365-Journal Your Story Project
Stacy Duplease
Smashwords Edition, Copyright 2011
REMEMBERING YOUR PRESENT, LLC
POQUOSON, VIRGINIA
Website and Blog:
www.2turtlesdesigns.blogspot.com
Copyright © 2012 by REMEMBERING YOUR PRESENT, LLC and Stacy Duplease. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy or copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Copyright © 2012 by REMEMBERING YOUR PRESENT, LLC and Stacy Duplease. All rights reserved of photography on cover of this book.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Remembering Your Present, LLC & Duplease, Stacy.
365-Day Journal Your Story Project
ISBN 978-1-4659-3514-4
Please visit: www.2turtlesdesigns.blogspot.com
PRINTED AND CREATED IN THE USA
21 January 2012, 14:18
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project
I am going to start a couple different ongoing and recurring blog post projects. The first one is a personal and professional one for me that I figured I would share with you. You might be interested and might want to do it as well. If nothing else, it will work good as journal prompts for you.
The 365-Day Journal Your Story Project is an introduction to journaling of sorts. It is to help figure out what it means to journal and what your niche is as far as journaling. After all, there are several different types of journals that you can keep.
Stay tuned and have a great weekend!
~ Stacy Duplease
21 January 2012, 15:50
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 1--An Introduction
GREETINGS AND WELCOME
Welcome to the 365-Day Journal Your Story Project. This will be a journey of self-discovery and of remembrance combined into one. But most importantly, this is an introduction to journaling.
WHAT IS JOURNALING?
Let me give you synonyms and then give you a few different definitions. The other names for journaling might help you to start to form your own definition. There are all sorts of names that are synonyms for journaling. For instance:
Journaling
Diary
Journalkeeping
Journal Keeping
Reflective Writing
Writing for the Soul
Writing for Your Life
Writing Your Life
Memoir
Autobiography
Record
Scrapbook
Therapist
Friend
Confidant
Sacred
Journey
Chronicle
But, what is the most simplest definition of journaling? It is:
Journaling is putting your life on the page.
Definition #2:
Journaling is the process of remembering your life up to this point, living fully in the present, and planning for the future.
This is where things get fun. There are thousands of different definitions we can give of journaling. Literally. However, the definitions I will include today are what I find the most important.
Definition #3:
Journaling is putting your life on the page. It is the process of remembering your life up to this point, living fully in the present, and planning for the future. It is the process of self-discovery, memory keeping, planning, learning, and diving deeper so that you live a life of intentionality and purpose. In other words, journaling is living life to its fullest and not taking it for granted.
Do you see? We are getting diving deeper as we go with these definitions. None is more true than the others. They just dive deeper to the heart of the matter.
Definition #4:
Journaling is putting your life on the page. It is the process of remembering your life up to this point, living fully in the present, and planning for the future. It is the process of self-discovery, memory keeping, planning, learning, and diving deeper so that you live a life of intentionality and purpose. In other words, journaling is living life to its fullest and not taking it for granted. Journaling forces us to be aware of each moment we are alive. It makes us pay attention to all of the details and forces is to analyze where we are, how we got there, where we are headed, and why.
Definition #5:
Journaling is putting your life on the page. It is the process of remembering your life up to this point, living fully in the present, and planning for the future. It is the process of self-discovery, memory keeping, planning, learning, and diving deeper so that you live a life of intentionality and purpose. In other words, journaling is living life to its fullest and not taking it for granted. Journaling forces us to be aware of each moment we are alive. It makes us pay attention to all of the details and forces is to analyze where we are, how we got there, where we are headed, and why. Journaling transforms us to be better people and to live better, healthier, more purposeful lives.
Take some time to ponder these definitions and see what you think.
I welcome comments and questions. Feel free to email me at the addresses below or at hisfiction@gmail.com or you can add a comment at the end of any blog post. If you want me to share your comment or keep it private, let me know.
Do you want to try this thing called journaling? Or, do you want to try it again? Or, do you want to try to journal from a new and different angle? Just give it a try.
~ Stacy Duplease
21 January 2012, 16:32
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 2: Paper or Digital (Part 1)
CHOICES: PAPER OR DIGITAL?
The most important decision you can make regarding journaling is what type of journal you want to keep. There are two main categories: Paper or Digital.
PICK ONE
I recommend picking one as soon as possible and experiment with it. See if it works for you. If it does not, try the other. You could even try each and see what you like the most. The beauty about journaling is: THERE ARE NO RULES. So, you can change and adjust your journal, and how you journal, as you go.
JOURNALING HINT
Experiment. See what works for you and what does not work. Make note of it in your journal. Then, make adjustments as often as necessary.
WHAT DO I RECOMMEND?
I debate if I should say this now or later. I decided to say this now so you can start thinking in these terms. I want to persuade you in any way I can to make your journal permanent and not give yourself the opportunity to have your journals lost because of some freak accident. (I have. That is why I say this.) It can cause you great pain that could have the potential to stay with you for the rest of your life. Literally. I am not making a bigger deal out of this than what is necessary. This is firsthand knowledge.
I recommend in the end to have it digitally. I will spend the next several days talking about this and why. But, digital is permanent. You cannot lose them. They cannot be stolen.
That being said, you might want to start with a paper journal and then type it up as you go. If you feel stifled by doing a digital journal, then by all means do the paper version. But, whatever you do, get it saved digitally. I will tell you why in the days to come. I do some of this.
Writing it on paper, with my own hand, can have more meaning to me. It gets me to look at things differently with pen in hand. I find it a far more sacred act to write my journals by hand. I am not sure why, but I do. However, I make sure to type them up in my computer (not a typewriter) every day or at least every week if I do journaling by hand. (Why every day or week? That way I do not procrastinate and say I will get to it later. I have learned that this mentality can cause you not to type them up and you can lose your journals through a freak accident, act of nature, or them being lost or stolen.)
