So Don't call it a Journal

We all know those people who curl up with a book that has rainbows and butterflies on it and write angst-ridden poetry or doodle their names with hearts over the i’s.  We think “who is this absolutely frivolous person who probably has a sticker collection they’ve been building since the fifth grade? What could they possibly be writing about, jump rope and lollipops?”

Well, I’m here to tell you those people are onto something, and jumping rope is significantly more difficult than you remember. The last time I tried it as an adult 911 had to be involved.

So, get a notebook. For one thing, writing immediately propels things from your fuzzy unconscious to the bright light of consciousness, where you can control or change things that are hard to see otherwise. The simple act of writing about blocks usually reveals things are not as complicated as you are making them out to be in your mind.  By pulling the unconscious up to your conscious mind feelings can be processed and often dissipate. Anything that needs further attention is also neatly contained on paper where you can evaluate which therapeutic methods fit and which ones don’t assimilate into your unique lifestyle.

Also, any task beyond getting the paper off the driveway usually requires not one, but many steps that move you forward incrementally toward your goal.  Writing them down, reading them, and putting them behind you as you progress is empowering and keeps you in touch with how fast and how far you’ve gone.   It is a great way to note and celebrate victories that you will definitely have and forget about immediately if you don’t keep a record. A written account will keep your eyes on your goals and checking off things on your to-do list as you accomplish them will give you a delicious hit of joy that only happens in nature when you eat three Mallomars at the same time.

Don’t call it a journal if it makes your bones ache, but get it, write in it and use it for notes later when you author your memoir about how you achieved your success, what it took to get it, and where to buy the coolest stickers.