Writing wasn’t always my go to when things weren’t going right. I never knew how powerful it could be to just write my thoughts down. It wasn’t until I read The Artists Way by Julia Cameron that I decided to give journaling a try and it has made a major impact on my life. I encourage you to grab a copy of the book and go through it with an open mind and honestly follow what she prescribes. Even if you don’t see yourself as an artists, this may change your mind. Read on for a few tips that I learned along the way.
The Right Time to Start
Now. Well, not right now. Finish reading this post first, then go get to work. All you need is a simple spiral bound, lined notepad that you can find at Target for about a dollar and any pen you can find that has enough ink to last you for 3 pages. That’s it. No long list of supplies or hard to find items. Go get them and you’ll be ready to go. Don’t fuss about having to have a fancy journal or fountain pen. Keep it basic and focus on the writing. Once you have the tools, take out your planner and block out some time in the morning for writing. You do have a planner don’t you? I’ll save that for another post. All I will say is you need a planner.
How Much Write Time
I have been writing pretty consistently for about 6 months now. I miss a day or two here and there but make it a point to get back to it when I do take a day off. Many people think they just don’t have the time to write because it just takes so long. I would venture to say that I probably write at an average pace. I take my time and write somewhat legibly and I can get through 3 pages (which is suggested by Cameron in her book) in right at 30 minutes. It’s been part of my morning routine for the past 6 months and I value that time. So set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier and get right to writing first thing in the morning.
What’s Right to Write
Another reason, no, excuse the people give for not writing is that they don’t know what to write. I have used that same excuse over and over and now that I look back I see just how ridiculous I was being. We all have a brain that is full of thoughts, millions of them. We all have feelings and we all have senses. We all have memories and experiences. Everything that makes us who we are is worthy to be put on a page. We all have a unique story full of diverse situations that have been good and bad and everything in between.
Use the Right Angle
By writing, you are giving yourself the ability so see how amazing you are from a different perspective. The thoughts that were once only inside your head are now physically outside of you and that gives you a new way to view them. You start to gain clarity on the parts of you that are hurt and broken. You begin to see themes like negativity and doubt and can now react to them from a new angle. You will get the opportunity to rationalize why you wrote something and focus on the feeling you had while writing it. That leads to deeper understanding of yourself which is the key to self-care and self-improvement.
Write Right Now
There’s no better time to start writing than right now. Take a few moments after reading this to begin a new habit to help you along in your personal development journey. I sincerely hope this has encouraged you to try writing. Just journaling every morning has made a huge impact on my life. It has brought me clarity about who I am, opened up my senses to being creative, and shown me that my thoughts, experiences, memories, failures and successes are all valuable and worthy of being written down.
Please drop me a line if this post has encouraged you. I’d love to hear about how journaling has affected your life. You can DM me on Instagram or Facebook or you can use the contact form below.
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