If you are an artist and want to draw or paint or scrapbook for your journal, paper is essential. However, make sure to scan them and get them saved digitally as soon as possible. Again... It is permanent that way.
If you have never journaled before, I recommend doing it digitally from the very beginning. Do not make the paper kind a habit. It is far too risky not to do so.
PAPER
Paper journals are what you think. It is paper and pen. It could also be paintbrush, photos, and pen. It can also be a form of scrapbook. It can be typed with a typewriter (which is not permanent either).
Paper journals can be the fancy blank books you see at the bookstore (and other places).
Other possibilities are:
~ Legal pads
~ Steno Pads
~ Spiral Notebooks
~ Loose-leaf paper
~ Scrapbooks
~ Photo Albums
Remember with most of these, ink fades. Water, animals, and people can damage, steal, or destroy. Weather can destroy them as well.
DIGITAL
A digital journal is something you keep with a computer, cell phone, and/or other internet connected device.
It is a permanent way to journal. Your computer, cell phone, tablet, and any other device can be destroyed and this journal will last. This is a forever journal. It cannot be lost or damaged.
~ Stacy Duplease
22 January 2012, 13:50
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 3: Paper or Digital (Part 2)
Today is the third day of an introduction to journaling. We are going to look a little more at paper journaling and digital journals.
PAPER JOURNALING: A VARIETY
Let me make another note regarding paper journaling. We discussed them during Day 2 and this is an extension of that information. It is regarding one of the benefits about paper journaling is you have a great deal of variety. This is priceless, let's admit it. But, with that variety comes a cost. You have to also digitize it if you want it to be permanent. That is another step in the process. This is something to keep in mind.
ADVANTAGES OF PAPER JOURNALING
Let me recap about the advantages of paper journaling:
1 It offers the most variety.
2 You do not have to have electricity to do paper journaling.
3 Tends to be a little more creative.
4 It's more attractive to the eye.
5 If you like drawing, scrapbooking, or crafts, this is the best of both worlds.
DISADVANTAGES OF PAPER JOURNALING
1 The paper journal itself can cost a lot of money. If you want to keep a constant supply, that costs money to keep the supply. The cheapest blank journal you can get is at Barnes and Noble and it costs $3 + tax a pop. If you write every day, it will last you about three weeks.
2 Pens, paint, scrapbook paper, color pencils, etc. cost. If you only write with a pen and write every day, the average pen will last two weeks or so.
3 You have to go to the store often for supplies.
4 It is not permanent. They can be lost or destroyed.
5 Ink and paint fade over time. Paper also starts to turn to dust and yellows.
6 It takes up storage space.
7 If you have poor penmanship, you might not be able to read it and others might not be able to read it.
8 Difficult to write in a car or on an airplane.
9 It can break your back lugging it around everywhere.
10 It can take longer to do a daily entry because you have to write by hand.
11 You can run out of supplies--and at the most inconvenient time.
12 Anyone can peak at it at any time. Not very private.
PAPER JOURNALS CAN BE LOST:
THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO
The reason why I stress the permanent aspect of digital journals is because I lost some of the recently. In the space of one month, I lost some and almost lost all of them, believe them or not. First in the course of moving across country six months ago, the movers lost a box of my paper journals. (They were not saved digitally.) Ten years span of journals lost in one shot. Bam. I cannot even begin to tell you the heartache that brought and still brings in my life.
I try not to imagine strangers reading through them... Do I need to mention the feeling of possible violation?
Then, to add to the drama of losing those journals... Less than a month later, Hurricane Irene came through and we were forced to evacuate. We only have so much room in our car. I had to leave every single one of my paper journals behind. Thank God, the house was protected and wasn't flooded. But, can you imagine?
So, when you think that you never have to worry about your journals... Think again. I do not care how much you despise computers. Find a way to fall in love with them. Force yourself to do so if you must. Otherwise... You could lose 10 years--or even 27 years worth of journaling.
Chew on that for a while. The worst case scenario really does happen. And, it can happen to you twice in a month.
MORE ABOUT PAPER JOURNALING IN THE FUTURE
There will be paper journaling days in the future. This is hardly the last discussion. There are many types of paper journals that we can do. I find it necessary to do some paper journaling every week. Paper journaling in an invaluable resource. It can inspire us and force us to look at things from a new perspective. It frees the imagination and let's face it. They are quite attractive to the eye. But, I make sure to save them in a permanent way as well.
DIGITAL JOURNALS
The different types are:
1 Document on your computer. Start with a blank document. You can use different types of backgrounds, colors of ink, fonts, etc. Just make sure to email yourself a copy of the journal periodically so that you have a permanent file of it. If your computer is lost or broken, and you do not do this, you might not be able to retrieve it from your hard drive. I save a copy of each journal to my computer, to an external hard drive, to my email, and to Google Docs. The email and Google Docs are permanent versions.
2 Email yourself a journal entry each day. After you get a month's worth, save them to a blank document.
3 Keep an internet journal. There are several different types and websites you can choose. You can keep it private or can allow the entire world to read them (a blog). The choice is up to you.
4 On your cell phone, you can use a notes app and journal. Just make sure to email a copy of it to yourself and eventually turn it into a document.
5 Use a scanner of your paper journal, art journals, scrapbooks, photo albums, etc. Then, turn them into a document. I scan everything from movie tickets, to brochures of places we visit, receipts, etc. and turn these into a journal as well.
ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL JOURNALS
1 They are very convenience. I can journal with my PC, laptop, Amazon Kindle Fire, and cell phone--and I do. Also, I can use anyone else's to access my journals and journal as well. Hence, it is ultra-convenient. Hence, I can journal any time, anywhere (provided they have electricity and 3G when needed.)
