My Morning Journal Ritual

Open daily planner with handwritten notes, habit trackers, and purple sticky notes for goal setting.

After my last post about stationery, I really wanted to share how I am actually using my tools, specifically my morning journal ritual. To be honest, I was a huge skeptic when it came to the whole Miracle Morning craze. As a dedicated night owl, the idea of forcing myself out of bed at five in the morning just to be 'productive' felt totally wrong for me. I resisted it for the longest time because that just is not how my brain works.

Why I Chose to Create Before I Consume

I was watching a YouTube video, I cannot even remember which one now, and the creator said something that finally clicked: create before you consume. It hit me hard. I realized that my usual habit was to wake up and immediately reach for my phone. Before my feet even touched the floor, I was already consuming other people's lives through messages, news, and social media.

So, I decided to try a mini version of a morning routine. Instead of some radical 5:00 AM shift, I just get up 15 minutes earlier than I absolutely have to. That small window is now for my journal.

My Hibino Journal Layout and Sections

I am using a beautiful Hibino caramel colored A6 journal. Since it has two pages for every day with a time section on the left, I devised a way to divide it into five sections that work for me:

The Log: I write down when I got up, how I am feeling about my mood right now, when I went to bed, and any dreams I had.
Affirmations: I write about who I am and my ideal self.
The Big Three: I list my three lifelong goals, refining the wording each day.
The Action Plan: On the next page, I write out the actual steps to achieve those goals.
Free Writing: I use the rest of the space to just write freely, sort of like morning pages, to clear my head.

The Power of the 15 Minute Rule

Honestly, I never thought a 15 minute shift would make such a huge difference. By choosing to create before I consume, I feel like I am finally in the driver's seat of my own morning. Instead of waking up to a flood of other people's lives on social media, I start my day with my own thoughts, my own goals, and my beautiful caramel colored journal.

Of course, there are times I am not consistent since I just started, but I am trying to be gentle with myself. I remind myself that this is all part of the process and I am still improving. It is not about being a perfect morning person. It is just about giving myself that tiny window of time to breathe before the world rushes in.

For fellow night owls who have been resisting that Miracle Morning pressure, I highly recommend trying the 15-minute rule; it might just be the best part of your day. To help you get started, I’ve created a free morning journaling kit (similar to mine) that you can receive by subscribing below.

Once you have your kit ready, I would love to know: what is the first thing you plan to create before you consume tomorrow morning?

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