How to Get Started Journaling

I have been journaling off and on since as long as I could remember. It started as a dear diary thing back in grade school and has changed a lot over the years. Now my journaling takes on more of a gratitude slant, but I've recently been working on a date book/journal focusing on the moon phases and seasons. I also like to write about my goals and things I want to happen in my life...they call that manifesting your dreams now. 

That's the beauty of journaling, it can be anything you want it to be.

Getting started journaling isn’t something that you need to think about too hard. Yes, there are numerous types and styles of journals and ways to do this that may or may not be more effective depending on your goals, but you can simply get some paper (or your computer) and get started today.

You don't need to get the perfect journal before you can start. Or find just the right app to use. Because then you'll want colored markers and stickers or some cute desk set before you can start. Next thing you know it's a year later and you still haven't made any progress. So just start damn it! Like, right now! Your first journal doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, it doesn't even have to be a book! Just start as soon as the urge hits you and you can adapt and change your journal as you go. 

Scribble on the back of a cocktail napkin if it's all you got...just get started! In fact, I'll make it super easy for you with these 11 tips to make starting a journal easy-peasy:

Why you should research your blog name thoroughly

I had to change my blog name. I didn't realize the importance of researching my blog name thoroughly before starting to use it and for that I am paying the price. Renaming a blog is more then just buying a domain. I have tons of pictures that now need remade because they have the old name on it. I have endless pins that even though they will be redirected, will now be confusing to the reader. I have tons of rebranding work to redo and it's all because I didn't research my blog name first! Ugh!

Let me tell you the story. I've been blogging for a total of 9 years now. I have 2 pretty busy blogs but ended up starting this one for my reviews and musings that didn't fit in on my other blogs. I've switched names and topics on here but eventually settled on the name Just Lisann because it was just my thoughts. As a bit of background my real name is Lisa Ann, but my brother nicknamed me Lisann when I was younger. He heard it on a daytime soap opera...Days Of Our Lives maybe? Anyway, I've been called Lisann for over 30 years. I've used Just Lisann as my blog name since 2012 but it was under the .blogspot domain.

12 words to never use in your blog title

Did you know that their are words that people find so distasteful that they shudder when they hear them? Words that people will avoid saying at all costs? Words that they will avoid reading if at all possible. I've seen a certain word referred to as a word that "makes women dry heave when they hear it". 

That seems kind of dramatic to me, but my daughter had 2 particular words she disliked so much when younger that she actually got mad when someone said them to her. Hearing that other people had particular word aversions made me decide to look into this. 

I found over a dozen lists of words that are considered most hated, distasteful and least favorite. Many of these lists are updated yearly. Polls are actually conducted on this topic. That's some serious work to put into words you dislike! So I started thinking about it and decided that I should avoid using these distasteful words as much as possible in my blog post titles. The hard part is, many of them are quite common.

5 ways to make me quit reading your blog

I read a lot of blogs...like a lot of blogs! I probably view at least 20 different blogs every single day of the week. I often see things that I really love but sometimes things happen that just drive me crazy! I always wonder if the blog owner knows why people stop reading their blog or do the losses just get lost in the shuffle? Here are my top 5 reasons why I've quit reading a blog 

1) Links that open in the same tab. Unless the link is at the bottom of the post, always have it open in a new tab. Picture this: I'm on your site and halfway through the post.  You mention there are '5 more ways to...' so I click it and the tab I'm on switches to the new link. Now if it's your site still, it might not be a big deal. If you sent me to another site or Amazon or a sales link I might start clicking around there and forget to go back to the original post. If a second tab had opened though, the first tab is still there. When I close the new tab the old one is right there waiting for me to finish reading the post...and maybe click around your site a bit more.

2) Not being able to figure out where to start. Landing pages are great but if I have to hunt for your blog or have to go through three pages of 'featured' or 'pinned' posts before I find the current posts I'm going to give up and probably not come back. All I need is a menu of some sort and I can figure it out from there!

Weddings and kids: is it selfish to say no?

I recently read something online where a woman basically whined and fussed because her kids weren't included on the invitations to a few summer weddings. I was surprised because it's really not uncommon. Her point was that after the first wedding or 2 it got expensive to pay $100 a night for sitters, gifts and such so hubby and her could attend without kids and it was SELFISH of the bride and groom to expect her to.

*breathe...deep breaths....slowly* 

That's what I kept telling myself as I read it. Why? Well, this woman expected the bride and groom to submit to her on their special day. To pay several hundred more to the caterer so her kids could attend. Maybe even set up separate tables or hire a babysitter. Apparently it's more important that this one guest be happy during the event then they are. Wait, what?