Seeing yourself in this moment

Year’s ago, I read a study on workplace problem solving. The general idea was that people who were asked to identify many different parts of themselves — the conscientious worker part, the dedicated partner part, the caring nurturer part, the creative part, the silly part, etc. — prior to being presented with a problem were better at solving it than people who were asked only about their role at work.

I think about this idea all the time. That when we are able see ourselves in all our multi-dimensional brilliance, we are better equipped to handle whatever the world throws at us, we have more of our tools at our disposal. It’s what I was thinking about when I created this page, which is dedicated to capturing a vivid image of yourself right now so that you can carry it with you into your day and the adventures that await you.

The Ways in Which You Are Strong, Capable and Connected - New Journal Pages

I’ve just posted a new set of printable journal pages over at the shop. It’s full of things I would love for each of us to know about ourselves:

…that we are brave enough to pursue our dreams in spite of our fears;

…that we can forgive and be forgiven, to lighten our loads just a little and make room for new adventures;

…that some part of each of us shines brightly in every moment, even this one right now;

…that our goals are within our grasp, even in the face of daunting setbacks;

…that our well being is worthy of our time and effort; and

…that we are not alone.

The first page in the set is free for you to try. You can click here or on the image below to download it. You’ll find the rest over at my Colourful Words page.

As always, from my resilient, dreaming heart to yours, best wishes and happy journaling. xoxo

Journaling forgiveness

This one’s almost ready to go. It’s framed in terms of letting go, recognizing growth and moving forward. Reflection in action. I’m hoping it can be used in two ways — to reflect on forgiving others and, perhaps more importantly, on forgiving ourselves. An opportunity to lighten the load a bit, to make room for new adventures.

How to Use Your Journal to Write a Thank You Note

This cheerful exercise brings together some of journaling’s best features:

• Thinking on paper. By composing a thank you note using your journal, you can take a moment to think about someone’s generosity or kindness and what it means to you.

• Memory keeping. You’ll create a record of the moment or action for which you’re thankful and that will help you remember it.

• Transforming thoughts into action. This is where the power of journaling really shines through. It gives you an easy way not only to recognize your gratitude, but also to act on it.

All it takes are a few simple, specific steps.

Starting in your journal, write your responses to these five prompts:

1. One person you’d like to thank.

2. One thing you’d like to thank her or him for.

3. Two details to describe the thing for which you’re thankful.

4. One way in which it made a difference to you.

5. One lovely thing about the person you’re thanking.

Next, select a card or sheet of note paper and turn your prompt responses into a thank you note. Here’s one way you might write it:

Dear (1.),

Thank you so much for (2.)! I love (3.).

It means so much to (4.). You’re (5.)!

Love,

The only thing left to do is sign your name and you’re finished!

In a short sequence of thoughtful steps, you’ve documented a meaningful moment in two ways — in your journal for you to keep and in a note expressing your gratitude to send to someone who will surely be thrilled to receive it.

To make it even easier, I’ve created a new printable journal page that includes all the prompts I listed above. You can download it by clicking here or on the image above. As always, the pdf file includes four page sizes: letter, half letter, A4, and A5.

If you’d like to see more, you’ll find a variety of 10 Minute Journal Pages, free sample pages, and much more in my printables shop.

Thinking Through a New Journal Page

I have an idea for a new journal page (or set!). It may or may not work out in the end, but I thought it might be fun to think it through with you here on the blog this week.

The page started with the idea of a map. Specifically, I was thinking of those lovely illustrated city or country maps featuring a place and a collection of its streets and landmarks. They’re not drawn to scale, but to give the viewer a sense of the place. I love how sweet they are — full of history or natural beauty, or sometimes the illustrator’s memories of places she visited while she was there.

I wondered if that kind of map might make a good journal page — if the main streets could be a way to represent themes or lists, if intersections could represent relationships between ideas, and if important details could be shown on the map as landmarks. I wondered if a sort of illustrated map/journal page hybrid could be a creative way to explore everyday experiences and seek out new insights.

The result is what you see above. It’s as far I’ve gotten. Now that I see it down on paper, I don’t think it’s quite there yet. It’s not obvious how to approach the page and, when finished, I’m wondering if the map works to clarify ideas in a meaningful way.

I think I’ll step away from it for a while, but I’ll be back here tomorrow with new eyes and a fresh perspective. In the meantime, what do you think?

10 Minutes to Tackle the Impossible - New Printable Journal Page

It’s the kind of sunny Friday afternoon when anything seems possible, so I turned last week’s post on doing the impossible into a new printable journal page. You can download it by clicking right here or on the image above.

Let’s all go out this weekend and take small, but mighty steps toward achieving the impossible.

P.S. As always, the pdf file includes four page sizes: letter, half letter, A4, and A5.

P.P.S. If you’d like to see more, you’ll find a variety of 10 Minute Journal Pages, free sample pages, and much more in my printables shop.

