The 3-Minute Journaling Method That Changed My Life (Even with a Toddler!)

In this episode of the Woo Woo Mum podcast, host Alexandra Sheppard shares a transformative journaling technique designed specifically for busy parents. She discusses the importance of journaling for personal growth and manifestation, introducing a three-tiered system (basic, premium, elite) that accommodates varying time constraints. Alexandra emphasises the psychological benefits of gratitude and goal-setting, while also highlighting the necessity of taking action to achieve desired outcomes. The episode concludes with a challenge for listeners to implement the basic journaling method and share their experiences.

Takeaways

• Journaling can be a quick and effective tool for busy parents.
• A three-minute journaling technique can significantly improve daily mindset.
• Consistency in journaling is more impactful than intensity.
• Specificity in gratitude and goals enhances manifestation.
• The journaling process can help identify true desires versus societal expectations.
• Gratitude raises emotional baselines and aligns energy with abundance.
• Writing goals in the present tense influences subconscious beliefs.
• Action is essential for manifestation; journaling prepares the mind for opportunities.
• The elite version of journaling includes tracking evidence of progress.
• Starting with a simple gratitude list can lead to profound changes.

Please rate and review (5 ⭐️, please!) - it really helps us to grow.

Follow Woo Woo Mum Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woowoomum

Follow Woo Woo Mum Podcast on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wwmpodcast

Support the show by buying us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/woowoomumpodcast

Transcript

Alexandra (00:04)
Hello, hello, and welcome back to Woo Woo Mum podcast, the show for mums who want to reconnect with their inner magic. I'm your host, Alexandra Sheppard

today we're talking about a really quick and I mean quick under three minutes journaling technique that is perfect for mums. And it has completely changed the way I manifest, set goals and just stay sane as a parent. Because when I start my day with this journaling technique, then I know the day is going to be better.

And I know it helps because days I don't do it feel really rough in comparison.

So by the end of this short 20 minute episode, you'll learn why journaling is still one of the most powerful tools for personal growth, even if you can only dedicate a few minutes a day. I'm going to talk you through my exact basic, premium and elite journaling routines, depending on how much time and energy you have.

And then I really also want to talk to you about the psychology and energy behind why this works and how to make sure you're actually manifesting what you want, not what you don't. I have learned this the hard way.

And what really inspired this episode was not only just how well this technique works for me, but whenever I see anything on TikTok, on social media or on other self-development podcasts, it's men talking about how they get up at the crack of dawn to meditate for 45 minutes at 5 a.m. And I'm always thinking throughout these episodes, first of all, do they have kids? And second of all, if they do have kids, who the hell is looking after them when they get up at 5 a.m.?

I can't get up at 5am, my toddler gets up at 5am most mornings, especially since the clock went back. So this technique is really designed for those busy parents who really cannot spare 45 minutes in the morning every morning in order to get their day in check. And I'm here to tell you that you do not need 45 minutes every day in order to manifest the life that you want and in order to stay sane throughout the day.

I've been journaling for about five years now and I can honestly say it's the single most powerful manifesting tool I've ever used. I think it's more powerful than anything else, more powerful than subliminals, more powerful than vision boards. It is just the thing that really works for me and I can prove it.

for those of you who aren't able to see me right now, I am currently holding up a stack of about a dozen journals. I've been keeping and using over the last few years. They're really heavy, hence the grunting off camera.

And in those journals, they're so special to me because that is my entire evolution written down over the last few years. It's my hopes, my fears, my random notes from self-help books. And in hindsight, it's a real trail of how everything in my life now has come to be.

when I look back, I think that pretty much every major blessing, like my wedding, my book deals, even my healthy pregnancy and my son, they all started as words scribbled in one of those journals. But that was my life pre-baby. And pre-baby, I did have time to spend half an hour in the morning journaling.

post-baby I've had to seriously adapt. And over time, I'm really proud to say that I've built a new journaling routine that's short, simple, and still magically effective. And it works just as well now because I'm consistent. I do it at least five days a week.

And I think consistency beats intensity every single time. It's always better to do three minutes of journaling five days a week than a 30 minute session once a month because, well, I'll explain why later.

Now, before we get into the how, let me tell you why I swear by this method.

So in the last year alone, using this exact three step journaling system, I've manifested several thousand pounds through work, through new work, but also through a completely surprise tax rebate. Thank you, HMRC. That is not a phrase I'll say very often as a freelancer. I've also gone from a co-sleeping toddler waking up four times a night. Oh my God, that was hell. To him now sleeping through the night in his own room. And that has...

changed my life. That is the best thing I've manifested this year by far.

And I've also manifested my creative dreams coming true, just like this podcast. This podcast started out as a idea when I was naptrapped and exhausted underneath my baby about 18 months ago. And over the last few months, I've connected with people who have turned into mentors. I've manifested the money to buy equipment, including a brand new MacBook Pro because my old MacBook just wasn't cutting it for editing videos. And all these things have come together.

to help bring this podcast from an idea into something that is tangible right now.

