Journaling exercises for during plan 2, of the slow detox program, every day you should wake up, grab your notebook, and start writing. Write down as if no one will ever read it. Write down your dreams, insecurities, fears, … Just write!
As a guide to help you poor your ideas on paper, I’ve listed a couple of my favorite topics picked up along the way my years of getting coached.
Inspired by @heyamberrae, @universalempress, @sharniquinn_yogicoach, @loveoutloud.movement, @thepattern, … Follow them all! They are incredible people!
DAY 7: HOW WOULD IT FEEL TO BREAK THE RULES?
Whatever progress you’ve made, take a moment to celebrate showing up and connecting with yourself in these uncertain times. <3
I’ve also received *a lot* of questions about the “rules” of this journaling journey. I’ve heard:
Can I skip around?
What if a prompt doesn’t speak to where I’m at?
Can I answer one of the questions multiple days in a row?
Can I do only part of the prompt?
Can I answer multiple days of prompts in one day?
Can I skip a day?
Can I share my journey online?
Yes. Yes. Yes. You can do whatever you want. This is your journaling journey, so choose your own adventure and follow what feels good for where you’re at. I’m sharing techniques and tools that have been powerful and useful for me. Take it if it helps. Move on if it doesn’t. An important rule of thumb: You don’t have to do anything that doesn’t feel aligned for you.
Speaking of creating our own rules… in May 2018, I stopped sending email newsletters. I felt obligated to write them, and then I felt shame and disappointment for not following through. So I just stopped.
I recently reached out to that email list to tell them about Journal Your Feelings, and how I hadn’t felt inspired to write—and someone replied:
May I suggest you ditch the have-to-do-promised-timed emails or content and adopt the spirit-driven-content which feels so much more authentic and keeps me reading to the end and wishing for just a little more?
That felt like the hug and spark of guidance I needed.
Why was I putting so much pressure on myself to write emails that I didn’t want to write, and stick to a timeline that didn’t feel good?
(Let’s clarify one thing real quick: I AM LOVING WRITING THESE JOURNAL EMAILS. Something about the journey of inquiry and power of questions feels fundamentally different from what I was doing before.)
But this got me thinking… How often do we put pressure on ourselves to do something that we don’t actually want to do?
How often do we follow rules that leave us feeling caged and trapped, rather than wild and free?
That’s your invitation for today: to reflect on your relationship with obligation and “should.” So grab your journal, and let’s dive in…
What have you been telling yourself that you “should” do that you really, truly don’t want to do—at least not now?
What rules are you following that are no longer serving you?
And finally, what would it feel like to let go?
Here’s to creating the space for so much more of what you actually, truly, and deeply desire.
Journalling PRO Tip:
Forget what you “should” journal. Do what feels right.
DAY 8: A BETTER, TRUER, WILDER WAY
Journaling PRO Tip: Trust what comes. You don’t need to be profound on the page.
DAY 9: MEET YOUR FUTURE SELF
What wisdom does your future self have for you?
One day our future selves will look back on this period in our lives with a perspective that might be hard to see right now.
What if we could tap into a sliver of that wisdom today?
Your invitation for today is to write a letter from your wiser 70-year self* to your present self.
*Already 70, or well into your golden years? Pick a future age that feels right for you 🙂
To begin, pull out your journal, and at the top write:
Hey [your name], it’s me, your wiser 70-year old self. Here’s what I want you to know…
Tip: ask your future self for perspective on a current challenge or burning question.
Journaling PRO Tip: Set a timer for 10 minutes and write without pausing.
DAY 10: EASY DOES IT
In a challenge that you’re facing, what’s the path of least resistance?
I recently chatted with a friend who’s had to pivot her *entire* business because of COVID-19. She shared with me several ideas she has to serve her community, but I could hear in her voice that she wasn’t fully behind any of them. She was already overwhelmed, and launching a new product with a kid now at home felt like way too much.
I asked her, “What feels light and easeful in your body to offer right now?
She said, “I’d start with a simple offering that has a pay-what-you-can model. That feels so much better.”
“Great,” I said. “Do that.”
It’s easy to get stuck in our heads and make things more difficult than they need to be, especially in challenging times. But when we pause and tune into our options, chances are we’ll find a better way—and feel more motivated and energized to move forward.
If you have something on your plate that feels challenging—whether it’s this moment in time or a specific project—your invitation today is to ask yourself:
How can I make this easeful? Enjoyable? Light?
The light way is the right way.
Journaling PRO Tip: Write as if no one will read it. This is a space that’s just for you.
DAY 11: PAUSE. REFLECT. WONDER.
What’s the biggest thing you learned about yourself this month?
Journaling PRO Tip: even if you write it down, you can always change your mind.
