I have never thought to try journaling for fun.
Never ever.
I had always thought that journaling is done for serious stuff only like to process emotions, to improve productivity, brain dump for improving focus, planning for the day, recording things happening in a day, to practice gratitude and so on.
The only fun kind of fun journaling I have seen is with stickers and photos and junk journaling and things like that. And all the aesthetic spreads of bullet journal.
I am not into this type of journaling. So, I always thought that journaling for fun is not for me.
This is until I found out about quiet a few types of journaling that doesn’t require all these stickers and pics and stuff.
All of these are great but it doesn’t excite me.
If you want to have fun while journaling without making it aesthetic with pictures and stickers and all these accessories, then A to Z journaling is a good option.
Related Post: 28 Effective Journaling Tips that’ll Help You Start Journaling
Reasons to Keep an A to Z Journal
1. It’s for a Lifetime
I don’t think of A-Z journaling as something you do sitting in a stretch.
It’s a journal to keep for a lifetime, to be filled in slowly when there is anything worthwhile to enter in it.
I believe this is the most fun part of this type of journaling.
It’s like a life long personal project.
2. It Helps to Find Yourself
Journaling to get to know yourself has always had an undertone of seriousness. This is not bad as such but it feel like a daunting task at times.
It doesn’t have to be like that. these A to Z journaling ideas are the proof of it.
Why you enjoyed a movie or a dish or a place you visited reveals a lot about you. It could also be a way to discover yourself.
3. It’s like a Legacy
Have you ever wished you could know more about your family or friends? There was something more that could have helped you understand them much deeper?
An A to Z Journal does this.
Imagine passing this down to your future kids or grandkids.
Or you could pass it down to someone to whom you are Godmother.
This is like a legacy. Everything that needs to be known about you would be found in these A to Z journals.
Now that’s amazing.
4. A Personal Tradition
Having a personal tradition is a highly under-rated thing.
Imagine the joy of filling in your A to Z journal on every weekend or at the end of a month. A book that gets filled slowly is such a fulfilling feeling.
And this is definitely better than doom scrolling your weekends.
A tiny tradition that makes ordinary days enjoyable and meaningful.
How to Start an A to Z Journal
- Choose the A to Z Journal You Want to Start
Start with just one A to Z journal ideas among the 15 and see if you enjoy it.
If so, you can start another one. Don’t get all excited and start multiple journals at once.
2. Create Your Alphabets
You can take an empty journal or could do this in A4 sheets and bind them together if you want it to be exact 26 pages.
You decide how much you want to write about for each lette.
Half a page, full page or just a few sentences . Nothing is right or wrong.
Leave enough space and write each letter in the journal or on the paper.
3. Add What You Already Know
You might know answers to a few things
Example in A to Z of me for T you could write about Things I like. You already know the answer so jot them down to kickstart this journaling.
Getting started is the difficult thing. The first entry will stop this from another thing you abandon before even starting.
4. Keep Adding as You’ve Things to Add
As time passes, keep on adding the relevant things.
Keep a reminder to come back to your A to Z Journal weekly or monthly so that you don’t forget about this.
5. Leave Empty Letters Alone
Don’t force an entry to difficult letters like Q, X, Z etc. You have a lifetime to complete this.
Don’t make this into another thing you have to do perfectly. You are doing this for fun and enjoyment.
15 Different Types of A to Z Journal Ideas
Here are 15 A to Z Journal Ideas to choose from:
1. A to Z of Me
For each letter write something that describes you.
It could be:
- Personality Trait – E for Extrovert or I for Introvert
- Preference – C for Coffee over Tea
- Fact – S for Second born child
- Habit – W for Walk for 20 minutes every day
- Place – Z for Zimbabwe is a place you want to visit
- Memory – P for first Public speaking
These are just a few examples to get you started. You could add anything that makes it relevant to yourself.
Make it Fun
Don’t just write in serious stuff only. Write about quirky, fun things about you, things you don’t want to admit etc. Make it a mix of meaningful and fun stuff.
How to Find Answers
Think about how other people describe you and what are the words that they use.
Ask your friends and family to give inputs if you are okay with it.
What are things you prefer, what makes you happy, what unusual traits you have.
These are all answers to this journal.
2. A to Z of My Childhood
This is a fun way to record your childhood memories.
It could be:
- Games – U for UNO
- Traditions – P for Park visits on Sundays
- Foods – C for Chicken Nuggets
- School Experience – R for first Race
- Memories – H for Hoover Dam Visit
Make it Fun
Here are some ways to make this fun:
- Add your approximate age
- A tiny drawing if you can
- An old photograph if available
- A brief note on why this matters to you. It makes this journal entry much richer than just writing one word or a sentence.
How to Find Answers
Here are some ways to find answers:
- Look through old photographs
- Search through childhood belongings
- School notebooks and magazines
- Family albums
- Ask parents, sibling and childhood friends
You might even uncover something you had completely forgotten. It would be amazing to jog your memory, relive those moments and actually document it in your journal.
