Wanna come over and play Solitaire with me? Is that weird?
Let's journal instead!
I used to think journaling was a solo activity.
That it was something we had to do by ourselves.
I mean, I wouldn’t invite you over with your deck of cards to play Solitaire with me, so why would I invite you to journal with me?
But then I had a connection say to me that she wanted to journal. She knew she’d get so much out of it. But she couldn’t make herself do it for her. She would do it, she thought, if she was accountable to someone else.
So we put it to the test!
I assembled my first journaling group, a handful of women who came out at 8am to journal with me over Zoom.
Each morning, I showed them how to journal a different way, giving them lots of time to practice, and to debrief about when and how each style of journaling could be useful. And then, by the end of the week, they learned to put the pieces together to build a journaling practice that worked for them.
It was life-changing.
That connection of mine. Not only did she show up every day to journal, something sparked inside her as she realized this is something she could do. And she’s gone on to journal regularly. Her business is flourishing, she published a book, and she’s living her best life.
Another participant reignited her love of journaling. She realized it wasn’t so as daunting as she thought it’d be to restart the habit. All she had to do was pick up her pen and jump back in. Now she journals on the regular and is seeing all the pieces of her life click together.
The group members asked if we could continue, so we kept going. We brought in new journalers to share the magic. And I quickly noticed something:
No matter the makeup of the group, whether participants came in as strangers or friends, they built beautiful relationships with each other.
In these sessions, we start with a journal prompt. While our timer is running, we have an opportunity to dive deep into self-discovery. When the time is up we come back together and share where we’ve been and what we’ve learned.
No one is ever required to share and no one is ever expected to read what they wrote. And yet, sharing is our currency. It’s where the magic happens.
As I share, I’m reinforcing what I’ve learned from my journaling. As you share, I’m deepening my knowledge, making connections, and building onto what I know. And along the way, we build beautiful supportive relationships that helps us continue to learn and grow together.
It’s pure magic.
Should we each journal individually? Of course.
Should we also each journal with others we trust? I think so.
Want to experience the magic for yourself?
Check out our Journaling for Growth Membership program.
Journal Prompts
Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week. And know that I’m always here to support you and answer questions you have along the way!
What is something you enjoy doing by yourself that you learned to love doing with others?
What was the best group experience you have ever had?
Write about a time when you learned faster or deeper because you shared it with others.
Journaling Fun and Support
I’ve got something special up my sleeve for our next Journaling Mini-Retreat! If you’ve been separated or divorced and need a little TLC, you’re invited to join me on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 pm Eastern. Claim your spot here. 💛
I recently talked with Meg Gluckman on her podcast Welcome to the Other Side. In this episode, I shared how journaling helped me survive the divorce I didn’t want and didn’t see coming, how it helped me become someone who could truly show up for my ex-husband’s mother when she was dying, and all kinds of journaling tips and tricks. Listen to the full episode here.
Happy Journaling!