And the best thing about all of those things I've just told you about is that none of it felt forced. It all unfolded naturally. And I truly believe it's because of the mindset this practice builds.

So let's break it down. I call it the basic premium and elite system.

Think of them like tiers you can choose from depending on your energy, time constraints or your mood, let's face it. You don't have to do all three every day. I certainly don't. In fact, most days I probably manage the premium version, which is the second tier, but even the basic one, which takes literally three minutes, can change the tone of your entire day. And if you're consistent with it, I truly believe it will change your life.

So the basic version.

This is perfect for the days when you're solo parenting, for the days when you're rushing or you're just too tired to think. All you need to do is this. You write down three things you're grateful for from the past 24 hours. That is it. You get a journal and you write down three things you're grateful for from the past 24 hours.

But there are a couple of caveats. The key here is specificity. Don't write, I'm grateful for my family. Instead, try something like, I'm so grateful my son slept in until 6.30 a.m. because I got an extra half hour to sleep. Or, I'm so grateful for finding those gorgeous suede boots on Vinted for 25 pounds because it saved me money on my winter wardrobe. I'm so grateful for X because Y is the format you want to follow.

Once you've written your three things, read your list out loud. When you read it back, it should make you feel something, warmth, joy, maybe even a little relief. Whatever it is that you feel should be positive. It should be good. And it should make you feel good to remember all the things in your life you have to be grateful for.

And the great thing is that by naming the details, you're actually training your brain to notice them in real time.

you start living in gratitude rather than chasing it. And that's it for the basic tier. And honestly, if that's all you did for a month, you'd notice a massive shift in your mood, patience and overall mindset, just like I did. But if you do have a few more minutes, then the premium version is for you. And the premium version takes about 10 minutes.

done your three gratitude points. Next, you want to do something slightly different and that is add a list of up to 10 goals you want to achieve in the next year or so.

And here's the trick. You don't write them down like a shopping list. You write them as if they've already happened in the same way that you write your gratitude list. For example, I'm so grateful for our luxury family holiday to Jamaica in 2026 because we deserve a break. I'm so grateful my son sleeps through the night because I love waking up full of energy. Or I'm so grateful that I'm attracted to the habits that keep me fit because I want to live a long, healthy life.

And if they sound very specific, it's because they are. I cannot tell you how important it is to be specific when you're manifesting.

And then just like with your gratitude list, you want to read them again out loud. And then again, pay attention to how you feel. Do you feel excited? That's good. You are on the right track. But sometimes you might read out goals.

and you might feel something else not so good. You might feel anxious or you might feel flat or a little unexcited. And that is really important data that you can then use to revise your goals. And if you feel something that isn't excitement, you want to ask yourself a couple of questions.

Ask yourself if your goals actually excite you. Are they things that you actually want or that you think you should want because society says so?

For example, when I first started manifesting, obviously I put on the list that I'd like, you know, a 10 bed mansion,

but I'd read that goal out loud and it did nothing for me. In fact, it made me kind of anxious because my first thought was, how am I going to furnish this 10 bed mansion? How many people are going to need to take care of it?

What's the grounds keeping fee going to be like? And I started getting bogged down by the nitty gritty. And that's because if I was being honest, I didn't want a 10 bed mansion. Having a 10 bed mansion sounds kind of stressful to me. And it'd make much more sense to manifest things that may seem modest in the eyes of other people, but are actually what I want. And I know what I want. I want freedom. I want time. I want health. I want things that

maybe might not look as good on a vision board, but feel good to me. So you really have to do the work and think about what is it that you actually want that society might not think is a big flashy goal, but is the goal that makes your heart sing.

And speaking of health goals, when I first started doing this, one of my goals was to lose the baby weight. And I started writing down in my journal, I am so grateful for my weight loss. ⁓ And three days later, I got food poisoning and couldn't eat for the entire weekend. I lost weight, but not in the way I wanted to. And I hope to never ever have food poisoning again.

So now I would write something like, I'm so grateful for my healthy weight loss so that the universe knows not to give me food poisoning again.

And the same goes if you're asking for something like abundance. Mention exact monetary amounts you might keep on finding pennies on the ground or like me get three extra bunches of bananas in your Ocado order, which is very welcome. I have a toddler who eats multiple bananas a day, but it wasn't the sort of abundance I had in mind when I put it in my journal.

Finally, here is the Elite version and the Elite version takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

This is best done when you have a nice cup of tea and maybe even a little scented candle.

Or you could even do it as a Sunday evening reflection once a week. So for the elite version, you're going to make one more list called evidence and you're going to go through your goals you've just written down and look for three to five signs in your current life that show that you're getting closer to achieving those goals. For example.

