Putting It All Together: Two Sample Journaling Routines
Theory is helpful, but seeing how these principles work in the real world makes them click. Here are two detailed examples of how someone might design a journaling habit from the ground up, one for the evening and one for the morning. Notice how each routine incorporates a cue, a minimum viable action, an environmental setup, and a clear reward.
Example 1: The Evening Wind-Down Routine
Sarah works in a fast-paced marketing role and finds it hard to switch off her brain at night. Her thoughts about work projects and to-do lists often keep her awake. She decides to build an evening journaling habit with the goal of achieving mental closure and better sleep. This is how to start journaling for her.
The Goal: To process the day’s events and calm her mind before bed.
The Identity: “I am a person who ends the day with intention and calm.”
The Cue (Habit Stacking): The cue she chooses is brushing her teeth. This is a deeply ingrained habit that she does every single night without fail.
The Environment Design (Friction Reduction): To make this seamless, Sarah conducts a friction audit. She buys a simple, small notebook and a nice pen. Instead of leaving them on her desk, she places them directly on her bedside table, right next to where she puts her glasses after taking them off for the night. The journal is already open to a fresh page. There are zero barriers between finishing in the bathroom and starting to write.
The Minimum Viable Action (MVA): Her rule is to write down just three things that went well that day, no matter how small. Examples could be “a productive meeting,” “enjoyed my lunch,” or “a stranger smiled at me.” This prompt is simple, positive, and takes less than 60 seconds to complete.
The Routine in Action: Sarah finishes brushing her teeth, walks into her bedroom, and sees the open journal waiting. She sits on the edge of her bed and jots down her three good things. Some nights, she feels inspired and writes a few more paragraphs about why those things mattered. On other, more exhausting nights, she just writes the three short phrases. But every night, she completes the MVA.
The Reward: The immediate reward is the satisfying feeling of finding the positive in her day. This small act of mindfulness shifts her focus from work stress to gratitude. The long-term reward, which her brain quickly starts to crave, is a quieter mind as she gets into bed. Her brain learns: Cue (brushing teeth) -> Action (journaling three good things) -> Reward (feeling of peace and closure). The loop is complete and reinforcing.
Example 2: The Morning Focus Primer Routine
Mark is a freelance developer who struggles with starting his day with focus. He often gets pulled into a reactive vortex of emails and news, losing his most productive hours. He wants to use journaling to set a clear, proactive intention for his workday.
The Goal: To define his top priority for the day before getting distracted.
The Identity: “I am a person who directs my own day with focus.”
The Cue (Habit Stacking): His chosen cue is his first sip of morning coffee. This is a cherished ritual he already performs every day.
The Environment Design (Friction Reduction): Mark sets up his “focus station” the night before. He places his journal and a pen on his desk, right next to his coffee mug. He also increases friction for his bad habit: he leaves his phone on a charger across the room so he can’t immediately grab it when he wakes up.
The Minimum Viable Action (MVA): His MVA is to answer one question in his journal: “What is the one thing that will make today a success?” He is only required to write down that single task.
The Routine in Action: Mark wakes up, makes his coffee, and brings it to his desk. The journal is right there, impossible to ignore. Before he checks a single email or notification, he takes his first sip of coffee (the cue) and opens the journal. He thinks for a moment and writes down his priority, for example, “Finish the client login module.”
The Reward: The immediate reward is a powerful feeling of clarity and control. Before the day’s chaos can begin, he has already defined what a “win” looks like. This reduces decision fatigue and provides a north star for his work. His brain learns: Cue (first sip of coffee) -> Action (writing one priority) -> Reward (feeling of focus and direction). This proactive start becomes a cornerstone of his productivity and a cherished part of his morning.
