July 14, 2010

I recently re-read Angela Booth’s “Change Your Life with Your Journal.” I’ve  journaled through many down periods in my life, and it’s always been therapeutic. However, her following statement hooked me.

“The key point to note is not the therapeutic effects of writing in a journal but rather the fact that regular journal keeping will influence the way you think or feel about a specific topic.”

And what big change did Angela accomplish in her writing career by using journaling? It’s a change I would give almost anything to also achieve! This is the leap of growth that journaling allowed her to make.

“I could see that unless I changed my reluctance to market my writing, I would be stuck at a level of income I knew I could surpass… Journaling helped me change my mind about marketing my writing. I went from someone who became physically ill at the thought of sending out query letters and making cold calls to market my copywriting, to someone who LOVES marketing.” What a change!

The Proof in the Pudding

I tried her idea. In my journal I wrote about a writing task I had put off for weeks–and it had grown in my mind to mammoth proportions. I wrote about why I didn’t want to do it, what I feared would happen if I failed, all that angst stuff.

Then later I sat down to do that task, wondering if the journaling self-talk had helped. I got the job done–it took only 25 minutes according to my kitchen timer–and minus the angst. I was amazed. Only 25 minutes after procrastinating on the chore for weeks. Sheesh!

Make It a Habit

Give this idea a try with something in your writing life that has you stumped or scared or blocked. Share your experience with journaling toward an attitude change.

Did this idea work for you?

7 Comments »

1. 

   Wow! That’s a pretty dramatic example. Journaling is a lifeline for me. I don’t do it all the time, but I can always trust my notebook and pen to give me clarity. I can make myself write that query letter or put that story in the mail, just by writing about it.

   Comment by Vijaya — July 14, 2010 @ 2:42 pm

2. 

   Vijaya, it sounds like you discovered a secret a long time ago that was news to me! I had never considered journaling about a writing task that was bothering me. I always felt that I should be doing the writing task–not writing about it. And yet I’d procrastinate if it was something I was very unsure about. Well, I’m glad to discover this technique even if I’m a bit overdue!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — July 14, 2010 @ 2:44 pm

3. 

   What a timely post. I’ve been working on putting together a journaling workshop of sorts, to possibly offer at our church or in the community. So my radar is way high on journaling topics these days! But it also resonates with me because I’ve worked through many things in my journals. And yet I’ve never really thought of addressing the areas where I struggle with writing, and now, my own business(marketing, being a huge one).

   Thanks for sharing.

   Comment by Dianne — July 14, 2010 @ 2:46 pm

4. 

   Dianne, I’m glad this post will help you with journaling ideas. I had never thought of writing about my writing issues either–but for some reason, it really works. And it’s so practical–not to mention something I actually enjoy doing.

   Comment by Kristi Holl — July 15, 2010 @ 6:31 am

5. 

   Journaling helps me focus, too. Thanks for this post. For the past few weeks I’ve been stumped, scared, and blocked. Earlier today, before reading this blog, I had journaled about resetting my goals to get back on track. It’s time to overcome and I think you’ve helped me take the first step.

   Comment by Deanna — July 15, 2010 @ 6:41 pm

6. 

   Deanna, I’ve been “stumped, scared and blocked” for a while myself. It really bugs me–I keep thinking this shouldn’t happen anymore. But journaling about the very problem I was having and blocked about unstuck me! It was amazing. I hope it works for you too.

   Comment by Kristi Holl — July 16, 2010 @ 8:16 am

7. 

   I’m gonna try this. There’s definitely something I need to be journaling about. I can only HOPE that it will take just 25 minutes! More like 25 days! I’m working on a nonfiction picture book series proposal. Crazy, I know, but I’m slowly getting there. If I could just FOCUS. I’ll let you know how the journaling goes.

   Comment by Christie Wright Wild — July 28, 2010 @ 9:58 pm

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