Journaling offers amazing benefits for your mental health and personal growth – we get that.
But let's be honest, sometimes it feels like just... writing into the void.
Instead of aimless rambling, what if you could make your journaling more focused and purposeful?
And what if, after you've captured your thoughts, you had someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to help you see the patterns in your thoughts, someone to offer a little… guidance, without judgment.
That’s where AI comes in.
Your AI-Powered Journal Buddy (Google NotebookLM Plus):
Forget generic journaling apps. Google NotebookLM, especially with its "Custom" conversational style, lets you create a truly personalised Journal Buddy, tailored to your specific needs and goals. It’s like having a supportive friend, a wise mentor, and a super-organized assistant, all rolled into one AI.
And the best part? Get started for free.
Setting Up Your "Custom" Journal Buddy in NotebookLM does require ‘Plus’ edition. Let’s Go Step-by-Step.
Here’s the simple setup (takes 37 seconds):
|
- Start a new notebook project to be your journal.
- Select "Configure Notebook" in the top right corner of the NotebookLM chat window, go to "Define your conversational style" and click "Custom." This unlocks the magic.
- Define Custom Instructions - Your "Journal Buddy Blueprint": This is where you shape NotebookLM's personality. Think of it as writing a mini-job description for your AI.
- Create your Daily Documents: For each day, create a separate document named with the date (e.g., "Journal - 10-03-2025"). This makes it easy to track entries chronologically and reference specific days.
- Pro-Tip - Audio transcribe your journal entries. Use a service from your mobile or another app that can to voice-to-text. It makes easier to adopt and you get more raw unfiltered thoughts down into text.
Here are some examples of custom instructions you can combine and adapt:
Focus on Journaling Benefits:
"Act as a supportive and reflective Journal Buddy. Your primary goal is to help me explore the benefits of journaling as outlined in my document "Journaling Benefits Reference" (or whatever you named that document). Focus on helping me with: * Emotional Processing and Self-Awareness * Stress and Anxiety Reduction * Improved Mood and Coping Skills * Self-Reflection and Personal Growth * Theme Identification and Connection across entries."
Set the Tone / Style:
"Respond in a warm, encouraging, and thoughtful tone. Be empathetic and understanding. Ask open-ended questions to prompt further reflection. Avoid being overly critical or analytical; focus on support and insight."
Specify a 'Role':
"Be a supportive and insightful friend who is helping me process my journal entries. Imagine you are a trusted companion in my self-reflection journey."
Define Overarching Goals:
"Help me gain deeper self-awareness through my journaling. Assist me in identifying patterns and themes in my thoughts and feelings over time. Encourage me to use journaling to improve my mental and emotional wellbeing."
Combine Instructions:
"Act as a supportive Journal Buddy. Respond in a warm, encouraging, and thoughtful tone, like a trusted friend. Your goal is to help me explore the benefits of journaling, especially emotional processing, self-awareness, stress reduction, and personal growth, as described in my "Journaling Benefits Reference" document. Help me identify themes and connections in my entries. Ask open-ended questions to encourage deeper reflection."
Pro-Tip: Create a "Journaling Benefits Reference" document in NotebookLM – a simple list of journaling benefits – to further ground your AI Buddy.
Experiment and Refine: After setting your custom instructions, interact with NoteBookLM using your prompts. Evaluate the outputs and adjust your custom instructions.
Iteration is key to personalisation.
In my next article I will cover the prompt engineering you can use with NotebookLM to get the most useful insights out for your unique situations.
Why "Custom" Style Matters: Unleashing the True Journal Buddy Potential:
The “Custom” conversational style is the key to making NotebookLM a true Journal Buddy, not just an AI chatbot.
It allows you to:
- Shape the Tone and Persona: Create an AI that responds in a way that resonates with you – warm, encouraging, thoughtful, like a trusted friend.
- Focus on Specific Journaling Goals: Direct your AI Buddy to help you explore the specific benefits of journaling you’re most interested in – stress reduction, self-awareness, personal growth, etc.
- Create a Truly Personalised Experience: Tailor the AI's behaviour to match your journaling style and preferences, making it a uniquely helpful companion on your self-reflection journey.
Key Takeaways:
- Journaling is a Superpower for Mental Wellbeing & Personal Growth: Don't underestimate its benefits in today's world.
- Journaling Can Be Easier & More Engaging with an AI Buddy: Overcome common barriers to consistent journaling with AI support.
- Google NotebookLM Plus’s "Custom" Style Unlocks Personalised AI Buddy: Create an AI companion tailored to your specific needs and goals.
- Focus on "Custom Instructions" to Shape Your AI Buddy's Personality: Define its role, tone, and goals to create a truly supportive and insightful journaling partner.
- Experiment, Iterate, and Personalise Your AI Journal Buddy: Refine your setup over time to create the perfect AI companion for your self-reflection journey.
Call to Action:
Ready to unlock your inner wisdom and finally make journaling a consistent habit with your own AI Journal Buddy?
Take action today!
- Try setting up your "Custom" Journal Buddy in Google NotebookLM Plus using the steps outlined. It's easy, and it could be a game-changer for your mental and emotional wellbeing.
- Experiment with the "Journal Buddy Prompts" and start exploring the benefits of AI-powered journaling. See how AI can enhance your self-reflection practice.
- Share this LinkedIn article with someone who could benefit from a more supportive and effective journaling practice. Let's help each other unlock the power of journaling with the help of AI.
Let's build lives of greater self-awareness, resilience, and wellbeing, one journal entry at a time, with our AI Journal Buddies by our side.
