Learn to Journal in 4 Weeks - Week 3

You have successfully arrived at week 3 of our 4-week "Learn to Journal in 4 Weeks" writing course.  The pundits and authorities tell us that we can make or break a habit in 21 days.  By the end of this week, if you have been determinedly and consciously writing in your journal every single day, you will have formed a habit you will probably never want to break.

Are you journaling at your predetermined, set time every day?  Are you also now carrying your journal with you and also writing during the day when you have a spare few moments? Are you jotting down ideas and thoughts that come to you throughout the day?  If you are, you are making fantastic progress and definitely getting into the swing of this journaling thing!  By now, you are likely already forming an emotional attachment to your journal, and understandably so.  This is you. Your new best friend. Your one true confidante!  Keep it up.  Your bond and habit can only grow stronger and what you learn inside your journal about you, your life, your thoughts and ideas, can and will hold you in good stead for many years to come.

We recommend you follow along with our prompts, but of course you don't have to. If there is something else you want to write about, do it.  Just write every single day. You are developing a habit, and a good one.  Some of our prompts are designed to get you to think outside the box, to develop stronger analytical skills and help with problem or task resolution. Others are just for fun, for writing's sake. 

Always review the entire week's prompts.  Date each day's journaling, and if you are responding to our prompts, inscribe the prompt, and follow with your writing.  Remember to set aside a specific time of day for your writing and at least a specific amount of time in which to do it.  This helps develop a writing routine. 

THE PROMPTS
Day 15:  Describe a favorite childhood or adult life pet and why you remember it so fondly. What type of pet? Did it have a name? Were/are you responsible for the care and nurturing of this pet? How did you interact with it? If you have never had a pet, why?  If you could have a pet, what would you have and why?

Day 16:  Learning to love yourself is an important attribute to have.  List at leave five (5) positive character attributes you have and why these characteristics are meaningful to you.

Day 17:  List at least five (5) characteristics about yourself you DON'T like.  Explore each of these individually and discuss why you don't like these things about yourself.  How can or will  you go about turning these perceived or realistic negatives into positive attributes that you can be proud of?  Consider adding action plans for changing these characteristics to your short term goals list.

Day 18:  Today, address circled item #2 from your Day 11 list of troubling issues or concerns.  Why is it important to you? What do you think might bring about resolution? What steps to resolution seem the most logical? How does this issue affect your daily life?  If resolved, will it help you to restore peace, harmony and well-being for you or your family? What will you do to implement these changes to make this issue better or disappear entirely?  Be resolved in making this change to eliminate the issue.  Write out a step-by-step action plan or short term goal list for effecting this change. Add it as a tip-in to your planner or your journal for easy future reference.  (use a journal card, index card, cardstock, scrapbooking paper or notepaper for this part and affix to your journal as a flap or tip in with tape or decorative tape).

Day 19:  Discuss your favorite writing instrument.  Describe it in detail, why you love it. Convince me (hypothetically) why your favorite pen or writing instrument is the one I should have and use.

Day 20:  Action Day!  Take a walk or a drive outside today, with no particular destination in mind.  Relax. Observe your surroundings. Take it all in, the sights, sounds, aromas, action or inaction. When you return home, journal about your experience with exacting detail.  Describe what you saw, heard, observed, how you felt while you were engaged, and how it makes/made you feel afterward.

Day 21:  Think about the one person in your life that is your true confidante.  Why do you trust this person? How long have you known them? How does trusting this person make you feel?

HAPPY WRITING!