Today, I invite you to list at least 5 possible ways to support your journaling habit and then imagine your day as journaling impacts how it flows.
My Journaling List
My list includes:
- Journal most mornings—first in my dream journal, recording dreams and sometimes interacting with them, then in my journal-journal. If I feel so inspired I will also work on other writing after journaling.
- Spend time with my muse. Asking my coach to facilitate me in my “Meet Your Muse” exercise twice a month or more.
- Spend time in nature every day.
- Schedule journaling time with a friend at least twice a month.
- Use the October Journaling Adventure to work through The Joy of Writing Journal for a second round!
Today’s Writing
I imagined my day starting with journaling in bed upon waking—which is often the case. I see myself allowing for the journal to inspire additional writing, perhaps a few final chapters for my next book (almost done)!
I also envisioned time spent meditating from within the field of infinite possibilities.
In my imagining, “work is breezy and opportunities to share my passion for journaling and creativity easily come to me.”
I envision my books supporting my calling: “I show up alive and awake—inspiring others to write / create / connect / express / flow / innovate / believe / trust / enjoy.
“I write, teach and connect authentically from my true self, and inspired by those writers who have sparked my creativity: SARK, Anne Lammot, Natalie Goldberg, Julia Cameron, my coach Tama Kieves.”
Your Turn
What do you imagine journaling does for you in your writing, your other creative projects, your home life, your relationships/family and more?
Please also share:
- What this group adventure in journaling has meant to you
- Anything that changed for you
- What happened during this month of writing/journaling in community?
- What’s next? How will you keep up the momentum? What do you commit to?
I’ve also been thinking specifically about what I can offer you to help you keep your journaling and writing momentum going. As a result, I’ve opened the doors to my Get Your Writing Done Program, which is a phenomenal way to support your creative habits.
In this out-of-the-box virtual workshop we employ the TENER Method for Creative Flow to enter into a state conducive to inspired writing; then we write! No staring at a screen in “zoom room” state. Instead we move, write, connect, then move and write some more—just like you’d do in person. FUN! Plus, the accountability and community are a great boost to writing consistently. It could be just what you need to complete your writing project(s). Find out more here.
Thank you for joining me on this journaling adventure.
First of all, cyber high five to all of us who sustained this 30 day journaling journey! What a ride it has been of gathering wits, wading through niggling doubts, savoring comrades unique stories and vignettes, sharing tender moments and smiles. Looking back 240 minutes of journaling sounds pretty insignificant but it grew to occupy some serious real estate in my heart and mind and very quickly moved up to center stage on my list of daily priorities. Reading, stretching and learning together fed an appetite I didn’t know I had! And boy oh boy, was it fun!
I haven’t reached the Eat, Sleep,Write. Repeat stage. I’m still formulating my plan for writing, but big on my to do list is organizing files on my computer. And moving beyond journaling as a dalliance. I still don’t see myself as a writer and having a vision for my writing seems very pie in the sky distant. But I will try to channel my muse and dwell in what may be possible. A gift I am giving myself is Lisa’s get your writing done class. I hope I will reconnect with many of you there. Thank you for the inspiration and gifts you have shared on the blog. I received them with a grateful heart. Cheers to writing on and finding flow!
Mary Ann I grinned from ear to ear, when you said you were taking Lisa’s class. I will have a face now
to go with your frisky personality.
I want to confess, I spent way more than 8 minutes on all the writing I did, except for the one word poem,
in case you think my pieces flew off of my pencil. I write it out first after contemplation and then 2 finger type it on the computer. It worked out that I had the time, for some inexplicable reason, so I applied myself.
Day 30 – Yeah, We made it! Prompt – How to Support your Journaling writing Habit
I have joined Lisa’s, “Get Your Writing Done Program” for the next four months. I want to write mostly in the mornings, at least five days a week. Share my writing with some people – Do I dare consider writing articles for magazines? I mostly want to figure out what kind of book I truly want to write; memoir, self help, fiction.
