Motivational Monday Holiday Prep or How Not to Stress During the Holidays

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I am in awe of Black Friday.  It has never been my thing to get up at the crack of dawn, get dressed, drive with flyers in hand, and go to snag a deal.  You all seen the news:  fights and squabbles over basement bottom deals than any other time of the year seem too good to be true, yet we, as a western civilization do it every year.  I first noticed it when the Cabbage Patch Dolls first in 1982.  I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll and begged my mom for one.  Then I watch the news.  Dolls were thrown like footballs, and women grabbing them left and right.  Some were sent to the hospital.  I finally got my doll, 6 months later.  My mom was not going in the dead of night to get a doll for me, but she and my dad promised that

I could have one.  The price was not the same, but I got my doll.

Nowadays, Black Fridays have been mostly about how to get television dirt cheap.  Computers, phones, and even the Amazon Echo Dots.  Some people have a whole ritual around Black Friday.  You do not have to stress like that.  Deals and cash backs are given every day, especially on sites like Ebates, Swagbucks, and Be Frugal. I will show you in my other blog, At Home with Tricia's Baskets.

Today, I want to talk about your mental health during the holidays.  Everyone knows that if you are not careful, the holidays can turn a happy time into a sad one, especially for those who lost loved ones before and during the year.  No one is expecting you to be cheery during this time.  They say the first year is the hardest, and it gets easier as the time goes along.  I miss my grandparents, and yes, I had a hard time of not receiving a gift from my grandmother in Alabama, who did not have to send presents to all of her grandchildren, but she did.  I miss how my grandfather was during the holidays.  As I got older, it seems easier to go on with life.  If you lost someone this year or cannot seem to go on with life after that lost from years past, talk to someone.  Also, find a person to connect to.  It may be a family member or friend, volunteer in a soup kitchen, help with a toy drive.  Find something, anyone that allows you to connect.  I am not an expert in grieving, but I have seen what it does for someone in need.

Now, let’s talk about your decorations and other things in the house.  I will talk more about it in part 3 on my At Home with Tricia's Baskets blog, but for the mental part, do not feel like you have to decorate to the nines.  If this is the way you have to decorate, that is fine.  I am not telling you how to decorate your home, but if you get to the point where it is stressful for you every year, slow down and take a pause.  Breathe, and ask yourself why are you doing this?  Maybe this is the year where you take a look at other people’s decorations.  Maybe this is the year where you get invited to enjoy family outside of your home. Maybe this is the year where you and your family give one present instead of 20.  Take a break from the annual Christmas party at your house.   

I am not saying do not decorate, give presents, or eat until you feel like a stuffed turkey. 2019 will be here, and if you are blessed to see a 2019 holiday, maybe plan in June what you are going to do for the holidays in December. Do not apologize either.  Everyone deserves and needs a break. 

Finally, let’s talk about planning.  I started a new Wednesday segment called journaling, and the holidays is the perfect time to start a little journaling.  This is what I call, Project Journaling. The holidays is a project, so why not do a planning journal on the experience.  This way, when it comes to planning next year, you can look back, so the same plans or tweak it a little.  The way I plan it I write out the even in Erin Condren life planner, then I get a journaling book (hardcover or soft, you can get one from Erin Condren or at DollarTree) and label it Holiday planning or something like that.  You can even jot down your feelings during this time.  When the holidays are over, express how you truly felt about the holidays, what you did right, and what you did wrong.  On what you did wrong part, do not beat yourself up about it, but talk about what you would have done differently and what you will do differently next year.  Not all holidays are perfect.

As I said in when I talked about grieving for a loved one, always make sure you put someone first, but also take care of yourself as well.  Destress with a bubble bath, a good book, devotions, or even volunteer.  There is always someone in need.  Give to a clothing drive, to declutter and make room for your new clothes, give away your old appliances to make room for the ones in the kitchen. Make your children part of this as well.  Any gently used toys could go in a toy drive.   Also, make plans for the new year as well.  It is always a good time to set some new goals.  Do not beat yourself up if you did not achieve the ones in 2018.  Incorporate them into 2019.

