If you, like me, have all the best intentions of writing in your journal, or simply starting a journal. But seem to wake up every morning only to remember that yesterday you forgot to write – yet again. You are going to love this concept!

I came up with a quick and easy “ONE-WORD” journal concept, that will get you “journaling” and experiencing the benefits of journaling in as little as two words a day! Yes – I know, I did say this was a ONE-WORD journal, and it is. You only need to write ONE single word; however, you do need to do this twice a day.

This one-word approach takes the journal anxiety out of journaling. It is a minimalist yet powerful approach to daily mindfulness.

How to Journal Using just ONE WORD.

This practice involves writing down a single word in the morning to set your intention for the day, and another word in the evening to capture how your day went. By focusing on just two words each day, you create a manageable and sustainable habit that fosters clarity, intention, and self-awareness. The simplicity of the one-word journal makes it an accessible tool for anyone looking to enhance their personal development without the commitment of lengthy writing sessions.

Even though this seems so simple, it is a profound tool for personal growth. By distilling your intentions and reflections into a single word each day, you engage in a practice of mindfulness that can shape your overall mindset.

In the Morning.

In the morning, choose a word to describe how you want your day to unfold, and set a clear intention of what you want to have happen. This primes your mind to focus on that desired quality or outcome. The word becomes a guiding star, that can influence your actions and decisions throughout the day. It encourages you to live with purpose, aligning your activities and thoughts with your chosen focus.

There is only one rule for your morning word choose your word wisely.

It does matter what type of word you use to set your intention for the day. You can choose to use an adjective like “Productive”. This describes something that yields positive results, benefits, or outputs. The word can convey a sense of efficiency, effectiveness, and high output.

Or you can choose to use a verb like “Produce”. Meaning to create or bring something into existence. This word focuses on the act of creation or generation rather than the quality or efficiency of the process. It’s more of a command, a call to action.

In the context of the one-word journal, choosing “productive” as your morning word can set an intention for the quality and efficiency of your activities throughout the day. On the other hand, “produce” can signify an emphasis on the act of creating or completing something specific and spur you along – so that every time you see the word, you can literally hear yourself saying the command “produce” to yourself.

Either way be aware of your choice of word (adjective or verb) and use whatever feels right to you. You can try playing around with using adjectives for a while and then verbs for a while to see what works best, or you can simply let the word come to you, and then over time see if there is a difference in your reflection on the day when having used an adjective as intention versus a verb!

In the Evening.

In the evening, you use the same approach and reflect on your day using only a single word to summarize how you feel the day went. This fosters self-awareness and allows you to recognize patterns in your daily life. Noticing repetition in the choice of words you use, or the type of words you use may prompt you to seek changes that can bring more balance and peace to your routine.

Conversely, noticing consistently positive words can reinforce a positive mindset, and add to your overall sense of the quality of your life. Over time, this brief yet powerful practice can lead to deeper insights about yourself, helping you to make conscious adjustments that enhance your well-being and personal growth.

The simplicity of the one-word journal makes it an accessible and sustainable habit, promoting a cycle of intention, reflection, and continuous improvement.

How to Create a ONE-WORD Journal.

Now you can do this in any format that you want. I kind of like the old-fashioned way of using a wall calendar (see image), but here are some suggestions:

1. Wall calendar – draw a diagonal line through all the days of the month. Every morning you write your word of the day in the top corner, and every night you write your word of the evening in your bottom corner of that day.

2. Your journal – If you are already journaling, incorporating your word of the day, is as easy as adding it in the morning and again at night. You can then use it as a journal prompt for both, or one of the entries.

3. Create an Affirmation – You can use your word of the morning as an affirmation of the day. Write it down somewhere where you will see it several times a day. Use it as wallpaper on your mobile, write it in your planner or add it to a post-it note, and stick it somewhere visible to you.

4. Remind yourself – Set it as a reminder on your phone’s calendar or alarm app, once or several times a day, to get reminded of your chosen word.

5. Planner or calendar – Write the word on the top of your calendar page for the day. In the evening write your second word next to it.

There really is no one way to do this. The one-word journal approach is incredibly versatile and can be adapted to fit any lifestyle and preferences. However, no matter how you choose to do this, make sure that you have one place where the two words, your morning and evening word, are listed together. This visualization of your desires and actual reality is a powerful way to take an honest look at what is really going on in your life.

Now, you can stop here and get tremendous benefits from the one-word journal, or you can take the next step.

Taking it One Step Further.

If you want to take it, one step further. Make sure that you have all the words of the week/month listed together, like on a monthly calendar page, whiteboard, note-taking app, or somewhere else.

Then use two different colors for writing “positive” words and more “negatively loaded or challenging” words. This allows you to use the one-word journal as a tracker. Every week or month you can then look back at the last period of time and visually see what the colors represent. This approach works really well using any kind of planner or calendar, especially using the wall-calendar,

Taking it Two Steps Further.

If you’re menstruating. Try to track your period in the same place that you do your one-word journaling (again the wall calendar approach is great for this). By adding your cycle to the mix, you suddenly get a chance to connect the dots! And the one-word journal becomes a representation of how you feel and what you experience on the different days of your cycle.

Using this approach, allow for at least three months to go by before you try to draw any conclusions based on your journaling. But then, take some time to explore how your cycle impacts your mood and experience of the world. This can become quite an eye-opening experience and allow for you to make more conscious choices and decisions for your life going forward. Like not plan social activities on days in your cycle, where you can clearly see that you’re really not up to being social!

In Closing.

By consistently engaging with this simple yet profound practice, you can cultivate greater mindfulness, intentionality, and self-awareness in your daily life. And who knows, after doing this for a while, you might be inclined to write down a few more notes (journaling) or you might not, either way, you have a powerful tool to support self-discovery and personal growth going forward.