Blog · Analog Journaling

How to Journal Consistently: My Analog Journaling System

You're probably just like me and started one, two, three, four, five journals and have never finished them.

Luis Duque, PE · September 26, 2026 · 5 min read

It is not because you're inconsistent. It's because those systems were not really created for you.

I design bridges and I do a lot of thinking on paper. Beyond that, I use these tools for my mental practices, making sure I am staying mentally healthy and processing my feelings. And these tools really have enhanced that experience a lot better than just typing in a computer or just using my phone to record those thoughts and feelings. Paper really does something unique.

Watch the full video for everything shown on camera.

Stop trying to journal every day

One of the things that sometimes we forget about when we're trying to develop this journal habit is we think it needs to be every day. We need to be super consistent. We need to set a time and schedule.

And those are great, but for me sometimes when I get to that space, I don't feel like journaling at that time. Maybe it's a different time. Maybe it's in the evening, maybe it's in the morning.

So having the flexibility to just bring your notebook out whenever you feel compelled, whenever you feel like you need to get something out, has worked for me. And that sometimes means I don't touch my notebook for four or five, six days, and that's totally okay.

Keep the notebook simple

And also just having a simple notebook. This is a Moleskine. I used this one for a few years way back in the day. These days I've been using the Traveler's company notebook. Very nice to write. Works really well with fountain pens.

Keeping fancy systems and processes sometimes could be a good thing. For me, I found that it's simpler. This one is a very thin notebook. I don't have anything fancy in it. It's just a notebook and a pen or two.

You don't need to fill a page

And finally, don't think you need to fill out a whole page. Sometimes a couple lines, a couple sentences. That's where I go back to the basic bullet journal technique where I'm not writing full sentences. Sometimes it's a couple of notes, a couple of feelings, a couple of tasks. Some things that I can do with the rapid logging process and just get out of my system and just put it on paper.

Four techniques I use on a blank page

Brain dump. One of the things that has helped me in the past is the brain dump process. Sometimes even a notepad does the job. And depending on actually the content of that, I sometimes just even shred it or burn it.

Top priorities. Then a few things that I picked up from this Monk Manual is having the priorities set out and laid out in that process. It's just laying out some of the top priorities that you have in that day.

Sketching. Again, using paper to draw bridge drawings or just if I'm looking at something and need some time to reflect or get my mind out of something that is bothering me or stressing me out. That technique has been so valuable to me that I use it frequently in my notebooks. To me it's just the practice of getting a hand moving and that mind to hand to paper connection.

Weekly reflection. And then just doing a reflection at the end of the week. It could be five minutes. It could be half an hour. To me, those things help me get set up for the week in a better way as well as just help me process what just happened in the previous week.

Two structured journals I've tried

### Intentional Day Journal

I want to start with the Intentional Day Journal. And this is by one of my friends, Jeff Perry. He also has an incredible book, Intentional Engineer. And this is a 90 day journal. So you're going to be using this journal for about 90 days.

You start being grateful in the morning before life gets crazy before the kids wake up. And you make sure you have an intention for that day. And you come back and reflect in the evening. One of the benefits of that is just getting all that gunk inside your head and making sure you put it out on paper. And then at the end, you get a weekly reflection.

I've used some of these prompts again on my own journal. I prefer the flexibility if maybe my reflection is going to go a little longer. I don't want to be restricted by the space, but I love the prompts. I actually transfer them into a note card so I can keep it with me and journal.

### Monk Manual

The second prompted journal that I've started and I've done a few times in the past is this Monk Manual. Pages are nice and thick, so they don't bleed through or anything. For me, again, the monthly was almost unusable. You get very small boxes, but it could be good for maybe habit tracking. It comes with three ribbons for the monthly, weekly, and daily pages.

This one was a little too structured for me and again focusing a lot on scheduling and maybe just too rigid. Something that's worth considering if you're looking to purchase a structured journal.

Best for: borrowing prompts. Skip it if you want the whole system to fit your schedule; use the prompts in a plain notebook instead.

What makes it stick

I'm using it the ways that work for me and I'm using it at the times that I feel most stressed out and I feel like I need to get something out of me and onto paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I journal consistently if I keep quitting?

Having the flexibility to just bring your notebook out whenever you feel compelled, whenever you feel like you need to get something out, has worked for me.

Is it okay to skip days?

That sometimes means I don't touch my notebook for four or five, six days, and that's totally okay.

Do I have to fill a whole page?

Don't think you need to fill out a whole page. Sometimes a couple lines, a couple sentences.

What is the Intentional Day Journal?

It's by one of my friends, Jeff Perry. And this is a 90 day journal.