Journaling is a positive way to clear your head, channel your creative energies, and get focused on your goals. The blank page represents the boundless opportunities that await. Here are some things to consider before starting your journal in the new year. The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to start a journal.
Your Journal and Life are Works in Progress
A journal full of blank pages can be intimidating. What will you write about? Should you write every day? Do you need to use perfect grammar? Trying to answer all of these questions can be overwhelming. Word of Advice: Don’t labor over each sentence in an attempt to make it polished and worthy of a writing award. This is your private diary (so keep it someplace safe). Allow the words from within to flow without. If it comes from inside of you, it is always the right thing to write.
One of the pleasures of starting your journal not only for the New Year but anytime of year as that you can look back and see how much you have grown as a person.
If you make journaling a habit you will notice that your ability to communicate through writing will improve with time. So, don’t judge your writing ability in the early stages and certainly don’t despair over where your life is when you start your first, second or hundredth journal. Just realize that this act of self-care helps you to explore your emotions and open up to possibilities . Its an ongoing work in progress, so put pen to paper and let it flow.
The Difference Between Being Selfish and Practicing Self-Care
One of the most common objections to keeping a journal is the investment of time required. You may feel that setting aside even a small amount of time for yourself is selfish but it isn’t. Listen to this story:
A woman was once tasked with caring for her terminally ill husband.
After he passed away a visitor noticed that the woman had a list placed on the front of her refrigerator. The list was titled “Priorities” and the first item on it was an admonition for the woman to take care of herself. The second and last item was to take care of her ailing husband. This perplexed the visitor who could not understand how the woman could put herself first.
“I had to put myself first,” the woman said when asked why she made the list so. “If something were to happen to me, there would have been no one to take care of my husband.”
This story serves as a powerful example of the difference between selfishness and self-care. When we practice self-care we are making an effort to be the best version of ourselves. When we are at our best, only then can we we be of serve to those around us, including our immediate family and close friends. In that context, self-care is magnificently unselfish.
I challenge you to make the time, perhaps before bed, to jot down your thoughts. It will help you assess your feelings and emotions, brainstorm new ideas, and help you to create the best version of yourself. Its about the journey and journaling can help you better recognize your successes and appreciate your own life’s journey. What are you waiting on? Get to writing, Beloved!
