If you're anything like me you've had your share of stop-and-starts with journaling. I've been writing in spurts since I learned to put pen to paper. My routine's been the same since I was writing about crushes in my diary: I'd open up a crisp new notebook and delve into the happenings of the day until my hand cramped from rushed strokes.

The very next night I'd open my journal up to the first blank page and write to my heart's content. Then I'd miss a day, or two, and in a huff, I'd try to fill my journal in on what I'd been up to since I'd last wrote, and fall asleep before finishing. After that, journaling would feel like a chore since I was so behind, and the book would lay unopened for months until creativity struck again.