks, BRAGS and PEARL.

Every morning prompt is designed to help you brag on yourself, which is exactly where the framework’s name comes from.

I’ve created the BRAGS framework of journaling prompts which are designed to help you:

Build Confidence

Reframe Thoughts

Affirm Strengths

Grow Mindset

Self-Reflect

This is an example of a morning BRAGS prompt:

What’s a recent compliment you received and how did it make you feel?

Every evening prompt is designed to help you reflect on a PEARL of wisdom from the day so you can close your day by acknowledging your achievements and success.

I’ve created the PEARL Framework of journaling prompts for you to celebrate your:

Progress

Evolution

Accomplishment

Reinforced Positivity

Lasting Gratitude

Here is what an evening PEARL prompt looks like:

What’s something you’ve achieved in the last 90 days that brings you joy?

This journaling structure makes it easy to start your day with intention and end it with celebration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you journal?

I think of journaling like applying sunscreen. If I don’t put on sunscreen every day, then there’s a high likelihood that I’m going to forget it on sunny days. Regardless of the weather, I put it on daily so it’s a habit that’s on autopilot. 

Same with journaling. It’s easy to do it on the days with more white space, then ignore it on the busy ones, but chances are if I’m out of habit, it’ll take an extra effort to remember to get into it again. So I always recommend a daily journaling habit so it becomes a practice as routine as brushing your teeth.

What should I write in my journal as a business owner?

My brain is constantly on-the-go, so for me I love to use my journal as a tool to write out my brain dump, to record my wins and to stack evidence of all the things I’m getting right as an entrepreneur. I wrote an entire blog about why I journal as a business owner. It helps my mind take a moment to pause and check in with myself, instead of racing through the day on autopilot.

Is it better to journal in the morning or at night?

Both! It’s so easy for our workday to begin with reactive tasks like replying to emails or immediately hopping on calls, and then end in a bit of a blur. 

Imagine how it would feel for your day to begin with intention and end with celebration. Journaling in both the morning and the evening supports a consistent, meaningful practice that leaves you feeling confident and motivated.

Ready to make journaling a part of your daily practice? Order your copy of the Female Founders Journal Deluxe Bundle for the full experience, plus free shipping!