3. A to Z of My Firsts
Use this journal to record meaningful firsts from your life.
It could be:
F for first Flight
S for first Solo Trip
J for first Job
I for first International Trip
C for first Concert
L for first Luxury Purchase
Make it Fun
Add some or all of the details below to make this fun:
- The year
- Your age
- Tiny details you remember about it
- How you felt
- Whom you were with
How to Find Answers
Chronologically thinking about your life till now is the best way to not miss your firsts and write the wrong ones.
Also, add your firsts as soon as it happens so that it doesn’t get mixed up with your next one.
4. A to Z of Random Facts About Me
This is getting to know yourself but ultra pro max level! A journal dedicated to just documenting random facts would be so much fun. Its what makes you you.
It could be:
B- Barely tolerate very loud restaurants
C- Collect screenshots of things I want to remember
Q- Queues test my patience
N- Netflix is my favorite OTT platform
S- Stand up comedies relaxes me
Make It Fun
The strange, more specific, more odd the fact is, the better. This isn’t a serious personality profile stuff.
How to Find Answers
Think about your:
- Weird preferences
- Childhood habits
- Embarrassing stories
- Little talents
- Irrational dislikes
- Things people are surprised to know bout you
Answers are hidden everywhere. Search for them and don’t be embarrassed to admit them.
5. A to Z of My Personal Preferences
All of us have played this or that during childhood right? Time to record this in a journal to make it fun and to remember it.
It could be about:
- Food
- Weather
- Routine
- Entertainment
- Clothing
- Traveling
- Socializing
B for Badminton over tennis
M for Mountains over beaches
W for Winters over summers
Make it Fun
Add reasons why you prefer one thing over another in just a few sentences. This will become a snapshot of your current self
Also, I recommend leaving some space after each letter. Because preferences change. You can update it when this happens
How to Find Answers
You might instinctively reach for a particular color, or book by an author, or choose a particular space.
Pay attention to the choices that you make repeatedly. Especially, what are you choosing when no one is watching?
6. A-Z of My Favorite Books I’ve Read
Document the books that you really enjoyed reading in alphabetical order.
If you want to be specific, you could create two different lists for fiction and non-fiction books.
A for Atomic Habits
B for Before the Coffee Gets Cold
P for Piranesi
T for Theo for Golden
Make it Fun
To make it more fun and detailed you could add about:
- The year you read the book
- Your favorite character from the book
- Describe the book in one sentence
- Why this book is your favorite
How to Find Answers
Check your bookshelves, Goodreads, reading tracker, old journal entries, Notion databases (or any other digital spaces you use).
Related Posts:
➡️7 Life Changing Books That Actually Make A Difference
7. A to Z of My Favorite Movies I’ve Watched
Write about the movies that are your favorite whether they taught you something, changed your perspective, made you feel every emotion possible or you simply enjoyed watching them.
F for Forrest Gump
I for Inception
P for Project Hail Mary
Make it Fun
To make it more fun and detailed you could add about:
- Add a rating
- Which year you watched
- Who you watched it with
- Describe the movie in one sentence
- Why this movie is your favorite
- Your favorite scene
How to Find Answers
Do you keep a film journal? If so, check those first. (Obviously, right.)
Check online movie ticket booking history, talk to friends and family and think through your favorite actors and directors whom you are obsessed with.
8. A to Z of Songs that Matters to Me
What were your childhood favorites songs? Which one is the current ones?
Write about them as a list in this A to Z journal.
G for Golden
O for Opalite
W for Where is My Husband
Make if Fun
Now create this playlist in Spotify or on YouTube. We often forget to listen to our favorites as new songs releases.
Also, in your journal describe why love this song in a sentence.
How to Find Answers
Ask your family which songs you listened on repeat through your childhood or teenage years.
Go through your playlists, your browsing history, saved songs and songs that had a phase. Everything deserves its place in this journal.
9. A to Z of Food I’ve Tried
Write in anything from your favorite food to foods that you have tried of different cuisines and countries.
C for Chicken Biryani
P for Pad Thai
T for Tacos
Make it Fun
You can make this more than a list by:
- Rating the food
- Where you tried it
- Will you have it again
It would be so much fun to excite your taste buds by trying foods from different cuisines and continents so that you can fill in this journal.
How to Find Answers
Think through the restaurants you’ve visited, food you’ve order online, family recipes and childhood favorites. Put your memory into work.
10. A to Z of Places I’ve Been
Write down the memorable places you’ve visited. It could be local, within the country or international.
Some of the examples to include are:
- Restaurants
- Town Countries
- Landmarks
- Other memorable places like museum, church etc.
Make it Fun
Turn each place into a tiny memory. You can do this by:
- Mentioning the date and year
- Whom you went with
- Why this is your favorite
- Any memory that stands out
How to Find Answers
Photos are the go to place for this. It will be a goldmine.