2 It saves a broken back. It beats carrying around a bag of stuff that is heavy, can get lost, stolen, or damaged.
3 They are permanent--provided you save it over the internet (i.e. email or cloud drive).
4 They are quick. Typing is quicker than writing by hand.
5 Easy to change ink color, page color, add photos and clip art. It's easy to change fonts as well.
6 Password protected. Hence, secure and private.
7 They take up NO storage space at your house.
DISADVANTAGES OF A DIGITAL JOURNAL
1 The original set-up costs are quite expensive. A computer, laptop, cell phone, tablet all cost a lot of money upfront. But, they have multi-purposes. This is convenient.
2 Can be less creative than paper kinds of journaling.
3 Electricity can go out.
4 Internet can go down.
5 Might not have 3G.
~ Stacy Duplease
21 January 2012, 13:55
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 4: The Choice
Today is the day for you to make the choice.
1 How do you want to journal? Paper or digital? Make a list of pros and cons of each from your perspective.
2 Make the choice.
3 Buy whatever you need.
4 Prepare whatever you need.
~ Stacy Duplease
22 January 2012, 14:36
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 5: Page 1 of Your Journal (Part 1)
IMAGINE A BLANK BOOK
I hope you bear with me if you are a digital journalkeeper. I will talk about opening your journal and turning to the first page. Use your imagination here. I love the imagery of opening a paper journal or a blank book and flipping through the empty pages and having the realization my life will be put onto those pages. Wow. There is something magical and sacred there. It is quite special. After all, a journal is my life reflected on the pages of what was once a blank book.
You just can't see that with a digital book. But, you can sure imagine it. Hence, I will make allusions of having a paper journal as we go along over the next 361 days.
YOU HAVE YOUR JOURNAL
At this point in time, you have bought your journal, pens, paper, paint, and anything else you need in order to journal.
You also have a plan of if you want to write, type, email, or paint (just a few examples).
Regardless of the type of journaling, they all begin with the first page. It is a blank page.
So, now what?
PAGE 1 OF YOUR JOURNAL
Do not let the blank pages intimidate you. I realize this is easier said than done, but hang in there. I will help you to start each journal off to the best start you are able.
Every time you start a new journal, do everything listed here today and in Day 6. Why? The way you start off your journal...and the first blank page...is what sets the mood and tone of the rest of the journal. Consequently, it is important to begin your journal well.
So, what are the components of a good page 1? I will list them below and then will go through each of them one by one and explain them to you.
ELEMENTS OF PAGE 1 OF YOUR JOURNAL
1 Name of journal (title)
2 Your Name (if it is not in the title)
3 Start Date
4 End Date and a blank line
5 Address and Phone
6 Inspirational Quote
7 Goal of journal
8 Quarterly Goal
9 Yearly Goal
10 Life Goal/Mission Statement
GO TO PAGE 3 TO FILL OUT PAGE 1 OF JOURNAL YOUR STORY
As you can see, this might be a couple of pages in actuality. Consequently, if you are doing a paper journal, leave the first couple of pages blank. We are going to start on page three of this journal in order to fill out page 1 of this journal. We need to do some exercises before you will be ready to fill out page 1 and 2.
~*~ Go to page 3 your your journal.
~*~ TO DO
Every time you see this symbol, ~*~, it marks something for you to do.
DATE, DAY, AND TIME
~*~ Other than on pages 1 and 2, every time you start a new journal entry, or at the top of every page, make sure to write at the very least the date, the day, and the time. I also put where I am writing. But, that is optional. You might find it cumbersome at first, but in time, you will appreciate it. Trust me.
PAGE 3: EXERCISE 1: NAME YOUR JOURNAL
It is time for you to come up with a name for your journal.
~*~ Jot down some ideas of names/titles for your journal.
Here are some examples. I will put my name in them as an example:
1 The Journal of Stacy Duplease
2 The Chronicles of Stacy Duplease
3 The Story of Stacy Duplease
4 The Life and Times of Stacy Duplease
5 My Story
6 My Life
7 Use the date. For instance: January 2012.
8 If you are Christian, here is an idea: His-Story, My Story
9 Use a word you want to focus on: Love. Peace. Joy. Patience. Serenity. Etc.
TO DO ON PAGE 1
~*~ Pick a name. You can change it in your next journal if you want.
~*~ Write the name at the top of page 1 of your journal.
~*~ Write your name if it is not in the title on the second line of page 1.
~*~ Write today as the Start Date on the next line of page 1.
~*~ Write: END DATE on the next line of page 1 and leave a blank for the end date.
~*~ Write your address and phone on the next line of page 1. You might want to put your email address as well.
NEXT PAGE: WHY JOURNAL?
~*~ At the end of the ideas of titles you wrote for page one, and at the next blank space, write all the reasons why you are journaling. We will look at more reasons on Day 7 of this book.
NEXT PAGE: INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE
~*~ At the end of the reasons why you journal you wrote for page one, and at the next blank space, write several inspirational quotes. Look them up if necessary.
~*~ Pick the inspirational quote which speaks most to you in this moment. Star it or underline it.
~*~ Write the inspirational quote on Page 1 on the next blank line.
That is enough for today. We will finish with Page 1 tomorrow.
~ Stacy Duplease
6
23 January 2012, 15:03
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 6 and Page 1 of Your Journal (Part 2 of 2)
PAGE 1
Yesterday, we started to take a look at what to put on page 1 of our journals. It is critical to start off right. It sets off the tone of the entire journal. Moreover, when you get stuck and do not know what to do next in your journal, for whatever reason, you can turn to page 1 for some inspiration. Your page 1 will keep you on task.