Have fun, but do not stress out.

Peace on Earth.

Blog Journaling: How-To write personal online

Hello, It’s Me.

Today’s Topic:  How much do you want to share with the world.

Last week, I concluded the series on beginning journaling.  In the series, I went over the beginning points of journaling.  These topics included:

• What is Journaling
• The difference between online (digital) and handwritten journaling
• Tools of the trade (types of books, software programs, pens, and decorating) of your journal.
• Types of Journaling (personal, bible, project, and Mixed Media) for starters.  There are all types of journaling you can do.

Now it is time for the series the end but this is really only the beginning of what I hope is a weekly guide of sorts to your journaling.  I am not telling you what to write, but I will be giving you pointers of what I have learned in my various stages of journaling.   To be upfront about this section, that will come about Every Wednesday or Thursday (I am late), this is yours to take and make use of.  I am a semi-expert on this subject, meaning I know what works for me and another person may take this section of my blog and make it something else.  What I will never do, unless it is required by law, is to tell you that you must write about this topic when I give you writing prompts, tell you that you must use this product, or tell you what to say in your journal.  That is the beauty of journaling.  It gives you the freedom to express yourself.  So, if someone ever tells you to feel this way or write this way in your personal journals, send them my way, and I will professionally try to steer them in the right direction, expert or not, LOL...

This leads me to my topic:  Sharing is Caring, or is it?

Unless you are a child or have been living in some secluded place where you do not have any contact with people. (Deserted island, anyone?)  You may have heard that the moment you post something on social media, you have put a bounty on your head for anything you say, no matter how private you think it is.  Employers can look up this information, as well as parents, partners, even your 3rd grade teacher if she really wants to find out about you.  In fact, it has been said that if you do not want to be found, stay “off the grid”. This means, do not signup for any social media accounts.  So, what does that mean if you have an online journal?  It means, do not share your personal thoughts and do not put your journal on the “interwebs” (Internet).  For example,

I have an online journal that is only accessible by Office 365 (Ms. Word).  It is called “My Next Journey”.  I have it on my computer, but if I want to access it on my Ipad or on the OneDrive (Online) because I feel like writing at the library, I can get to it.  It is password-protected (meaning you need my userID and password to get to it.  Is it really protected?  Not really.  Hackers can hack into my account, bypass my userID and password with a program and get into my computer and look at it if they really want to.  I think this is one of the reasons why many seniors do not want to own a computer.  The news media and Hackers have scared them so much until it is not funny.  The other part is they are scared of the technology itself.  I am getting off the topic, so, let me reel myself back in.

I do my best to protect my journal of prying eyes of my family and the world.  If it is worth sharing I will do so on this blog like I am now, but it has to be worth sharing.  You cannot share something that is not relevant to the topic you are writing about.  That is plain common sense in the writing world.  In other words, if you are sharing a piece of your soul, make it relatable to the reader, or you will lose them.

So, what are some relatable topics?

I am not sure, but some topics I have seen on other blogs have been:

• Remodeling Journals- If you have a bathroom that you are remodeling, you may want to talk about your budget (no personal finance information like the account number to your loan-hackers love that sort of stuff), the type of workers you are looking for (first names only, please), or the style you are looking for in the completed project.  You may want to post pictures of the before and after.
• Moving journal – This works the same way as the remodeling journal.  Tip:  if you share this online, say “the city we are considering to”, “not far from where we currently live”, or “out of the country” when mentioning the location.  It is the safer route.  You can actually start a house hunting journal and move from that point to a moving journal.
• Pregnancy Journals- I am seeing this more and more.  You want people (especially women) to read about your thoughts, happiness and pain, and all the moods that come with being on track to becoming a mommy.  Journaling this online gives other women a chance to say, “yes, this is me too, to sympathize, and to “ooh and aww” at the results (a beautiful baby).
• Weight Loss Journal- I am at a loss on why would anyone would share a weight loss story until I thought about my weight gain story.  Not proud of it, for sure, but it is good to know that when someone is doing the Keto Diet, for example, there is someone else who is going through the same diet you are going through.  We all should strive to be healthy, and this is one way of doing it, to journal it, so others can learn from it.
• Travel Journals- another perfect example of “take the reader along for the ride”.  Even though these journals are turning into video journals, either way, you can picture yourself on the Chocolate Hills on the island of Bohol in The Philippines, as the blogger pens away their thoughts on a hot July morning.  If you give good descriptions of the place, you may have that reader booking the next flight to that part of the world, which was the idea the whole time.

