How to keep writing in a diary, day after day

You've probably started a diary before. Maybe a few times. You write for a week, maybe two, then one evening you're tired and skip it, and somehow that becomes a month, and the diary becomes a reminder of another abandoned habit.

Here's what works for people who actually keep at it:

Make it tiny

Five minutes. Three sentences. That's it. The goal isn't to write a masterpiece – it's to build the muscle of showing up. If you write more, great. But the minimum should be so small that "I don't have time" is never true.

Same time, same place

Right before bed works for most people. The day is done, you're winding down, and it becomes a natural end-of-day ritual. Some people prefer morning – reflecting on yesterday before the new day starts. Pick one and stick with it for at least two weeks before deciding it doesn't work.

When you don't know what to write

Staring at a blank page is why diaries get abandoned. Have a few go-to prompts ready:

• What's one thing that happened today?
• What's been on my mind?
• What did I learn, even something small?
• What's bugging me right now?
• What went better than expected?
• What do I want to remember about today?

You don't need to answer all of them. Pick one and write a few lines. That's enough.

Give yourself permission to be boring

"Had soup for lunch. Talked to mom. Tired." That's a valid diary entry. Not every day is interesting, and that's fine. The value comes from the pattern over time, not from each individual entry.

Don't break the chain (but forgive yourself when you do)

There's something powerful about consecutive days. But here's the thing – you will miss a day eventually. The difference between people who keep diaries and people who don't isn't perfection. It's starting again the next day without drama.