When you are in a season of discernment—whether you are exploring a vocation, a career change, or a new phase of life—everyone tells you to “journal about it”. But when you are dyslexic, the blank page can sometimes feel less like an inviting space and more like a high-pressure spelling test.
The truth is, reflecting on your journey is essential, but how you do it is entirely up to you. Journaling isn’t about producing a literary masterpiece; it’s about creating a safe container to notice where God is moving, what brings you peace, and where you feel resistance.
Let’s look at how we can capture our reflections, what we ought to be reflecting on, and how to navigate the balance between what stays private and what we share with the world.
Choosing Your Canvas: Where to Journal?
There is no “right” way to keep a record of your discernment. The best medium is simply the one you will actually use.
The Physical Journal: There is something incredibly grounding about putting a real pen to real paper. For some of us with dyslexia, this is the most freeing option because there are no red squiggly lines shouting at us about our spelling mistakes. You can doodle, use mind maps, or write in bullet points. The messiness is part of the prayer.
Private Computer Notes: If writing by hand feels too slow or frustrating, digital notes (like Apple Notes, Word, Google Docs or Notion) are a brilliant alternative. You can use speech-to-text software to capture your stream of consciousness, or you can type quickly without worrying about handwriting legibility. It’s also searchable, which is incredibly helpful when you want to look back over the past few months to spot patterns.
A Substack or Blog: Setting up a space like I have here on Substack is a completely different beast. Writing for an audience forces you to synthesise your thoughts. It brings clarity. It also builds community, connecting you with others who are walking a similar path.
Public vs. Private
During discernment, you are dealing with the raw, unpolished movements of your heart. So, should your journaling be private or public?
The Case for Private:
Your primary discernment journal should probably be for your eyes (and God’s) only. When you know no one else is reading, you don’t have to perform. You can be brutally honest about your doubts, your fears, and your frustrations. You can misspell the same word four times and it doesn’t matter. Private reflection is the raw material of discernment.
The Case for Public:
Sharing your reflections publicly—perhaps in a Substack newsletter or an open blog—is less about processing in real-time and more about sharing the fruits of your processing. Public reflection invites accountability and allows your journey to encourage someone else.
A good rule of thumb: Process in private, share in public. Give your thoughts time to breathe in a private notebook before deciding if they need to be typed up for a wider audience. AND if you don’t want to share something in public, don’t.
What Actually Goes in a Discernment Journal?
If you are staring at a blank page (or screen) wondering what to write, try focusing on these specific areas rather than just logging the events of the day:
Consolations and Desolations: (A brilliant concept from Ignatian spirituality). St. Ignatius of Loyola taught that we can interpret the “motions of the soul” to determine what is drawing us closer to God. Where did you feel a sense of peace, life, and an increase of faith and hope today? That is what Ignatius called consolation. Where did you feel drained, anxious, isolated, or turned inward? That is desolation. Reflecting on these daily, often through a reflective prayer called the Examen, is a foundational habit of discernment.
Recurring Themes: Are there specific phrases, Bible verses, or ideas that keep popping up in your reading, conversations, or prayers? Write them down.
The “What Ifs”: Give yourself permission to explore different outcomes. “What if I actually pursue this calling? How does my body physically react to that thought?”
Questions, Not Just Answers: Sometimes a journal entry is just a list of things you don’t understand yet.
Reflecting in Specific Seasons
The blank canvas of everyday life can sometimes feel too vast. Leaning into specific liturgical seasons can provide a much-needed framework for our reflections.
Take Lent, for example. Lent has a built-in rhythm of wilderness, waiting, and stripping back the noise. If you are discerning during Lent, your journaling can take on a specific flavour. You might use the 40 days to reflect daily on what you are being called to “fast” from (perhaps self-doubt or the need for immediate answers) and what you are being invited to “feast” on (trust, patience, quietness).
Other seasons, like Advent, offer themes of hope and preparation, whilst Ordinary Time gives us the space to look for the holy in the mundane, everyday routines. Using these seasons breaks discernment down into manageable chunks.
A Final Note on Dyslexia and Journaling
Please remember: your journal is a tool, not a trap. If writing full sentences feels exhausting, use bullet points. If typing is frustrating, use voice memos. God is not checking your grammar; He is looking at your heart.
Whether you are scribbling in a battered notebook, dictating into your phone, or drafting your next Substack post, your voice and your journey matter.
How do you prefer to process your reflections? Have you found a method that works best for your neurodivergent brain? Let me know in the comments below!
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