So, while it may not be good to share your, “mad at the dog, who bit the cat, who scratched the furniture” type of day with a personal online journal entry, it is good to share those moments where you are not the only one who is going on a once in a lifetime adventure to see the Northern Lights in December. 

More on the written journal, tools to use, and other goodies Day 4

Please Note:  Patricia is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I will refer to some products in this post and many of these products contain links to companies that I may or may not receive a commission on.  You are not obligated to make a purchase of these products, and these products are only a suggestion.

Welcome back to day 4 of Journaling.   If this is your first time viewing this post or you are starting to journal, may I suggest you read the first three in the series before reading this post?

-          Day 1 is an introduction to journaling and how you may go about journaling.

-          Day 2 talks about where and when to journal.

-          Day 3 talks about the different types of journaling

Today’s topic is about the tools of the trade for a written journal.  I may touch briefly on digital journaling since so many people use their phones, laptops, and tablets in 2018.

Getting started with the right tools

Since I was 12, I always loved stationery products.  Maybe this is one of the reasons why I started a scrapbook company that later turned that into a stationery design company.  I still do scrapbooking, but times have changed and with the digital age, I am afraid that not too many people like the traditional method of scrapbooking as much as they did in the 1990s to early 2000s.  Maybe this is the reason why the store and company I used to work for from 2005 to 2010 closed the brick and mortar stores in 2014, and the online website shut down in 2017.  So, a switch was needed.  This does not mean that I still do not make books.

What does this have to do with journaling?  Part of scrapbooking a page is to journal, even If it means one little sentence about the event, and who is in the picture.  So, for you scrapbookers, who are reading this right now, you can easily transform your albums into a journal, add pictures as needed, and write a complete story around that picture or several pictures.  Not too many or it will be more like a scrapbook album than a journal.  Who am I to judge and besides that, you are in control of your journal.

Start with a good base….

You need to find yourself a good base to start journaling.  It could be pieces of paper, but where to put that piece of paper when you stop writing.  For a business journal, I use the Linen Notes Spiral Journal Book by Recollections, which is Michael’s brand.  In this journal, I can write down key notes of things I did, purchases I made, and payments made. The pages have a worn look to them, and it feels like I am writing in an old ledger.   The other feature (which many people do not notice) about the journal is the paper is thick, about a 110lb paper, but slightly less than that. (thicker than 80lb).  If I feel like writing with a marker, which I very rarely do, it does not bleed through.

You can use a planner.  I use them for notes of things I did on the date.  Those of you who have been with me for a while know that I use the Erin Condren Life Planner and have been since 2015.  I like this planner for things such as writing down dates to documenting what I did that day.  I use two of them.  One Life Planner is for personal and business (Although I will be getting a separate one for my business next year, increasing to three), the other is to write down when I do projects, blog posts, and videos, who these projects are for, and when is the due date.  I know that what I use may not to your taste, but there are several other companies that you may find better to your liking.

Notebooks/composition notebook

Some people write in a spiral notebook or a composition notebook.  The difference between the one I refer to and a plain, ordinary notebook is the price.  The one that I write in is $9.99 (Clearance price is $2.99) and has two hardcovers with the word “Notes” on it.  One to 5 subject notebooks and composition notebooks can go for as cheaply as $1 at Dollar Tree.  You can also get Journal notebooks at Dollar Tree as well.

