You've tried to start journaling before. You bought the notebook, set the intention, maybe even wrote for three days straight. Then life happened and the notebook ended up in a drawer.
Here's why that happened. You tried to do too much. Writing three pages every morning sounds great until you're late for work, tired, or just not in the mood. The bigger the commitment, the easier it is to break.
The answer is not more motivation. It's a better system.
The One Sentence Method
Write one sentence per day at the same time. That's it.
Not a paragraph. Not three pages of morning thoughts. One sentence about your day, how you feel, or what you learned. It takes 30 seconds.
This works because it removes every excuse. Too tired? You can write one sentence. Too busy? It's 30 seconds. Don't know what to write? One sentence is never intimidating.
The best part is what happens after you write that first sentence. Most days, you'll keep writing. But you don't have to. You've already won by showing up.
Why Starting Small Actually Works
James Clear writes about this in Atomic Habits. The book explains that the best way to build a habit is to make it so small you can't say no. He calls it the Two-Minute Rule.
Your goal is not to write one sentence forever. Your goal is to become someone who journals every day. Once that identity is established, the behavior expands naturally.
I tested this myself. I committed to one sentence per day for 30 days. The first week, I wrote exactly one sentence most days. By week two, I was writing 2-3 sentences without trying. By week four, I was filling half a page on most days.
But here's the key part. On the hard days when I was exhausted or stressed, I went back to one sentence. The habit stayed intact because the bar was always low enough to clear.
The Four-Step System
This isn't just about writing one sentence. It's about designing a system that makes journaling automatic.
Step 1: Pick Your One Time
Decide exactly when you'll journal. Not "in the morning" or "before bed." Pick the specific trigger moment.
Good trigger moments include right after your first coffee, right before brushing your teeth at night, or right after you sit down at your desk. The more specific the trigger, the more automatic the habit becomes.
I journal right after I make my morning coffee. The coffee is the cue. I don't have to remember or decide. Coffee means journal.
Step 2: Make It Obvious
Put your journal or phone in the exact spot where you'll see it at trigger time.
If you journal with a notebook, put it on top of your coffee maker or next to your toothbrush. If you journal by text, put your phone somewhere you'll grab it at the same time each day.
The Atomic Habits framework calls this environment design. You're not relying on memory or willpower. The cue is right in front of you.
Step 3: Make It Easy
This is where the one sentence rule saves you. You never have to psych yourself up or find motivation. The task is so small that you just do it.
You have two equally good options for how to journal.
Option 1: Use a notebook. Get any notebook you like. Open to the next blank page and write one sentence with the date. That's it. Close it and move on with your day.
The benefit of a notebook is the physical act of writing. Some people find that slows their brain down in a helpful way. It also keeps your journal private and offline.
Option 2: Send yourself a text. With Moments, you text one sentence to your private journal number. It logs automatically with the timestamp. No app to open, no blank page to stare at.
The benefit of texting is that your phone is always with you. If you think of something worth noting during the day, you can capture it in five seconds. You're not waiting until you get home to your notebook. Plus, Moments automatically tracks your activity and streaks in the app, so you can see your progress build over time without any extra effort.
Both methods work. Pick whichever feels easier for you right now. You can always switch later.
Step 4: Make It Satisfying
Track your streak somewhere visible.
If you're using a notebook, put a checkmark or star at the top of each day's entry. If you're using Moments, your streak is tracked automatically in the app. Every text you send counts toward your streak, and you can see your total days and monthly activity at a glance.
Seeing the chain of days adds up creates momentum. You don't want to break the chain. This is the same psychology behind the "don't break the chain" method that Jerry Seinfeld used for writing jokes every day.
After 7 days, you'll feel the pull to keep going. After 30 days, it will feel strange to skip.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Common Mistakes That Kill Journaling Habits
Writing Too Much at First
The most common mistake is starting strong. You write three pages on day one and feel great. Then day two requires the same energy and you're already tired.
Your brain remembers how much effort it took. The next time you think about journaling, that memory creates resistance.
Start with one sentence even when you feel like writing more. Build the habit first. Scale later.
No Consistent Time
Journaling "whenever you remember" doesn't work. You need a specific time anchored to something you already do every day.
If you skip around, the habit never becomes automatic. Your brain has to make a decision every time. Decisions create friction.
Perfectionism
This is not creative writing class. No one will read this except you. Spelling doesn't matter. Grammar doesn't matter. Whether it sounds profound or insightful doesn't matter.
The sentence "Today was hard" counts. So does "Felt good today" or "Really stressed about the meeting." Just write what's true.
Thinking Missing One Day Means Quitting
You will miss days. That's fine. The habit is not about perfection. It's about coming back.
If you miss a day, write your sentence the next day and keep going. The streak starts over but the habit stays intact. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new pattern. Just don't miss twice in a row.
FAQ
What should I write about?
Anything that feels true in the moment. How you feel. What happened today. What you're thinking about. What you're grateful for. What's bothering you.
If you're stuck, answer one of these prompts in one sentence:
- What's on my mind right now?
- What's one thing that happened today?
- How do I feel?
- What's one thing I'm grateful for?
What if I miss a day?
Write your sentence the next day and move on. One missed day does not break the habit. Two missed days starts a new pattern. Just don't miss twice in a row.
When will I notice benefits?
Most people report feeling more clear-headed within the first week. You're processing thoughts instead of letting them loop in your head. That clarity compounds over time.
The other benefit shows up later. After a few months, you can look back and see patterns in your thoughts and moods. That perspective is hard to get any other way.
Can I write more than one sentence?
Yes. Once you write the first sentence, write as much as you want. The one sentence is the minimum, not the maximum.
Some days you'll write one sentence and stop. Other days you'll write a full page. Both count as success because you showed up.
Start Today
Pick your time. Grab a notebook or set up Moments. Write one sentence about your day right now.
That's your first entry. Tomorrow at the same time, write one more.
If you want an even easier way to build this habit, try Moments. Text one sentence to your private journal number and it's automatically saved with the date and time. No app to open. No blank page. Just text and you're done.
One sentence per day is not the end goal. It's the starting point. But you have to start before you can build anything bigger.
Hero photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash