You know what all successful journaling stories have in common? A first entry. Sounds trivial, but it's the only hurdle between you and all the benefits we've talked about. The good news: This hurdle is smaller than you think.
The Moment Before the Moment
Before you even start writing, the first obstacle often appears: expectation. Maybe you think your first entry needs to be particularly profound. Or perfectly phrased. Or at least a page long.
Forget all that. Your first moment can be mundane. It can be a single sentence. It can be about your lunch. Why? Because it's not about this one entry – it's about opening the door.
How to Really Start
The First Click
Open Dreavie and tap the plus icon. That's it. No settings you need to make first. No categories you need to choose. Just you and a place for your thoughts.
Why this matters: Every additional decision before writing is a chance to give up. Dreavie takes these hurdles away. Plus icon, write, done.
What Do I Write?
Here's a secret of successful journal writers: The first sentence is often the same. "I don't know what to write, but..." And then something always comes. Because our brains don't like leaving sentences unfinished.
Other proven starters:
- "Right now I'm thinking about..."
- "Today I noticed..."
- "I'm feeling..."
- "If I'm honest..."
The trick: These sentence starters bypass your inner critic. You don't have to write anything clever, you're just finishing a sentence.
The 5-Minute Rule
Set out to write for just 5 minutes. Set a timer if you like. After 5 minutes, you can stop – but you don't have to.
The psychology behind it: 5 minutes feels doable. Your brain doesn't resist such a small task. But often something interesting happens: After 5 minutes, you're in flow and want to continue. And if not? That's fine too – you kept your promise.
What Makes a Good First Moment?
Spoiler: There are no "good" or "bad" first moments. But there are moments that make starting easier:
The Small Stuff Counts
"My coffee turned out especially well today." That's a complete moment. Why? Because you just noticed and captured something positive. You've signaled to your brain: This is a safe place for small joys.
Honesty Liberates
"I'm procrastinating right now by starting a journal." That's perfect too. You wrote something true. Being honest with yourself is the core of journaling.
The Mundane Is Valuable
"Rain. Again. My socks are wet." In a year, you'll read this entry and remember exactly that day. The feeling of wet socks. Your mood. These small details make your life vivid.
The Moment After the Moment
You've written your first entry. Now what? First: breathe. You did it. The biggest hurdle is behind you.
What happens now: Your brain has made a new connection. "Dreavie = place for my thoughts". The more often you use this connection, the stronger it becomes. Until it feels as natural as sending a WhatsApp to your best friend.
Common Thoughts the First Time
"What I'm writing is totally boring"
Perfect! Boring means honest. Your life doesn't consist only of Hollywood moments. The boring moments are the glue that holds everything together.
"I stopped after two sentences"
Wonderful! Two sentences more than yesterday. Tomorrow it might be three. Or two again. Both are okay.
"I wanted to write about X but ended up at Y"
That's the magic of journaling. Your subconscious often knows better than you what's important right now. Trust the process.
Your Invitation
Now, right now, is the perfect moment for your first entry. Not tomorrow when you have more time. Not next week when you feel better. Now.
Open Dreavie. Tap the plus. Write a sentence. Any sentence.
Years from now, you'll look back and be grateful for this one moment when you simply started.
What's Next?
In the next article, we'll show you how collections help you organize your growing collection of moments – without it looking like work.