During these last 30 days, I had a greater sense of purpose to get up in the morning because I was doing something for me. I relished that quiet time. Writing to start my day put a little bounce in my step, where I effortlessly moved towards night time more satisfied with my life.
A surprising result occurred by making an honest inquiry into my meandering thoughts and feelings – a healing I had not known I needed released me from a deep lack I felt inside on Day 27, when I wrote about my father. I added a new sentence to Day 27 at the end, which was, I now see how the distance between my father and me was my mother’s way of protecting me. Then, I shared my Day 26 story, “If This House Could Talk” with my Landlord, Antoinette’s son, which highlighted his mother. The writing touched his heart – “It’s beautiful, thank you for sending it to me”. That one sentence is giving me the impetus to continue writing.
I thank Lisa for her dedication that brings the best out of people into the light of Day. Her style and generous nature to share herself and what she knows is simple in it’s complexity, which must be experienced, in order to fully comprehend her value.
And, to Mary Ann, my partner in scribing on this Journaling Journey – I thank you for for your authentic, humorous and adventurous spirit. I looked forward to your posts and insights, for they gave me inspiration.
My gratitude for Maureen’s additions, when she appeared later, as well as the silent majority behind the scenes.
Hello All, I have just scrolled through all 30 days to read what I have missed from others, who posted comments, especially Maureen’s many that I missed and some of Mary Ann’s posts and comments.
I did reply briefly to some of your posts, sorry Lisa, if that makes more work for you – you don’t have to post them. I want you to know how much I delighted in reading them even if I was not there to reply, at the time because I did not know they were there. Maureen, I have a question on what is The Butterfly Approach, which was the last word of your post of the exercise about creating an unlikely conversation with
two people – I couldn’t figure it out, unless that was the point.
Hey, Deborah. I usually only posted excerpts from my journal, because I just kept going and going…
I realized afterwards that I stopped my dialogue post in kind of a funky spot. I went on to imagine the psychiatrist dad expounding on his old approach ( the “butterfly approach” which I kind of co-opted/invented from something someone once said to me, i.e. that human nature makes us all butterflies, and if left to our own devices, we just naturally emerge from the chrysalis and spread our wings and soar), which the math teacher points out is probably not the best way to master algebra. Then they just go on from there at rather silly cross purposes.
Wow. I am just blown away by the journaling and writing I’ve seen in all your comments!
I do apologize for my delays in approving comments today and yesterday – my computer stopped working and I had to take it into the shop.
It’s been an honor and joy supporting you all in your journaling adventure, whether you posted or just read and wrote. A special thank you to those who shared. I know it’s a leap of faith to do that. And thank you too for sharing the shifts that happened by journaling regularly.
For those who are looking for support to continue writing regularly–whether a book, articles, blog posts a journal or something else–I hope you’ll check out my Get Your Writing Done program. I’ve priced it to work for most budgets but if it’s not do-able for you at that price, just email me about what you can pay. It’s my goal to make it available to all who need it.
For those who do decide to join us, I look forward to seeing you in class. For those who don’t, thank you for joining me on this journaling and writing journey. Feel free to reach out if you have questions.
I encourage you all to keep journaling / writing.
Dear All! I have made it through, only a few jumps behind, in the end — not bad considering I started almost a week after you all, and it took me a while to work up the nerve to post. It has been so exhilarating, and you all have inspired me. Thank you so much.
My plan is to to keep writing and to find more ways of sharing my own work and the work of others. The Get Your Writing Done Program sounds fantastic, but for the next few months, I will be tied up dealing with a family medical emergency. I hope to journal like a bugger, but I can’t put any new commitments or deadlines on my plate until some time in the new year. Maybe next session?
It’s been such a pleasure. Thank you especially to Lisa. I’ve been journaling on and off for most of my adult life, but your book and blog have helped me take it to a new level.
Wishing you all sparks and joy and creativity and flow. Maureen