GOAL OF YOUR JOURNAL
~*~ Turn to the next blank portion in your journal. Then, ask yourself this question: What do I hope to accomplish with my journal?
~*~ Write all of the answers you come up with and make sure to put the reason why you wrote what you did.
~*~ Then, number them in order of importance. Then, decide how many of those goals you want to focus on specifically in this journal. Whichever you decide, make sure to put them on the next blank lines on page 1 of your journal.
~*~ Make sure to circle or star all of the other reasons you did not put on page 1. You will refer to them again when you start your next journal.
QUARTERLY GOAL
~*~ Turn to the next blank portion in your journal. Then, ask yourself this question: What do I want to accomplish in my life over the next three months?
~*~ Write all of the answers you come up with and make sure to put the reason why you wrote what you did.
~*~ Then, number them in order of importance. Then, decide how many of those goals you want to focus on specifically in this journal. Whichever you decide, make sure to put them on the next blank lines on page 1 of your journal.
~*~ Make sure to circle or star all of the other goals you did not put on page 1. You will refer to them again when you start your next journal.
YEARLY GOAL
~*~ Turn to the next blank portion in your journal. Then, ask yourself this question: What do I want to accomplish in my life over the next twelve months?
~*~ Write all of the answers you come up with and make sure to put the reason why you wrote what you did.
~*~ Then, number them in order of importance. Then, decide how many of those goals you want to focus on specifically in this journal. Whichever you decide, make sure to put them on the next blank lines on page 1 of your journal.
~*~ Make sure to circle or star all of the other goals you did not put on page 1. You will refer to them again when you start your next journal.
LIFE MISSION STATEMENT OR GOAL
~*~ Turn to the next blank portion in your journal. Then, ask yourself this question: What do I want my life to represent? Or, what do I want to do with my life?
~*~ Write all of the answers you come up with and make sure to put the reason why you wrote what you did.
~*~ Then, number them in order of importance. Whichever you decide, make sure to put it on the next blank lines on page 1 of your journal.
~*~ Make sure to circle or star all of the other goals you did not put on page 1. You will refer to them again when you start your next journal. These extras might become a new quarterly or yearly goal.
Tada! That is it for page 1. Tomorrow, we will start the journaling journey. I am so excited. I cannot wait!
~ Stacy Duplease
7
Date: Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 9:38 AM
Subject:
365-Day Journal Your Story: Day 7: Developing the Daily Habit and
When
A GOOD HABIT
There are some habits you want to keep or begin so that you can choose to never stop. Journaling is one of these habits. Just like exercise, and reading your Bible, you want it to become a lifelong habit--because it's really good for you. Even on the days when you really don't feel like it, journaling (like exercise and reading your Bible) should be a must. It should be one of those activities you always do. Period. No excuses. You should rearrange your schedule of your free time around journaling, exercise, and Bible reading/study--and not the other way around.
BUT, HOW DO YOU DEVELOP THE HABIT?
Slowly. That's how.
I will be honest with you... The more you write, the better. The more it becomes meaningful to you. However, that being said, if writing one word intimidates you or makes you feel uncomfortable, then you need to start smaller.
~ Start by journaling a minimum of one sentence per day for a week, if you don't journal on a regular basis already. If you do regular journaling now, what is your average length? How many sentences, paragraphs, or pages?
Note: If you want to do more than one sentence, don't. Journal for a week and average out what you do per day. Again, the more you journal every day, the more you'll get out of it.
~ Then, increase it by one sentence per day per week.
So, you see the key, right? The key is to make sure to make what you write count. It can't be fluff.
I still add a sentence per week. I started that habit about three years ago--and wished I came up with it several years prior.
ONE-SENTENCE JOURNALING
If the idea of writing makes you want to get sick...
If the idea of journaling is not appealing...
If you never stick with an activity or hobby for more than a week...
If you are so busy you barely have time to breathe, let alone do anything else...
If any of the above apply to you, then one-sentence journaling is where you should start for the first week. Don't allow anything I say below here influence you (unless you feel inclined and without hesitation). But, please, read the rest of this day.
MISTAKES AND DEVELOPING THE JOURNAL HABIT
The biggest mistake we make as we start to journal is not writing enough (as far as words). You'll get bored if you do not write that much. You will find it difficult to get into it.
The other mistake we make is we do not journal at least 5 days per week, which I will call every day.
Another error we make is we don't change it up. If we just write about our day, day in and day out, it gets--boring! That's why you will see with this blog series, "365-DAY JOURNAL YOUR STORY PROJECT," that we jump around all over the place. We look at various topics and ways to journal every day so that you don't get bored.
THE MORE YOU JOURNAL, THE MORE YOU'LL GET HOOKED:
MAKE A 90-DAY COMMITMENT
Journaling can take a little time to develop the taste and craving. In fact, if you are only surface skimming, and not going deep and writing a great deal, then it is harder to develop the habit. If you don't give it your all, it can get boring and easy to get out of the habit if you stop for a bit. But, I promise you if you do it for a minimum of 90 days, even if you do not like it at all, you will then be able to see the remarkable changes made in your life--just by journaling. But, that's only if you do more than one-sentence journaling. If you do one-sentence journaling, make a 6-month commitment because you will not be writing enough to see the full impact journaling can have on your life yet. You just aren't writing enough. But, that's okay! After 6 months, you will be!
THE RULE OF THUMB
The more you put into journaling, the more you'll get out of it.
WHEN ARE YOU JOURNALING?
Have you figured out a time of day to journal that works best for you? Are you a morning person or a night owl? That will determined when you should journal your bulk of material.
I recommend finding several times per day. For instance, in the morning, on breaks, at lunch, when you get home, just before bed. Again, only do one sentence, if that's all you can do. Also, if once a day is too much for you right now, then do once a day. You can do one sentence, after all. That takes just a couple of seconds is all.
