It’s so easy to get caught up in the motions of everyday life. Loosing ourselves in the responsibilities, endless to-do lists, and thoughts that consume our minds. Often we find ourselves held back by the chaos that our minds create, and struggle to make sense of it. Which is why in times like these I encourage journaling, to ground yourself with the simple act of putting pen to paper. Entering your journey of discovery.
STACY MUSGRAVE A MINDSET + LIFE COACH FOR FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS
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How to start Journaling
First we have to set up the foundation. Anytime we want to start something new, there has to be an intentionality to it or it won’t happen. so, when are you going to journal? What do you need to do to hold yourself accountable?
There are two important pieces:
ONE: Make it the first thing you do in the morning
I know. You have a busy morning already, you may not want to get up earlier, but this part has been the biggest game changer for me.
Not only is a habit easier to stick to in the morning, but your brain is still in between being asleep and awake, so you put less pressure on your thoughts.
You’ll also love starting your day with a clear head rather than jumping right into your to-do list.
You might run into blocks when it comes to writing in the morning. I like to think of it as challenging myself and building confidence when I commit to something. There was a time when I wanted to work out in the morning, but told myself I couldn’t wake up earlier. Once I committed, I was somehow able to make it to 5am classes. I started proving to myself that I could do what I previously said I couldn’t. That is the practice of intentional discipline
TWO: Write three pages (standard journal size)
I had a hard time with this at first, but now I can’t even write as fast as the thoughts come up. I’ll give you some tips and prompts in the next few pages if you get stuck, but I want you to think of this as a form of meditation. It’s so important to take the time to pay attention to your thoughts and develop them further.
If you have negative thoughts in your head often, you’ll probably catch yourself sooner when writing and have more self compassion. If you’re feeling stuck and know you’re the one in the way, you probably won’t complain on paper day after day. You’ll get sick of your own sh*t sooner, and that’s what we’re going for – we love a breakthrough!
Not sure how to start writing?
I know this may annoy you, but I want you to just write.
Literally anything.
Because you’re still in that dream-like state in the morning, your deepest subconscious thoughts come out. Don’t put pressure on what you’re writing. It doesn’t even matter if you can read it. The idea is to get your thoughts on paper before you have a chance to stop them.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, or stressed out, like you can’t focus your attention where you want it to be, this is the time to get it all out.
The first step is noticing the resistance and what’s feeling “heavy”. Then we can work on reframing it to work FOR you. (reframing tips in the freebie Journaling guide!)
Especially if you’re doing something new, stepping out of your comfort zone or trying to level up, you might find yourself getting in your own way. That’s valid – we’re human and our brains are wired to keep us safe. It’s instinct to want to protect yourself from embarrassment, judgment, imposter syndrome, or anything that feels like failure.
But we can also recognize that those things are just feelings and we have the ability to rewire our brains. It all starts with journaling and building a foundation. Once you get everything OUT, you can work toward shifting to a more positive mindset and deciding how you WANT to be feeling.
It’s amazing how simple it gets to be.
