We've all heard that on average it takes about 21 days for our brains to consider some action a habit. Believe me, if you follow Mari’s Build a Lasting Journaling Habit in 14 days, by day 15 you will feel the need to sit down and journal.
From my teenage years, I was an avid journaler. But, life got in the way and I got out of the habit. I’ve signed up for a couple of Mari’s other journaling challenges. While they helped me dance over some obstacles, none of them really helped me to build a practice. A habit. Until now.
I was skeptical about whether I was going to actually finish this challenge as I was already participating in another challenge also offered by Mari. But, I dived in feet first and committed to completing this challenge and actually build a sustainable journaling habit. I mean it was only 14 days. Right?
Days 1-7
During days 1-7 Mari helped me not only accept that I am a journaler. But, through this program, she made me face a few inner demons. Over the course of the program I began the process of becoming reacquainted with myself. I found out that I like to freestyle and write about whatever is on my mind rather than having directed conversations with myself or my journal.
The day 7 journaling check-in is a nice gut check to assess if this is really a habit you want to continue to build. I really asked myself if I wanted to get back into journaling or if I wanted to stop here. I chose to keep going. Just to see where this journey would lead me.
Days 8-14
Half way through. By the time I finished the exercises for Day 8 I had no choice but to admit that I was feeling stuck in several areas of my life. My job. My freelance writing career. My weight. Well, who doesn't struggle with their weight? Really?
On day 9, I chose the word FREEDOM as my focus word. When I really didn’t feel like writing on any day after this, I had to look no further than the top of the page where I had written my focus word. In my free-writing about the significance of that word, I realized that by building this journaling habit, it would free my mind up to focus on the things that are really important to me now. Building my freelance writing career and building a business.
While Building a (my) Lasting Journaling Practice in 14 days, I became more focused by letting go of the past, while allowing myself to dream about the future.
If you are trying to get back into the habit of journaling, I highly recommend Mari McCarthy's Build a Lasting Journaling Habit. It will be the toughest, most grueling, freeing, focused 14 days you will ever spend.
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