Check map histories, old photographs, travel bookings, social media posts and ask friends and family.
11. A to Z of Places I Want to Visit
This is one of my favorite A to Z Journal to keep. A journal in which you document your wish of visiting your dream places.
How fulfilling it would be to cross of the places in this list one by one!
Just like before this could be local, within country or international.
If you are super crazy, you could write a separate list for restaurants, churches, museums etc.
Make it Fun
Add the reason why you want to visit these places.
Write about your expectations of this place, whom you would like to visit this place with.
Make it as descriptive as possible. If you are up for it, visualize how this would happen and write one descriptive paragraph for each place.
How to Find Answers
Look through your saved Pinterest / Instagram photos, journals where you might have written about this.
Which places fascinated you when you were a child? Jog your memory and ask your friends and family too.
Related Post: 90 Fun and Creative Solo Date Ideas That You Will Love
12. A to Z of Things I want to Learn
In this new era of AI, being a continuous learner is going to be your super power.
This list can be made up of anything. It could be:
- Languages
- Skills
- Subjects
- Crafts
- Instruments
Make it Fun
Leave some space after writing each item.
You can make it fun by:
- Recording the date you started
- A little progress tracker
- When you started feeling confident about it
How to Find Answers
You might have thought, ‘I wish I could do that or I wish I knew about this.’
Go through your memory to find the answers for this.
Or maybe there is someone in your life or online whose talents really impress you.
Checked the saves ideas from Instagram / Pinterest and other places.
13. A to Z of Gratitude
It is difficult to practice gratitude when your life is a mess, when nothing is happening the way it has to.
I know this because it was much easier to practice gratitude when life was normal, happy and peaceful.
When you feel like you are getting hit by a truck, one after another, you have to put in the effort to SEE the good things that exists in life.
A to Z gratitude journal is a fun way to be grateful for small things in life.
Because there is always something to be grateful for.
So, you write in A to Z things that you are grateful for in your life even if you are struggling in life. Literally, spend time to think about these things.
Make it Fun
Try to write about the smallest thing you can think of.
Example:
A for Airplane
B for Balloon
C for Chair
This sounds stupid, I know.
Doesn’t airplane makes it faster to reach places? Doesn’t balloon bring joy to your inner child?
Doesn’t a chair makes you comfortable?
These are things that we take for granted but makes our lives easier and happier.
So, make it a challenge to write about the silliest things. And write why you are grateful for them.
How to Find Answers
Be present. Be here and now.
Look around by engaging all your senses and you will find the answers.
Related Post:
➡️30 Gratitude Journal Prompts to Discover the Power of Gratitude
14. A to Z of My Bucket List
I think everyone should have a bucket list.
It doesn’t need to have grand things like skydiving or visiting Antarctica. You bucket list could be made up of the simplest things that brings you joy.
Don’t let the internet make you feel that your bucket list isn’t worthy enough to be called as a bucket list.
Write down all the simple and grand things you want to do once in a lifetime.
Just imagine crossing off these items from the list. The joy of experiencing the things you have always wanted to do is unparalleled.
So, take out the time to fill in the A to Z Journal of Bucket List.
Make It Fun
How do you imagine to do the things in your bucket list?
Write about this in a few sentences:
- Do you want to do it alone or with friends and family?
- What do you think you would feel while doing these?
- When do you think you would be doing these?
It would be so much fun to know how much of this has happened, whether you were surprised by your own feelings and reactions.
How to Find Answers
Now is the time to be honest with yourself.
What are the things that you want to do but hold back from doing because it might be stupid or silly or because of the fear of being judged?
Think about
- The places you want to go
- Things you have always wanted to see
- Experiences you are curious about
Write them down in your bucket list without filtering or judging them.
Related Post: 70 Summer Bucket List Ideas to Enjoy the Season
15. A to Z of My Favorite People I’ve Known
Before smartphones, there were phonebook in which we wrote about the contact details of people and places in alphabetical order.
For some weird unexplainable reason, I loved flipping through these. It was great to see the names of people you know written in a book.
It sometimes amazed me how many people we know in life.
Dedicating an A to Z journal just for your favorite people known would be a way to stop taking them for granted.
Seeing all these people together in one place will be a reminder how lucky you are to have these many people in your life.
Make It Fun
Don’t just write their names.
Write a few sentences why you like them, how they have helped or impacted your life, a brief description about them.
Example:
M – First Manger
S – School Teacher who encouraged me to write
B – Bus Driver that taught me a life lesson
How to Find Answers
Think through different stages of your life, chronologically, so that you don’t miss out anyone.
Ask your friends and family to help you jog the memory lane.
Conclusion
I hope you know yourself better and have immense fun while doing these A to Z Journaling.
Which ones are you going to get started with? Mention in it in the comments.
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