How to Use Your Journal to Access Your Inner Wisdom

This journal technique is simple and straightforward. It uses a basic question and answer format and requires no tools other than a pen and paper.

There’s just this one thing . . . you’ll be asking the questions AND answering them, which is the key to connecting with your knowledge and experience. It sounds a little unusual, but once you get the hang of it, you may be surprised to discover the depth and breadth of your own wisdom.

Accessing Your Inner Wisdom

Here’s how to begin:

Step one: Ask yourself a question, in writing, in your journal.

Step two: Answer your question, in writing, in your journal.

Repeat steps one and two until you’re satisfied with the work you’ve done.

That’s really all there is to it. Two steps repeated many times. The trick to making it work is not letting yourself off the hook.

Follow Every Answer With a New Question

Let’s say you’ve got a big decision to make, but you’re not sure what to do. You could begin by asking yourself, What should I do?

Your first and most honest answer might be, I don’t know, which is entirely okay. That’s why you’re doing this. Keep going. Ask the next question: Why don’t I know?

Then answer it.

You might not find the answers you seek right away, but don’t let that stop you from following every answer, especially the ones that seem the least helpful and the most unproductive, with a new question.

If you don’t know because you don’t have enough information, ask yourself how to find more information. If you don’t know because it’s a hard question, ask yourself why it’s hard. If you don’t know because you’re afraid to know, ask yourself why you’re afraid.

Then answer your questions and the follow-up questions they inspire, in writing, in your journal. You may find that the answers you’re searching for are already within you, just waiting to be written.

Why Your Journal Is an Excellent Place to Access Your Inner Wisdom

I love this format. It usually doesn’t take long for me to get past the I don’t knows and the I’m not sures to the core of difficult challenges and decisions. It has a lot to do with how I view my journal.

My journal is a safe place to think. It’s a judgment free zone. It’s always there for me when I need it. In return, my journal requires words. It requires me to articulate and describe, and in order to do so, I have to pay attention. I have to stop for a moment and think things through.

The results are often incredibly heartening — a new path forward, a renewed sense of confidence, a new understanding of myself that yields more intentional decisions. I don’t always find perfect answers to my questions, but I always find somewhere to start, something to do to move forward.

If you’d like to give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes. Leave a comment below or drop me a line via email. I’d love to chat!

P.S. I’ve also used aspects of this technique in two of my printable journal pages: When You Just Need a Moment to Think and Reason 10 in my free e-book 10 Good Reasons to Journal, if you’re looking for a place to start.

Printable mini guided journal and envelope template

I’ve had such fun creating an ever-growing collection of handmade envelopes with mini accordion journals tucked inside! I thought you might want to give it a try, too, so I’ve created a new, free printable page and a quick tutorial to get you started.

If you’d like to create your own mini accordion journals and envelopes, start by downloading and printing my mini envelope and journal template. (The file includes two page sizes. The first page is letter sized. The second page is A4.) You’ll also need a pencil, scissors, tape or glue, and extra paper for making your envelopes.

Begin by cutting out the envelope template and mini journals. For the mini journals, I like to cut just inside the dashed lines so they don’t appear on the journals.

Next, trace the outline of your envelope template onto the back of your chosen paper and cut it out. I’m making two envelopes, one for each mini journal.

Now for the folding. With your envelope paper face down, fold the side tabs in toward the center using the dotted lines on the envelope template as a guide.

For the mini journals, I like to start by folding them in half, so that the top and bottom meet and the words are on the outside of the fold.

Fold the envelope bottoms up and over the side tabs, again using the dotted line in the envelope template as a guide, and apply glue or tape to attach the bottom to the sides. Then fold down the envelope top.

For the mini journals, fold the tops and bottoms in half again so that they meet up with the centre fold.

Insert your folded journals into your new envelopes and you’re finished!

You can record your answers to the prompts now and attach your envelopes to your journal or you can tuck your envelopes into a tote or backpack for a little journaling on the go.

I hope you’ll love this little journal project. If you’d like to try making more envelopes of different sizes and shapes and more mini journals, I’ve also posted a brand new printable handmade journal and envelope kit in the shop.

As always, happy journaling, friends!

"word confessions" mini accordion journal (and handmade irregular envelope, of course)

My recent experiments with handmade irregular envelopes wouldn’t be complete without a few irregular prompts. I made a super-simple, three-prompt, mini-accordion guided journal to tuck inside my latest teeny tiny envelopes. And the prompts are . . . well, they’re a little unusual . . . a lighthearted look at the words confuse and amuse us.

My word confession for the day is that I’m never entirely sure if I’m using the word “ironic” correctly. (Is that ironic? I have no idea.)

How about you?

Journals in progress

I’m up to five mini guided journals, each with five different prompts on five themes. There are still a few details to be worked on and sorted out on the inside pages. The text spacing’s not quite right and the prompts need a bit of tweaking, but I love the size (1.75”x2.25”) and the colourful covers and stitching. After that, I’ll just have to figure out what to do with them.

What kinds of details are you working on and sorting out today?