How To Do Stream of Consciousness Journaling
This short video walks you through the benefits of Stream of Consciousness Journaling and how to do it as part of the Route To Unstoppable Journaling Adventure.
Quick Tips
- Set time aside to do it every day; 10 minutes is great
- A cheap notebook is all you need
- You’re not writing a memoir, simply downloading thoughts that are bouncing around in your head
- Start writing, and don’t lift your pen off the paper
- Whatever thought comes up, write it out; don’t analyse it
- Date each entry
- Mark anything that piques your interest in a different coloured pen
Transcript: How To Do Stream of Consciousness Journaling
I wanted to give you a quick overview of stream-of-consciousness journaling, or SOC journaling as I call it, mainly because I stumble on the word consciousness all the time. Stream-of-consciousness journaling, or SOC journaling, is like writing a daily diary. You set time aside to do it every day, and it is there mainly to clear out the cobwebs that are in your head, things that you might be brooding about, or worrying about, or even just thoughts that are bopping around in there that you didn’t even realize were there. It is all about a clearing, a clearing process. The way we used it in the Go-Getter’s Compass it is, anyhow. You’ll come across activities throughout all of the courses that involve SOC journaling, and so that’s why it’s a good practice to pick up early on.
So how I do it is, I’ve got books like this. They’re five bucks, and if you’re really lucky, you can get them in for $2 at most of the big retailers or newsagents or wherever else; it doesn’t need to be flash. One of the important things to remember with your SOC journaling is you’re not writing this as a memoir. You’re not writing it for the grandkids or whoever else to read in a century’s time. It doesn’t need to look pretty; it’s a case of getting those thoughts out. And writing is the best way to do it. Physical writing, no digital options in this game, sorry. Just use the physical book and pen.
What you do is you clear yourself some space every day. Discipline is good. So maybe it’s when you wake up first thing in the morning or before you go to bed or lunchtime but try and have a set routine around it. It’s only 10 minutes, and you need to clear that space for yourself. You’re worth 10 minutes a day, surely. And what I do sometimes if I’m having issues with discipline, is I actually set myself a timer and to write constantly for that 10 minutes or that 15 minutes. So, set an egg timer or the stopwatch on your phone. However, I prefer to use something like an egg timer because if your phone is near you, it’s easy to get distracted.
And basically, you just start writing and don’t lift your pen off the paper. It doesn’t matter; don’t try and think about what you’re going to write. Just start writing and let whatever thought comes up write it out. Don’t analyze the topic and don’t think about:
- What it means, or
- If the grammar is right, or
- What so-and-so is going to think if she reads this one day.
Forget all that. Just get it out. In the journaling prompts, you’ll be given a theme to write around, but it’s good practice just to get going.
To show you that it gets really ugly and messy, this is my diary. It is literally just pages and pages of stuff. I date it, I date each entry. And also, sometimes I’ll go back, and I’ll mark in orange anything that’s particularly significant that’s come out during the process. Sometimes, there is useful stuff, and sometimes there isn’t. It’s whatever it is; there’s no right or wrong. Have fun with it, give yourself permission to play with it, and enjoy the process. Think of it like a massage, and it’s getting all that creaks and sore muscles out of your body. Have fun. If you have any issues or any questions, Let’s Chat.