Daily Journaling: The 1-1-1 Method I Use that Takes Five Minutes a Day

Journaling is therapeutic, it helps with mindfulness and reflection. It also helps with self-awareness. Maybe this method will work for you like it has me.

Welcome to my new subscribers from the past week, I’m glad you’re here! I would put this post under the heading of “A Better You.” Journaling is a powerful way to help you grow emotionally and spiritually. It can also help you process feelings and can become a great source of encouragement to you over time as you look back over your life and see how God has worked through the highs and lows. I’ve shared this journaling method with a lot of friends. It’s not unique to me, but it works for me and I hope maybe it will work for you if you’re looking to start journaling.

Over the last few years, I have had some mini "seasons" of life where I have struggled with anger. I think cynicism is under the surface of some of it. Cynicism is one of those challenges you face as you age you just don't see coming. In attempts to combat some of the frustrations I was feeling, I started to journal. Specifically, I started a gratitude journal. I went on Amazon and purchased some pocket sized notebooks and started writing down every day what I had to be thankful for that day. It helped immensely with my frame of mind. Before long I was out of the funk and feeling more positive about life. Gratitude journaling also helped me build a daily journaling habit which I continue daily.

I have moved away from the gratitude journaling to another method that only takes about five minutes per day. The method is called the 1-1-1 journaling method. Sahil Bloom uses this method and I found it works well for me. Much like Bloom, I have struggled with journaling consistently over the years but this method is something I have been able to do consistently. At the end of the day, I pull out my journal and reflect on three things:

• 1 win from the day

• 1 tension or something that I struggled with during the day

• 1 point of gratitude

1 Win

Reflecting on one win each day helps me reflect on progress I made during the day. If I am not doing something with purpose daily, I can quickly get bored or frustrated. I am also a very task driven person. This reflection point helps me evaluate what I accomplished during the day.

1 Tension

Reflecting on one point of tension today helps me to acknowledge the chaos of the day. It helps me process it in a concise manner. I have a tendency to overthink and just stew on things and this can lead to perpetual frustration with it if I am not careful. Putting it down on paper makes me acknowledge the problem and/or area of weakness that I need to work on. These tension points revolve around various topics. Sometimes it is something I am struggling with at work. Other times, it is a point of tension around a relationship, a bad habit I need to correct, a goal that I failed at, or an emotion I have been feeling that day.

1 Gratitude

I appreciate this method of journaling because as I said in the beginning, I started a regular practice of journaling with a gratitude journal. Having gratitude as part of this journaling method keeps me constantly thinking about the good things I have in my life and the people that are most important to me. I also love that this method ends with gratitude. I end every journaling session on a positive and walk away full of gratitude. 

Journaling is therapeutic, it helps with mindfulness and reflection. It also helps with self-awareness. Maybe this method will work for you like it has me. If this technique does not work for you, check out this post I found on 14 Life-Changing Journaling Techniques (And How to Start). What method of journaling do you prefer and why? Let me know!