By Melanie Valderrama

I’ve never been especially great at keeping a journal. Sure, I’ve done it off and on over the years, but I never felt a strong need to be consistent.

Then, a few years ago, one of my aunts made some pretty major changes in her life. I remember asking my mom what had happened, and she simply said, “She started regularly writing in a journal and was able to work through her issues.” That stopped me in my tracks. I was amazed.

I gave it a shot and started a gratitude journal, but I quickly got bored. It felt like I was just making a list every day. Still, that simple practice opened my eyes to blessings I had been overlooking—and for that, I’m genuinely grateful.

Later, I started Leslie Householder’s Family Time & Money Freedom course (Mindset Mastery), and with it came something called a Transformation Journal. My first reaction? “Ugh.” I had a long history of pouring negativity into journals. For me, journaling had become a place to dump all my complaints and frustrations. I sounded like a victim, and honestly, I didn’t want to relive that energy anymore.

But then I read what Leslie encouraged us to do with the Transformation Journal—and it totally shifted my perspective. It wasn’t about venting. It was about documenting your journey with a positive slant. That was new. That was interesting. I decided to give it a try, and before long, I was hooked.

Now, I find real joy in writing. I love recording my thoughts and impressions as they come to me throughout the day. And funny enough, it’s helped me stay more organized, too. A few times when I couldn’t remember something, I knew I’d written it down, and sure enough—there it was, easy to find.

More than that, I want my children—and their children—to benefit from the things I’m learning. I want them to know I’m trying. That I’m doing my best. That I care deeply about growth and progress. I want them to see my journey, learn from it, and know that these same principles can bless their lives, too.

I also realized something else: part of why journaling never clicked for me before was because I used cheap notebooks—the ten-cent kind. Nothing wrong with that, but when I received a beautiful journal as part of the course, everything changed. I searched my house for the nicest pen I could find, and suddenly, the act of writing felt sacred. Special. Like I was worth the effort. And I am.

These days, journaling has become something I genuinely love. I let the words flow, and as they do, I feel more clarity and optimism about life. My outlook has changed—and so has my energy.

I can’t wait to keep stacking journals in the years to come.

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