That’s it for the paper, let’s move on to your writing instruments.

Pens

For pens, I use the PaperMate InkJoy Gel Pens.  They are a fine point.  I have also used any type of pen with a medium point, in a pinch.  I keep my pens in pencil holders from Dollar Tree. They are just as good as the $5 plus holders you can find at Staples and other places. 

What I like about the InkJoy Gel pens is they glide through any type of paper, so I use them in both the business journal, as well as the Erin Condren Journals.  In addition to the InkJoys that use in my Erin Condren, I do use her Fine Tip Wet Erase Set for the Whiteboards on the inside of covers for quick notes and reminders.

Pencils and color pencils

I do not recommend unless you are drawing something in your entry.  You want to use a pen for something that is more permanent, and you can go back years later to read.  Pencils smear a lot, which is why teachers recommend that children use pencils in their school work.  If you do use one in your journal, make sure you use a mechanical pencil.

As for color pencils, use them only for drawing or typography.

Other products…

I have a saying, which I kind of adopted from Chef Carla Hall of The Chew fame, and that saying is, “let your freak fly throughout the cosmos”.  What does that mean?  You can decorate however with whatever your heart desires.  The only thing that I ask you not to do is go overboard because if your intent is not to make your writing journal into a creative journal, you have a problem when you decide to write something in it.  You will not have any room to write.  So, for my crafters out there, you can use your medium gels and other “artsy” products, just tone it down a little.  I will discuss art journals at another time in my other blog, P. Lynne Designs.

In the meantime, you can use:

-          Stickers

-          Paint

-          Sayings and write what this saying means to you (hint, hint)

-          Little Buttons

-          Stamp on it

-          Die cut shape and talk about it. Oops, write about it

-          Use gel Mediums, but not too much.  Again, this is a writing journal, not a creative, art journal.

And so much more.  Use different color pens that you do no write with.  One final thought on pens, make sure they do not bleed through the next page, you want to be able to read what you wrote.  Test several pens out.

Entering the digital age….

I know that there is a generation out there who shun the old ways of writing.  If you are of that generation or not, this section is for you.

(raises hand), I keep a digital journal and have been for several years.  This is how I actually got started.  The only thing I advise you to do is to get a good program for either your computer (I use Ms. Word).  The disadvantage is you cannot decorate your pages if you decide to get creative.  This is one of the reasons why I started documenting in an actual journal for my business.  I do have parts of my journal in digital form, but not all of it.  If I am drawing something for a new line, I cannot turn to it (or maybe I can), but it is starting to feel natural to me to pick up a pencil and start drawing my ideas.   I will see with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Anyway, I will discuss digital journaling at another time.

(fluffs pillow)—It is time for me to turn in, and I hope that you do explore the many types of tools you can use in your journaling.  Remember my motto: Let your freak fly throughout the cosmos, meaning you can use anything in your journaling.  Just remember that you have to be able to function in that journal and read it years down the road.

For day 5: We are going to put it together and I will give you my final thoughts on the subject of starting and writing in a journal.  This is where the fun begins.  If you have started keeping one, congrats, if not, you get to go shopping after this last post.  If after you read the final post on the subject of journaling, and you find that this is not something you are interested in right this moment, or not at all, that’s OK too. At least you know what it is and how to get started.   I will also give you some hard truths on what I have found out, and that is not every entry you make is going to be sunshine and lollipops. 

I may have a little announcement at the end of this final post as well.

In the meantime, If you have any questions about this post or any of the previous posts, comment below or shoot me an email at plogan721@att.net.  

God Bless

Types of journals and what they are best for- Day 3 (Journaling)

Welcome to day 3 of learning how to journal.  If this is your first time viewing this, please take this time to go back to day 1, which covers an introduction to journaling and day 2, which covers how to journal, where to journal, and when to journal.

Today covers what to journal and how that journaling impacts on your actual styling and so forth. 