I sneak in time for journaling. I journal as I wait in a line, as I am hold, as I am in a waiting pattern (before appointments), at commercials, between chapters of reading and writing, etc. Then, I think about it all day and night long. Then, when I get back to the page, I write down everything I thought about. I've even been known to pull my car over and journal something--or I record it on my cell with voice recording and type it up when I get home.
Give it time. Journaling will become a part of you. I promise. You just need to stick with it. You'll never be the same if you do.
Day 8
25 January 2012, 11:27
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 7, Where to Begin, and Self-Evaluation
JOURNAL ENTRY
Now that you have your journal bought and set-up, it is time to begin. I hope the prospect is exciting to you and not intimidating.
What we are going to do today is not something you should do every day in your journal. It is an every now and then activity. (I recommend once every three months or so.) If you do it too much, it can be too much and cumbersome. Plus, you will become repetitive. What we will do today is self-evaluation.
So, grab your journal and let's get started. Answer at least the 1st ??? questions. If you want, do the rest. The more you do, nonetheless, the more you will get out of this exercise.
SELF-EVALUATION
With each of these questions, answer in one word, one sentence, and then at least one paragraph. Also, explain your answer.
* Who am I?
* What makes me tick?
* Am I happy?
* What do I believe?
* If I could change anything about my life, I would change...
* I love this (fill in the blank as to what 'this' is) most about my life...
* I like this (fill in the blank as to what 'this' is) least about my life...
* I am hopeful because...
* What is my emotional state right now?
* What is my mental state right now (my thought-life)?
* What is my spiritual state right now?
* How is my social life right now (with friends and family)?
* My biggest dreams are...
* I wish...
* My schedule is...
* When I think about my past, I think of...
* I need healing in this area of my life...
* I need to remember...
* This (fill in the blank) inspires me...
Date: Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 8:10 AM
Subject: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Clarification and Repeat
CLARIFICATION: A SELF-PACED JOURNALING GUIDE
I want to begin today's lesson with a clarification. I do not think I've been very clear with this aspect of journaling and the daily lessons and the daily exercises (or prompts). Each day is a suggestion. Some days, you may journal several days worth of material. Other days, you may spend a couple of weeks working on one day in the blog series. It's all up to you. The only thing I recommend is that you do not skip anything, unless I tell you that it is optional. There is a reason why I have included everything I have. It's been tested and proven to yield maximum results. That being said, if you really aren't feeling like you want to work on that today, skip that day and go back to it within the next week.
Does this make sense?
Hence, with the daily exercises, prompts, or questions, you can do all of them that day, or you can break them down into several days of journaling. Again, the choice is yours.
This is meant to be a self-paced journaling guide.
REPEAT THIS BOOK YEAR AFTER YEAR
Also, in the future, when after you do the first run through this book, this book is intended to be repeated year after year.
For the first year, I recommend going through it in order.
For the years after that, jump around as you see fit. I would keep a list at the beginning of my journal as to which days I completed so I can make sure to do all of them.
I hope this clears these things up.
Have a blessed journaling day!
~ Stacy Duplease
9
03 February 2012, 10:26
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 8, Calendar Journaling
Welcome to another day in this series about journaling your own life story. This is an introduction to journaling series, but can give even veteran journalkeepers ideas.
I am starting the second week of this series with a type of journaling I consider precious. It is actually probably the most meaningful journaling to me and in my life. Calender Journaling is the most basic, easiest to use, and is a daily requirement for my personal and professional journaling.
So, what is it? How do you do it? And how can it benefit everyone?
WHAT IS IT?
First of all, you can call this Planner Journaling, Schedule Journaling, or Calendar Journaling--whichever your personal favorite is... go with that term. For me, Calendar Journaling is my favorite terminology. So, I will call it this throughout today's discussion.
The Simplest Definition: It is what you think it is. It is journaling on your calendar or planner.
It is more than your To Do List, however. I make sure to write people, places, what happened, my emotions, and memories associated with each—in the time slot. Hence, this is best done digitally or with a paper calendar that is a daily planner, not a monthly or weekly because you will not have nearly enough room.
Now, let me give you an example of what I mean:
03 February 2012, Friday, 11:30 a.m. Lunch with a girlfriend at Mongolian Barbeque. I am excited because it gets me out of the house, socializing with someone more than my beagle, cat, two turtles, and husband. Also, she has a seven month old daughter, so that adds to the delight. It reminds me of my family and close friends in Omaha and how I used to do this with them. So, it is a bittersweet thing. I can't wait to see what happens. Looking forward to the food, company, and discussion. I want to share with her what hubby and I are doing for Valentine's Day. It might give her an idea, wink, wink.
I will add to the description and journaling after we have lunch.
I will admit this is a much lengthier description than I normally give. It is usually about 3 sentences or so.
Now, if I do not have time to journal anything more than that today, I can come back to it later and add more to it. But, it is something at least. It is not forgotten and is recorded permanently. Now, do you see why I find this journaling such a gem?
Then, at the end of every day, I add an entry about my overall daily experience, feelings, thoughts, achievements, memories, etc.
WHY IS THIS A GOOD JOURNALING TOOL OR TYPE OF JOURNALING?
I have my calendar linked to my email, to my pc, to my cell, to my Amazon Kindle Fire. It is on everything and I can use it at any time.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
Do this every half hour all day long ideally. It is so easy that doing it in 30 minute slots is easier than you think. Do it every hour if you cannot do every hour. Do every 2 hours if you cannot do it every hour.
Have your TO DO item on your calender listed first in the time slot. Then, add whatever your heart desires. Just make sure to include thoughts, emotions, description/summary, and conclusions.
