She Who Journals

I have been journaling almost daily for over 3 years and the key to that kind of consistency with a practice like this is eliminating the pressure of rigid expectation.

The truth is, I have been journaling off and on basically since I learned how to write! But it wasn’t until the last 3 years that I have actually managed to journal often and with total consistency. The difference between the years of off and on and the last 3 years of consistency?

Letting go of strict “rules”, and expectation.

Before, I used to tell myself that I had to write “x” amount of pages per day, or I had to do journaling prompts so many times a week, or I had to write about certain topics on certain days of the week. This was all in an attempt to create consistency but in fact it did the opposite. The pressure that I put in myself to complete what became more of a chore than a practice really took the magic out of what was meant to be soothing and actually caused me more stress.

When I decided to start journaling again 3 years ago it was during a time where I had very little to give and I needed something that not only felt low intensity for my energy levels but that also nourished what little energy I did have and would eventually give me more. With that in mind I decided to start small. A few words a day, maybe 1 or 2 sentences about things that brightened my day, little moments that brought me joy, tiny memories I didn’t want to forget, and gratitude. It was all about returning to gratitude in a time that felt like I had more struggle than grace.

To this day I maintain that same mindset in my practice. And as I had hoped, it has actually brought me more energy, more creativity, more ease, more excitement, more gratitude and joy. While it has evolved immensely over the last 3 years my “no expectation” philosophy still stands. And it’s because if that, that I am here 3 years later still nourishing my soul in this way.

There are some days where I will write six pages front and back and there are some days where I will write 6 words. There are some days where I will create super creative, artistic memory preservation creations and there are days where all I do is add a cute sticker in an empty space. That’s the beauty of it. That’s the magic of not being so ridged in expectation. The magic of “it doesn’t have to be anything, but it could just become everything”. It’s all about surrendering to the natural flow rather than trying to put it into a neat little ridged box.

When we allow ourselves what I call “wide horizon expectation” we open up our fields for so many possibilities that we otherwise may not have seen. So it’s not about “lowering” expectation but rather “widening” so that we may allow ourselves the possibilities to reach potential we have not yet imagined. This is one of the most valuable lessons I have learned from my journaling practice. Had I not allowed myself the space to be wide, I would not be where I am today and this translates to all of life, not just journaling baby!

Choosing to create in this way and therefore nourish my soul in this way has completely and 100% changed my life. This ONE simple practice has completely altered the course of my heart, my soul, my life. And that’s not some nice little marketing strategy, I’m not trying to sell anyone anything. I am simply stating the truth of my own profound, lived-in experience and the truth is — this practice has completely transformed me from the inside out. And I will forever be grateful for that and forever share that truth. 💕