There are so many different styles of journaling out there until I will start by saying that I will not be covering all of them, just the major ones that people tend to start.  There are journals for every mood known to mankind, and the very first thing is to figure out what your mood is and why you want to journal. 

Generalization Journaling:

If this journal is for you and you alone, find out what is it you want your future self to remember about you in the present.  Perhaps you want to grow from your situation.  Is this a teaching moment for you and your child?  What do you want the world to know about you?  These are all good journals to start, and they are a generalized journal.  The goal of this journal is to teach and learn from the past or the present in hopes for a better future for you and those who you want to teach.

The journal I write in almost every day is a generalized journal.  The end goal is for me and my child to learn and to grow from any situation that I have to throw out, including things such how I feel about my present situation, love life, having and adopting children, and financial matters.  I throw in a little spiritual because I am a Christian, and it must have that meaning for me to understand what God wants in my life.  I also throw in when I am angry because life is no bed of roses.  I want me and my future child to know that.   There was a portion of my journals where I mention my child specifically because I wanted to let her know that when she gets here, in my presence, that she was well loved before I even met her. In my last three incarnations of my journal, I am not so child-focused because I have not adopted my child yet.  Once I get the process going, I will start up again.  This is when I will have this type of journal:

Gratitude Journal

What is being grateful?  You are grateful for everything that has ever been given to you, allowed to see, and allowed to experience.  This is a daily journaling practice to show you just how lucky you truly are, no matter what you are going through.  You can combine it with Bible Journaling (description below) to get a real effect on your life.  The purpose if to find yourself in the gratefulness, and never complain.

Birth or adoption journal:

In this type of journal, it is focused on you and your child, and how you are doing before the child arrived.  It may start out with “the day I found out that I will be a mom/dad”. (yes, men, you can have this type of journal too.) It has an end date, and that end date can be anywhere from, “The day they placed you in my arms for the first time” to “The day you left for College”, “The day I gave you away in marriage”, “the day you had your first child”, or even, “the day I had to bury you” (sorry to morbid on the last title, but some parents do go through that).  The point is that it has a start date and an end date. 

This can apply to the day you decide to adopt. You can call it a life book.  This is a book that foster agencies give to kids when they move from house to house.  My foster sister had one.  It is a type of memory book, but you can easily adapt it to your birth child as well.

On my wedding Day:

You can journal about your wedding plans.  You can start with the proposal up to your wedding day.  Make this more of a creative-type of a journal.  You can place in things like a photo of your engagement ring, your china pattern, your colors for your wedding, a sample of your invitation, who you want to invite, and even receipts from the cater and other vendors.  Write about how you felt the day of your wedding and who was there to rally with your intended.  Go further to talk about your honeymoon, where was it, and how it felt to be newly wedded. Also, talk about your first place as a couple.  I am sure you have stories to tell.

Project journals:

Is there a specific project you want to work on?  Journal it.  Startup business, building a home, remodeling, even a trip all qualify as writing down how you felt when this event happened.  Write down your research if you are doing some.  Talk about the cost of the project, when you will start it, and when you plan on finishing it.  Talk about the setbacks, the problems, the headaches, and what happened when you had to start over and rethink it out. Even talk about if you had to abandon the project for some reason.

I have been planning a trip to Walt Disney World with the family for years.  I started journaling this trip because to me since we are not from Florida, but Ohio, it is no easy trip.  It takes money and time to go to Walt Disney World.  I started without journaling in 2010, and since I had so many setbacks, I decided to journal those setbacks and the “Yeah, I made the reservations”, and the “Oh, I have to cancel because of this problem and that person was pregnant, and this person did not want their child to experience Disney at this time”.  Yes, it was all there.  The “nail in the coffin” time was this year, when we had a family reunion in Orlando, and thought, “perfect timing”, but it was not for a couple of reasons, and I had to give up for a moment.  Now, I am back, journaling about this, but not in my everyday journal.  I have a new journal that I am starting and again will talk about the ups and downs of planning a trip for maybe 10-20 people (I will be asking my cousin if he and his family want to join us for 2019).