At the end of the day, write a high and a low. What was a high point of that day? What was a low point? Then, your voerall impression of the day and what was most memorable about the day. I write all of this in the time slots in which I sleep so I have enough space to write this material.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF CALENDAR JOURNALING?
It is the most simple form of journaling you can do.
When you run out of time, this at least gets memories listed. You can expand upon them later. At the end of the week, I recommend doing extensive journaling on at least three items on your calendar from the previous week.
HINT
If you want to print out your planner, you will need to mess around with the properties to figure out how to get every time slot to be printed to its entirety. It may try to cut off some of what you say if you do not figure out and adjust the settings.
Enjoy!
~ Stacy Duplease
10
04 February 2012, 14:01
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 9: Why Journal?: A List
Here it is Day 9 of this 365-Day Journal Your Story Project and I wanted to discuss reasons to journal. Why journal? Why take the time out of a perfectly good day to journal? What benefits are there?
I need to be frank about something. There are more positives, benefits, and reasons why we should journal than I could ever compress in one day's lesson. Books can be written about each reason, as a matter of fact. I want you to know that I am not exaggerating at all when I make these claims. Journaling, apart from exercise, is the most beneficial thing you can do for your health and well-being.
Now, since admitting books can be written about each of the reasons I will list below, I will keep today's discussion to a summary list. I will expand upon these reasons later.
Also, please note, some of these may sound like they repeat, but there are differences in them. Trust me. I will expand upon them later, once again.
Another note: I do not think there is any reason more important than the other. Journaling is overall a good thing. That is the summary. So, the list below is not in matter of importance or in priority order.
WHY JOURNAL LIST?:
~ Why not journal?
I list that first, before we ever look beyond this, for a reason. Why not? What could it hurt? What could be gained? What can you lose if you do not? So, why not journal? That is a reason. It is not a question.
~ The reasons to journal are endless.
~ Journaling helps you live the most healthy life you can live: spiritually, emotionally, physically, socially, and mentally.
~ It helps you to remember your present and live intentionally--so you stop taking it for granted and prevents you from thoughtless living.
~ It is easy to do.
~ It is inexpensive.
~ It is priceless.
~ It is enjoyable.
~ It is versatile.
~ It decreases stress.
~ It decreases depression.
~ Journaling decreases anger.
~ It helps you feel better inside and out.
~ It helps you to remember.
~ It increases happiness.
~ It increases joy.
~ It increases peace.
~ It increases contentment.
~ It helps you to remain aware.
~ It is cheaper than a therapist. (Except if you are suicidal or homicidal--or are dealing with some major stuff. Then, do both!!!)
~ It is a creative outlet.
~ Journaling is fun, enjoyable, and pleasurable.
~ If you are a writer, journaling is a must.
~ It helps decrease anxiety.
~ It helps with PTSD.
~ It strengthens your immune system.
~ It helps with circulation.
~ It helps to lose weight.
~ It helps you plan.
~ It helps you to list your dreams and goals and make them come true.
~ It is a good traveling resource.
~ Journaling is something to do with art.
~ It is good for reflection.
~ It is good to self-analyze.
~ It is good to help capture memories past, present, and future.
~ Helps you deal with change.
~ Journaling helps you bring about change and transformation.
~ Helps you commit to action.
~ Helps you keep track of things.
~ Helps you keep track of prayer and answered prayer.
~ It is the best habit you can ever get into.
~ It helps decrease procrastination.
~ It helps you budget and manage your time.
~ Self-awareness (to get to know self)
~ Journaling helps you to count your blessings (aka gratitude or thanksgiving).
~ Helps you express yourself.
~ Helps you express what you are feeling.
~ Helps you to overcome.
~ Helps you deal with your past so your past does not deal with you.
~ Helps you plan for the future.
~ Helps you get rid of burdens.
~ It brings maturity.
~ It helps you to vent.
~ Journaling helps you to see the big picture, as well as the fine details--and everything in-between.
~ It is fast.
~ Helps with addictions.
~ It is easy.
~ It helps you remember life lessons (lessons learned).
~ Helps decrease pain (helps with pain management).
~ Decreases boredom.
~ It is convenient.
~ It is a way for you to keep your personal history.
~ It helps you to keep track of history and historical events.
~ Journaling helps you to remember your family history and stories.
~ It helps you to remember the stories of others around you.
~ It helps you see in a new way.
~ It helps you to remember your childhood.
~ It helps you to remember your engagement period.
~ It helps you to remember your wedding.
~ It helps you to remember your pregnancy.
~ It helps you to remember your children and their childhood--all the stories and memories thereof.
~ It helps with personal growth and development.
~ Journaling helps with professional growth and development.
~ It helps with spiritual growth and development.
~ It helps with emotional growth and development.
~ It helps with mental/cognitive growth and development.
~ It helps with social growth and development.
~ It offers you solitude.
~ It helps you to be still.
~ It helps you to decrease busyness.
~ It reminds you of what is mot important and what really matters in your life.
~ Journaling helps you to see the cycles in your life.
~ It brings increased clarity.
~ It helps you solve problems (with problem solving; making decisions).
~ It helps you to talk something out.
~ It helps you to see things as they really are. It strips all of the stuff that does not matter and the clutter--and gets to the heart of the issue.
~ It sharpens your writing skills.
~ It sharpens your creativity.
~ It helps you to keep track of things.
~ It helps you remember your to do list.
~ Etc. Etc. Etc.
~ Stacy Duplease
11
05 February 2012, 15:38
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 10: Types of Journaling
There are several different types of journals you can keep. As a matter of fact, this list will constantly grow as we realize how versatile journaling really is. So, please note that the list below is not the extensive, all-encompassing, exhaustive list. But, it is a start.
