What are the three levels of journaling?

Level 1 involves writing down what you did today or the most storyworthy moment. Level 2 focuses on writing down immediate thoughts and feelings to understand your internal processes. Level 3 is about journaling about long-term goals and aspirations to define what you truly want.

How can I start journaling if I'm a beginner?

Begin with Level 1 journaling by writing down your daily activities or most interesting moments. You can also use journaling prompts, which are readily available online or from AI tools, and consider a digital app like Day One or a physical journal you find appealing.

What is 'Morning Pages' and how is it beneficial?

Morning Pages, from 'The Artist's Way,' involves writing three pages of stream-of-consciousness every morning. This practice helps clear your mind, uncover negative thought patterns, and can boost creativity by externalizing your inner dialogue.

Can AI help with journaling?

Yes, AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini can be very helpful. You can ask them for journaling prompts, use them to write out your thoughts and feelings for analysis, and essentially have conversations that mimic journaling.

Should I use a physical or digital journal?

Both have benefits. A physical journal can be more tactile and feel rewarding, especially if it's aesthetically pleasing. A digital journal, like Day One, offers convenience, searchability, and easy integration of photos, making it easier to review entries.

What's the difference between daily journaling and deep dive journaling?

Daily journaling is a quick habit (2-5 minutes) for consistent reflection. Deep dive journaling involves dedicating several hours, often in a new environment, to explore specific goals or life questions, leading to more profound insights and actionable changes.

Key Moments

How to change your life by journaling in 2026

Ali Abdaal

Education4 min read24 min video

Dec 12, 2025|433,071 views|12,957|321

Ali Abdaal Ali abdal

Save to Pod

Key Moments

TL;DR

Journaling transforms lives. Learn its power, levels, and practical tips to start today.

Key Insights

Journaling is the single most impactful habit for transforming one's life by influencing thoughts, feelings, decisions, and subsequent actions.

Thoughts and feelings, when unwritten, hold more power; journaling externalizes them, diminishing their influence and allowing for clearer decision-making.

There are three levels of journaling: Level 1 (what you did today, e.g., 'Homework for Life'), Level 2 (what you're thinking and feeling, e.g., 'Morning Pages'), and Level 3 (goals and future planning).

Journaling helps identify core desires and values by externalizing thoughts about goals and aspirations, moving beyond superficial wants like money to intrinsic needs like freedom or purpose.

Practical tips for starting include using a physical journal you enjoy, a digital journal/app for accessibility, a list of prompts for guidance, and leveraging AI tools for externalizing thoughts.

Both daily short journaling sessions (2-5 minutes) and extended deep-dive sessions (half-day retreats) are valuable for habit formation and significant life changes, respectively.

THE PROFOUND IMPACT OF JOURNALING

Journaling is presented as a transformative habit capable of dramatically improving one's life. The speaker, having practiced daily journaling for nearly a decade in both physical and digital formats, identifies it as the most positively impactful habit they've adopted. This practice has been instrumental in shaping their life over the past ten years, leading to significant personal and professional changes. The core premise is that consistent journaling can initiate a positive cascade effect, altering life trajectories for the better, and is highly recommended for anyone seeking self-improvement.

JOURNALING AS A CATALYST FOR ACTION

Life's outcomes are dictated by actions, which in turn stem from decisions. Decisions are formed by a combination of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Journaling, the act of writing down these thoughts and feelings, externalizes them from the mind. When thoughts and feelings remain internal, they can gain undue power, often driven by the mind's survival instincts rather than aspirations. By writing them down, their power diminishes, allowing individuals to objectively assess and challenge them, thereby enabling more rational and growth-oriented decisions.

THE THREE LEVELS OF JOURNALING

The video outlines three distinct levels of journaling suitable for different needs. Level 1 involves documenting daily activities, such as using the 'Homework for Life' technique to identify the most story-worthy moment of the day, which aids memory recall and appreciation of progress. Level 2 focuses on expressing thoughts and feelings, akin to Julia Cameron's 'Morning Pages,' helping to gain insight into one's thought processes, identify negative patterns, and foster creativity. Level 3 shifts to journaling about goals and future aspirations, prompting reflection on what truly matters and guiding path forward.

