Monday, 1/18/21: Talking about journaling and inspiring quotes from MLK

Happy Monday!

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter. Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday, a short story and a roundup of positive thoughts to get your week started.

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.  

Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?

Step 3: What is my intention for this week? 

GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for time/memories made with friends, a relaxing Friday night and the new book I started reading. 

TODAY: Today I’m excited to make dinner with my mom and watch tonight’s episode of The Bachelor (we are totally sucked into this season now!). 

INTENTION: My intention for this week is to journal most mornings (more on this below!). 

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂

Lesson of the Week: An Experience with Journaling

Do you journal? If you would’ve asked me this question this time last year, I would’ve told you that I’ve never been able to get into a consistent habit. I’ve always heard people rave about the benefits of journaling and how it makes you more mindful (which research shows in turn makes you happier), but my “journaling practice” in the past could be described as sporadic at best. Even as someone who loves to write, it just wasn’t a priority for me. 

Then, I read a book last September called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and learned about an approach to journaling called the “Morning Pages.” The idea, according to Cameron, is that you write three pages of longhand writing first thing in the morning, strictly stream of consciousness. You just move your hand across the page and write down whatever comes to mind. Cameron argues that all the “angry, whiny, petty stuff that you write down in the morning” is what “stands between you and your creativity.” You get it out of your head and onto paper, emptying your mind and freeing up precious space. 

Intrigued, and a little skeptical, I decided to give the approach a try each morning for a week.

Well, one week turned into two weeks, which turned into a month and then another. Four months later, I’m still starting most morning with some type of freeform, stream-of-consciousness writing. Writing three pages takes me about 30 minutes, so because of the time commitment, I don’t put the pressure on myself to do it every morning. 

I’ve had some interesting findings along the way. When I start, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I’m going to write about for about first 15 minutes. But where it gets really interesting is when I’m filling out the second and third pages.

As Writer Joan Didion once said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” After I run through my surface-level thoughts, I’m forced to really sit with myself and decipher what’s on my mind. I’m often surprised by the situations, fears or stories that I bring up and work through. It’s things I didn’t even know I was holding onto somewhere in my subconscious mind!

After the three pages, I always feel lighter and more in tune with myself. I certainly don’t always come to a resolution for everything I write down, but the journaling allows me to move to a place of problem-awareness/problem-solving instead of problem-storing.

Especially with everything that’s happened this year and last, I’m really glad to have this outlet. As such, I wanted to share with you today in case it sounds intriguing to you too.

The thing about journaling is that it looks like a simple practice on the surface, but it requires a bit of upfront work at the beginning to figure out what best resonates with you. For example, you may like journaling in the morning. Or, you may find it more helpful to do it at night and get all your thoughts out of your mind before trying to fall asleep.

And while freeform journaling is what’s resonating with me right now, it’s certainly not the only option. There are many guided journals that offer a more structured approach, like Heart Talk by Cleo Wade, the One Line A Day: Five-Year Memory Book, the Five Minute Journal, this Daily Pause journal and more.

Additionally, there’s also the option of starting journal entries with a prompt or question. For a prompt that changes daily and is located conveniently on your phone, check out Morgan Harper Nichols‘s Storyteller App. Each day, you receive a phrase or quote in beautiful artform, accompanied by thoughts, an intention and a journal prompt. A lot of people also enjoy daily prompts in the form devotional tied to their faith denomination (I personally love Sarah Young’s well-known Jesus Calling).You could even just use the three questions in the above section and tailor the gratitude question to focus on the day before.

The only prerequisite required for journaling is ensuring it’s something that is helpful and feels good to you. Let me know if you try any of the above or if you have any journaling practices that you love!

On My Monday Radar

Sometimes we just aren’t ready to jump into our Monday to-do list right away. In case you want some content to procrastinate with, here is a roundup of a few positive things on my radar:  

• Nine ways to honor Martin Luther King Jr. on MLK Day. Even though many in-person events are on hold this year, I thought this roundup did a great job of including streamed events and exhibitions that are still commemorating King’s achievements. And because of my love of quotations, I also really enjoyed this article featuring 12 inspiring quotes from the activist himself. Such wisdom in these words. 
• Loved the Queen’s Gambit! I finished this Netflix mini-series with my parents last week and all three of us were completely captivated by it. Have you watched? One of the best shows I’ve seen in awhile. 
• If you are looking for a way to integrate journal prompts with your daily to-do list, check out this Mindful Journal. I love the look of it! There is a place for your to-do list on the left and prompts to help you identify your priorities and remind you to focus on what matters most on the right. 
• Carla Hall and Gretchen Rubin talked about how journaling can make us happier in this podcast. I listened to Gretchen’s interview about how to stay positive during uncertain times on Carla’s “Say Yes!” podcast last week and really enjoyed the conversation. At around the 17-minute mark, they even talk about journaling. Gretchen talks about how research shows that when people are going through difficult situations, they often feel more positive if they write a narrative about it and try to explain what’s happening and why.
• Enjoyed listening to this thought-provoking interview with Author Celeste Headlee. I read Celeste’s book, Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving, in October and really enjoyed it and really needed it. If you are interested in learning more about her book and message, give this podcast episode a lesson. Celeste chats about the dangers of using productivity as a measure of self-worth and shares strategies for maintaining healthy boundaries around work and play.

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan

Want to receive a note like this to your inbox every Monday at 6 AM EST? Sign up here! If you don’t receive the email, please check your spam or junk folder. 

Have feedback, thoughts or a question you want addressed in an upcoming newsletter? Drop an anonymous note to my mailbox here!