Up to this point, we have discussed the Your Story Journal. (See journal type #1.) However, what you have not seen is how many different types of journaling you can do. That is what we are going to look at at this time. Please note that each of these types of journaling can be its own book. So, the list below will be a summary list. We will go into the depth of each later. The types are:
~ Your Story Journal
This encompasses several, if not all, of the types of journals below. It's the etc. etc. Etc., misc., all-encompassing journal. It can constantly change and transform as your tastes, wants, and preferences change. It keeps things fresh and it is hard to get bored with this journal.
~ Dreams and Goals Journal
This is your bucket list, planning journal of your dreams. It's using goals to make your dreams come true.
~ Art Journal
~ SOC Journal (Stream of Consciousness Journal)
~ Idea Journal
~ Writing Journal
~ Inspirational Journal
What inspires me?
~ Life Events
~ Reading Journal
Keeps track of books you read and your experience with those books.
~ Prayer Journal
~ Bible Reading Journal
~ Personal Growth Journal
~ Weigh Loss (Dieting) Journal
~ Creative Writing Journal
~ Letters to God
~ Letters to ??? Journal
~ Scrapbook Journal
~ Financial Journal
Helps you eliminate debt and invest for the future.
~ Health Journal
~ Therapy Journal
~ Healing Journal
~ Pain Management Journal
~ Exercise Journal
~ Time Capsule Journal
~ Travel Journal
~ Gratitude/Blessings Journal
~ Project Journal
~ Nature Journal
~ Quick Journal
~ Calendar/Planner Journal
~ Problem Solving
~ Life Cycles Journal (Childhood, Teenage Years, Adulthood, Engagement, Wedding, Marriage, Pregnancy, Raising Children, Later Years, etc. Each lsited is a different type of journal, by the way.)
~ Grief and Loss Journal
~ Divorce Journal
~ Sickness Journaling
~ Doodling Journal
~ Sentence a Day Journal
~ 5-Year Journal
~ Topic Journal
If you want more of something or less of something in your life.
~ Etc. Etc. Etc.
~ Stacy Duplease
05 February 2012, 16:21
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 11: Quick Journaling
WHAT IS QUICK JOURNALING?
Quick Journaling is summary journaling. It is getting rid of all the fluff and giving a summary. This is what you might think of as a diary.
TYPES OF QUICK JOURNALING
What types of Quick Journaling are there?
~ 1-Sentence QJ (Quick Journaling)
List 1 sentence to summarize your day.
~ 1-Paragraph QJ
List 1 paragraph to summarize your day.
~ Calender QJ
Day 8, I mentioned Calendar or Planner Journaling. It is a Quick Journaling Technique.
Quick Journaling is something that can be done in ten minutes or less each day. That being said, what are the advantages and disadvantages for doing Quick Journaling of any kind?
ADVANTAGES OF QUICK JOURNALING
~ It is quick for when you are limited by time, but want to get something down on the page at least.
~ It is easy.
~ It is convenient.
~ At least you get something on the page.
~ This can be the stepping stone for a deeper journaling session. Hence, Quick Journaling would not be your only form of journaling.
~ If you are new to journaling, this is a good starting point.
~ Inexpensive.
~ Does not take up too much storage space.
~ It is a good starting point even if you have journaled for decades.
~ It is a nice summary.
Before I list the disadvantages, know this. Quick Journaling is the starting point I use for all of my journaling. It is what I do every day 24/7/365. Therefore, while the disadvantages sound like I am saying never to do it, that is not what I am saying at all. Do Quick Journaling EVERY day--without fail. Then, add to it when you are able.
DISADVANTAGES OF QUICK JOURNALING
~ It is limiting.
~ It is superficial and shallow--if you want something more. (But, as a starting point for all journaling, Quick Journaling is required.) It is not very deep.
~ It is easy to get bored.
~ It is not very attractive.
~ It is not very creative.
~ This is more like a diary and can me very impersonal. It's just the facts ma'am in many ways.
~ Stacy Duplease
06 February 2012, 15:27
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 12: Memory Snapshot Journaling of the Good and the Bad Stuff of Life: Part 1 of 2
GOOD DAY
Yesterday, we looked at Quick Journaling. Today, we are going to look at going a little deeper and at capturing moments in time in our lives. The memories in our lives, good and bad, need to be remembered. They have shaped who you are today and that is something to be celebrated (Yes! Even the tough stuff.). The journaling we will do today (and tomorrow) is focused on making snapshots with words.
Now, I need to go on a little tangent and then I will bring us around to Memory Snapshot Journaling.
WHY REMEMBER THE BAD STUFF?
Now, I imagine there is something I said in the first paragraph that might have caught your attention. Let me repeat what I said: Yes. Even the tough memories are those we need to remember and commit to memory.
Why would I ever dream of making such a claim? It sounds contrary to common sense... Right? Well, let me explain.
But, first, let me warn you. What I say after this paragraph might be considered a little intense. I just want to warn you so you know to expect the possibility. I do not want you to be caught unaware.
If we only choose to remember the good stuff in life, we are living a false life. We lie to ourselves and to others. Period.
If we have worked through our stuff, then, it does not hurt too much to talk about, think about, or share with others. That is not to say there is not a sting at times, but we are mature enough to know that we learn the most through the tough and challenging times in life usually and not through the sunshine, picture sky, mountain top times. We will talk about these over time and share with others so that they can learn from our experiences--so they do not have to do so on their own. We learned lessons and not sharing them is taking them for granted.
Am I making sense here? I hope I have not stepped on any toes here. That is definitely not my intent.
Do you have stuff in your life you try to avoid, deny, forget, or pretend never happened? If so... Did it happen in the last two months--so the bad stuff is fresh? If so, I am not referring to this stuff. This nasty stuff in your life is too new to have learned many lessons at this point. If you can, do memory snapshots. If it hurts too much, wait a couple of weeks and try again.