EXTERNALIZING THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS

A key benefit of journaling is its ability to externalize internal mental states. Thoughts and feelings, when left unchecked in the mind, can lead to anxiety, fear, and inaction. For example, the fear of colleagues laughing at a new business venture can be irrational, but it feels powerful internally. Journaling allows these internal narratives to be written down, effectively dissecting them and revealing their often flimsy foundations. This process transforms the individual from a passive recipient of their thoughts to an objective observer, akin to an investigator analyzing evidence.

DISCOVERING WHAT YOU TRULY WANT

Level 3 journaling is crucial for aligning life decisions with intrinsic values and desires. Prompts about one's ideal end state or what one would want said at their funeral can reveal core motivations beyond superficial goals like wealth. By exploring these prompts, individuals can discover that they value freedom, teaching, or creative pursuits more than material possessions. This deeper understanding allows for setting meaningful goals and making life choices that foster genuine fulfillment, moving from merely ticking off tasks to pursuing a life aligned with personal values.

ACTIONABLE STEPS TO BEGIN JOURNALING

To effectively incorporate journaling, several practical steps are recommended. Firstly, use a physical journal that you find appealing, as feeling good about the tool enhances motivation. Secondly, maintain a digital journal or app for easy access and searching. Thirdly, utilize journaling prompts, especially as a beginner, with a provided free list available. Fourthly, leverage AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude as a modern, accessible way to externalize thoughts and receive prompts. Consistency, whether through brief daily entries or longer deep-dive sessions, is key to reaping journaling's benefits.

DAILY HABITS VERSUS DEEP DIVES

Journaling can be practiced in two main ways: as a daily habit or as a deep-dive session. The daily habit typically involves short entries, around two to five minutes, maintained most days, often with the aid of app notifications or during quiet moments like coffee breaks. This approach is excellent for habit formation and routine self-reflection. For significant life changes, however, deep-dive journaling sessions are more effective. These involve setting aside several hours, perhaps in a different environment, to focus intensely on self-discovery and strategic goal setting, leading to profound insights and actionable plans.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Books

●Concepts

Journaling for Life Change: Dos and Don'ts

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Write down what you did today, or the most storyworthy moment (Level 1).

Write down your thoughts each morning ('Morning Pages' concept) to gain insight (Level 2).

Write down your feelings to understand their impact on your actions (Level 2).

Journal about your goals and future aspirations to define what you TRULY want (Level 3).

Get a physical journal that you feel good about using.

Consider a digital journaling app for easier access and organization.

Use journaling prompts if you're a beginner.

Talk to an AI like Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini for journaling prompts and guidance.

Practice daily journaling for consistency (2-5 minutes).

Schedule 'deep dive' journaling sessions (hours) for significant insights and change.

Avoid This

Don't let internal thoughts and feelings go unexamined; externalize them.

Don't let fear or anxiety dictate your decisions without self-reflection.

Don't judge your writing or worry about who will read it.

Don't neglect journaling because you think you're too busy or don't have 'interesting' things to write.

Don't get distracted by your phone during deep dive journaling sessions.

Common Questions

Journaling helps externalize thoughts and feelings, reducing their power to unconsciously dictate actions. By writing them down, you gain clarity, identify fears, and can make more intentional decisions aligned with your goals, leading to significant life changes.

Topics

Life Change AI For Journaling Morning Pages Storyworthy

Mentioned in this video

conceptGPS method

The speaker's goal-setting method, which is based on understanding what you truly want and developing a system to achieve it.

conceptThink Day approach

A deep dive journaling method where one dedicates a significant block of time, like a mini-retreat, to gaining self-insights and setting goals.

bookStoryworthy

A book by Matthew Dixs that introduces the 'Homework for Life' strategy, encouraging reflection on the most storyworthy moment of the day for journaling.

bookThe Artist's Way

A book by Julia Cameron that features the 'morning pages' technique as a journaling practice.

conceptHomework for Life

A strategy from the book 'Storyworthy' where one reflects on and writes down the most storyworthy moment of their day.

conceptMorning Pages

A journaling technique from 'The Artist's Way' where one writes three pages of stream-of-consciousness thoughts each morning.

softwareDay One

A digital journaling app that the speaker has used for many years, noting its usefulness for organizing entries and integrating photos.