One of my goals is to land more paid speaking engagements. I love doing school visits as an author. I love public speaking and I would love to do more of it.

I started writing that in my journal about two weeks ago and last weekend a friend mentioned over cocktails that her team was looking for someone to run a storytelling workshop and would I be interested? And that is definitely that conversation is evidence that I'm getting one step closer to my dream of having more paid public speaking engagements.

And your evidence list, it could be absolutely tiny, like an email from someone who is in a job that you really like or a random idea that pops into your head.

when you record these tiny things, you start seeing proof that things are happening behind the scenes. And that proof builds faith and that faith keeps you consistent. Honestly, I would do the elite version every single morning if I had time, because I love the excitement I feel when I see evidence in my daily life.

that my dreams are coming to me one step closer.

So why does this little three step journaling system actually work? There's a real mix of psychology and energy at play. And I know this podcast is called Woo Woo Mum, but I'm actually quite a cynical and scientific person. I need evidence to know that something is working. So you can choose to believe the spiritual part or the psychological part.

or like me think it's a mix of both.

So one of the reasons why this works is that gratitude raises your emotional baseline. The law of attraction says you don't attract what you want, you attract what you are.

take the time to cultivate genuine gratitude, your energy starts to align with abundance, not lack. But even outside the woo-woo side, neuroscience really does back this up.

journaling activates the brain's reward system. So you're literally training your brain to scan for what's going right in your life instead of what's going wrong.

And when you do that every day, you just become a more positive person. And I know this is true because over the years I've been doing gratitude lists, I've had people close to me turn around and say, ⁓ you know, you don't rant about this anymore, or you seem less angry, or you're not complaining about X, Y, Z, about the things I used to complain about constantly. And I realised that I just didn't feel the need to complain anymore.

It really does rewire your brain to look for things that are positive and good in your life. And that can only have a positive effect on you as a person.

The next reason why this works is because writing your goals in the present tense tricks your subconscious. So in case you didn't know, the brain doesn't fully distinguish between imagination and memory. So when you write something like, I am so grateful for my new book deal, your mind starts to reorganize itself around that identity, which is incredible, because that means you start noticing opportunities, ideas and people that align with that goal.

This is why affirmations work, but only when they're paired with emotion and repetition. These affirmations have got to make you feel good and you've got to do them repeatedly.

And finally, consistency builds momentum. The magic isn't in any one journaling session. It's in showing up again and again, even when you're tired.

and over time, that daily repetition is going to reprogram your inner narrative from things never work out for me.

to things always work out for me. And soon it will just become a habit and reaching for your journal by your bedside table or on your lunch break will just be something you do automatically.

now if this is sounding a little too good to be true, it's probably because you're missing out one crucial bit and that is action is required. This journaling technique isn't just about writing your dreams down and then sitting back waiting for them to fall from the sky. That doesn't happen. I'm sorry, but it doesn't.

Manifestation only works if you take inspired action.

That tax rebate I talked about earlier, it didn't just appear in my bank account out of nowhere. I got it because one day I felt randomly motivated to do my tax return several months early.

My son sleeping through the night? That happened because at 3am one morning I was inspired to search for emergency sleep consultants near me. I didn't know that such a thing existed but I thought what was the harm in trying it? And I found the perfect one and worked with her. Shout out Stephanie, you have saved our lives.

Now in those cases the journaling didn't cause the outcome.

but it did make me available for it. It's kind of like tuning a radio. So when you write and you feel from that place of gratitude and clarity, you end up tuning into a frequency where opportunities start to match you, but you still have to say yes when they show up. Opportunities may well knock on your door, but you have to answer the door.

you still have to take physical action towards your goals.

So if you're listening and thinking, this sounds great, but I don't have time, let me simplify it for you. Just start with the basic version. Three gratitude, three minutes, that's it.

Do it for a week. Notice how it changes your mood, your patience, even your energy as a parent. And I don't know a parent who couldn't do with more energy.

then when you're ready, add the 10 goals. You don't need a fancy journal unless you want one. I just use cheaper ones from Amazon that are six pounds for two. And if you want to go deeper, maybe pick one day a week, such as a Sunday night for the elite version.

where you reflect on your evidence because I think the evidence part really is the thing that takes this up a notch in my opinion.

So that's it. That is my quick journaling method ideal for time press mums like you and me. I challenge you to take a few minutes a day for the next month to tune into gratitude, write down what you want and notice what's already working. By doing that, you're telling the universe, I'm ready.

life has a funny way of responding.

If you try this routine, I'd love to hear how it goes for you. Tag me on Instagram or TikTok, or send me a message sharing your favorite evidence moment from the week. And if today's episode helped, please take a moment to follow or subscribe wherever you're listening. It really helps the show grow. And you can also leave a review on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Tell me what resonated or share your own journaling tips. I love hearing from you and your words help other moms find the podcast.

Until next time, see you next Friday for another episode of Woo Woo Mums