But, if you have anything in your life older than four months that you do not want to talk about or remember, I recommend kicking the door open once and for all. Your life is being actively and intentionally held back. You are not living the full and free life you could be. Do memory snapshot journaling of the stuff you try to deny, forget, or avoid. If you do not want to do so, you should seriously consider seeking professional help immediately with a professional counselor or pastor. Enough is enough. You deserve better. Freedom and fullness of life await you. Seek it.
Deal with your past and stop letting it deal with you.
Re-read the previous sentence as many times as it takes for you to take it to heart.
We will talk a great deal more about the tough stuff of life as we go throughout this year. But, I had to touch on it here before we continue moving forward with any kind of journaling. Dealing with the past is essential for every single one of us. Once we do, we can finally soar! And be joyful, peaceful, content, and happy.
Let us not remember only the good stuff. Let us stop living a lie and choose to live in reality.
Again, I am sorry to be harsh. The truth is not always easy to swallow. It can sting. It can even kick our butts at times. But, the truth sets us free--and that makes it worthwhile.
STRONGEST MEMORIES LISTS
PLEASE NOTE: If at any time you feel too upset to carry on with this journaling exercise, try to add more of a description of your positive memories. If that does not help you feel better, take an hour break. Then, try again. If you still are upset, take the rest of the day off of remembering stuff from the past. You might want to list recent memories instead for a while. List as many as you can. If none of this helps, you might consider talking to someone and see if that helps. Or, vent it out in your journal. My point is, if it is too difficult, do not push yourself too hard. Some discomfort is healthy, but not to the point of depression or fury.
~*~ What in your life do you not want to think about? List it.
~*~ What in your life do you not want to talk about? List it.
~*~ What in your life makes you feel uncomfortable--past, present, and past? List it.
~*~ What in your life do you want to avoid? List it.
~*~ Make a list of the top 10 strongest and most powerful memories in your life for the positive.
~*~ Make a list of the top 10 strongest and most powerful memories in your life for the negative.
~*~ Now go back and write a sentence or two summary of each of the 20 memories you just listed.
~*~ Wait a couple of hours and do your next ten strongest of each. Repeat all of the steps above with other memories you have not listed yet.
~*~ If you feel like it, repeat this until you have every strong memory you can think of written down.
Yay! We survived a pretty intense day of journaling. We will talk more about memory snapshots tomorrow. See you then.
~ Stacy Duplease
06 February 2012, 16:09
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 13: Changing It Up
If the journaling you did yesterday was quite deep and intense (as was the case of Day 12) , I recommend changing it up and having a fun, easier, or a different type of day of journaling the next day. Give yourself a break today. Then, tomorrow I recommend going deep again. It keeps things fresh, from getting to you, and keeps you from getting bored or frustrated with journaling to the point you want to stop. This is true in general--and not just because of Day's 12 intensity. So, today we are going to take a look at changing it up with our journaling.
HOW DO YOU CHANGE UP YOUR JOURNALING?
There are several ways to accomplish this purpose.
~*~ For starters, what is your favorite journaling type, journaling exercise, or journaling entry you have done so far? Do you want to do more of that today? If so, go for it. If not, keep reading.
~*~ Make a list.
List things in 10, 20, 25, 50, 75, and 100.
List your favorites of something. List anything that comes to mind. List ten things that make you happy. List ten blessings in your life. List ten dreams and goals you have. List ten things you want to do in the next year. List ten of... You fill in the blank.
~*~ SOC: Stream of Consciousness
Take fifteen minutes to write anything that comes to mind.
~*~ What do you like?
~*~ What do you dislike?
~*~ Pick a favorite word for every letter of the alphabet. Why is each a favorite? What does it mean to you? What memories are associated with each?
~*~ If your life was everything you wanted it to be today, what would it look like? Answer that for a while. Then, answer this, What would it take for you to move to that point?
~*~ What lessons have you learned in your life?
~*~ Who has shaped your life and how? For the good or the bad?
~*~ Look around where you are. Find an object, a person, an animal, sound, or anything from it you can journal for ten minutes.
~ Stacy Duplease
07 February 2012, 14:14
Blog Post Title: 365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 14: Memory Snapshot Journaling: Part 2 of 2
OVERVIEW AND
PLAN
On Day 12, we did the first part of Memory Snapshot Journaling where we realized that our memories have shaped or lives and who we are. Therefore, it is important for us to remember the good memories and the bad ones--not just the good and not just the bad. We even started to list some memories. Today, we are going to list even more memories and then we are going to start to actually doing the Memory Snapshot Journaling. After all, it has just been a list of possible memories so far.
Shall we dive right in and start to explore this?
WEEKLY LISTS
If at all possible, every week, do this exercise in preparation for Memory Snapshot Journaling.
~*~ List three new memories from the past you have not listed before.
~*~ List three memories you have made this week.
That is it. Imagine the goldmine you will have at the end of the year. Then, imagine this after five years, ten years, etc. How incredible would that be?
MEMORY SNAPSHOT JOURNALING
~*~ Pick a memory from the past you want to journal about more fully. Go through your journal at your memory lists if one does not come to mind.
~*~ Picture in your mind the memory. Play it from start to finish.
~*~ What three images jump out to you about the memory? List them.
~*~ With each of those snapshots, write what happened before, during, and after.
~*~ What did you see?
~*~ What did you hear?
~*~ What did you think?
~*~ How did you feel?
~*~ What did you smell?
~*~ What did you do?
~*~ Who was there?
~*~ What strikes you most about the memory?
~*~ How has this memory shaped who you are?
Then, do the same, but with a memory from the last week.
Ideally, you will do this exercise once a week.
~ Stacy Duplease
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