Why Journaling Is A Must In My Life!
It’s no secret that I’ve always loved to write. I have been journaling since I can remember, and I’ve teachers from primary school who remember me submitting journals filled of writing, some of the best they’ve read (not to brag)… My years of angst and finding my way into the world have all been documented. One day I plan to publish my 'Chrissy's teenage years' entries.
Anyone who knows me well is aware of my love affair with stationery. There's nothing I love more than losing myself in a store full of pens, notebooks, and journals. Most recently on a late-night K-mart spending spree, I “accidently” 😉 bought 31 of them LOL. With that said though, it’s my happy place! To me, a new blank journal is full of countless opportunities and endless stories to tell.
Journaling is part of my daily self-care constitution. It's a practice that offers me a chance to assess and evaluate what's going on. From the small trivial things that are obviously wearing on my soul, to the big picture things that need to be evaluated and workshopped.
In this article, I want to share with you my journaling tips, as this practice has helped me achieve many of my goals and dreams, and I imagine it can help you to do the same.
To get started, buy yourself an A5 notebook and a special journaling pen. On the front of the journal, state your intentions. On the cover of every journal, I write this: "This is only for me, and no one else. As tempted as I am, I never re-read my entries; that's in the past. I will only write three pages. Even if I have nothing to say, I do. Just write freely."
Now you might be thinking writing three pages each time is going to be hard. But as I write, the shit starts to come. It can be as simple as saying, 'Today I am writing with a blue pen, and I like the way it writes.' You just gotta write! For me, writing by hand slows me down and lets me release my inner thoughts. I hammer away at a keyboard all day. When I'm journaling, I find my zone and let my pen do the dancing for my soul.
I write first thing in the morning every day. Anything that is niggling at me or any self-sabotaging thoughts, I address it then leave it in my journal. Every day tells a different story. If I went to a musical the night before for example, my ticket would go into my journal, or I might even spray on the page the perfume that I'm wearing for the day. That's what I love about journaling, no two days are ever the same and there is always something to write about.
I keep all my journals. Why? Well, who throws out their life story! For me, it's a safety mechanism. Who knows? One day my journals might make a damn good book!
Recently I have started journaling about covid. Let's face it, our daily lives at the moment are going to make the history books. I didn't expect to be living through something like this. There’s so much to process and that's why I've started journaling this separately.
My vision is to not only achieve my own dreams, to do what I love but to help others achieve their own success and potential. My work speaks for me. I'm hard-working, motivated, passionate, and free-thinking. Keeping a daily journal has helped me through every chapter I have lived and wouldn't be where I am today without doing it daily. Checking in with yourself allows for clarity.
Life is to be lived, and it's the little but enriching things we do each day that have the most significant impact.
Happy journaling, my friends!