But the point I am making has this type of journal ready for anything, the good and the bad.

Food, weight, and other personal goals:

This next type of journaling determines how your health is affected.  Some doctors may ask you to keep a food journal of what you ate and how much.  This is good for weight loss, how certain foods react to your body in the case of diabetics, high blood pressure, or allergies.  You may do it yourself to figure out how much caloric intake your body needs to maintain a certain weight goal. 

While I am in the neighborhood, if you are hit with a specific diagnosis (i.e. MS, Lupus, Cancer), you may want to start a “This is how I feel today” journal.  Because you cannot predict how your day is going, you can hash it out in your journal.

A few years ago, I was going through some symptoms unknown to me and my body.  After self-diagnosing myself with an online medical guide, which I highly recommend that you do not attempt, even if you have a medical degree, I thought I had Lupus.  This was around 2003.  I talked to my doctor about it, and she determined that I might be stressed, but I before I talked to her, I documented it in my journal and my feelings on what would happen if I had the disease.  Years later, around 2013, I was sent to a kidney doctor by mine because the lab results showed that I had protein in my urine.  Another time to journal it. Then when he said one of the possibilities was Lupus, I freaked out, and again, I journaled it.  The test turned out to be negative, but each time I put it in my general journal.  No need for a special journal for it.    

Bible Journaling

The latest trend in journaling is bible journaling, or what I would like to call, “what your faith speaks to you about”.  This is a “find yourself” type journal.  This is inspirational passages, scriptures, and things you see God in.  I am covering the Christian version of this type of journaling, but I see any religious or spiritual person using this technique to get into the Koran, Torah, or any book you are studying at this time.  My suggestion is not to journal when you find yourself in a bad situation then write about it.  Do it when you are filled with joy and happiness.  Yesterday, in a group discussion after church, I told my group that I do journal when I am down, and I am not sure what to do. 

To me, journaling and when adding scripture to that journal, it helps you see things clearer, and it strengthens your faith as well.  You know what to do next because you found it through scripture.  Also, do not be afraid to mark up your bible.  Add notes to it so if you find yourself in the situation again, you know where to go, and how you got out of it.  It is the devotional you need in good times and bad.

Business Journaling

This is a specific type of journaling for your business.  It takes special care to do this type of journaling because you are documenting everything you do for your business.  If you are not planning to start a business, I would suggest that you have one for your job, or document anything that you have learned so you can get another job. 

What goes in this journal is your research for your type of industry, the start-up costs, the skills you need, the name of your business, a copy of your vendor’s license from the state and any other government documentation, such as your tax number to name a few.   You may want to put in your journal whenever you hire someone or do business with someone.   This also where you can put your ideas about a new product, service, or concept. 

My business journal is for the event that I start to hire employees and so I do not forget how I made a product. I am in the stationery design business, and my journal is one big folder on my computer on a cloud.  One day, when I have ½ of it finished, I will switch to a three-ringed binder.  For now, I am confident that my system will not go down.

Conclusion:

I know this section is long, and I have not even touched the surface of the plethora of journals a person can start.  Some are more like a list of things (bullet journaling which I have not touched on), while others are documenting lives, events, and projects, such as the examples I gave above. The constant theme I keep stressing is there is no wrong or right way of journaling.  This post if to give you ideas on what can you touch on without the journaling police coming after you.  Well, guess what, there is no journaling police to give you a written citation on the type of journal you can have.  I even heard of angry journals, where a person can journal about anything they are angry about.  I personally do not recommend it, but again, it is your journal, and if that is what you want to write about it, go ahead, but everyone needs a little happiness in their life.

If you have any questions at this point in the series, let me know by emailing me at plogan721@att.net, you can also make suggestions on what you want me to cover further. 

Next on our road to journaling:

I will cover the written journal in depth.  This is where you have to deal with your handwriting and love it or hate it, it is your handwriting.    I will also cover the types of notebooks to use, different sizes depending on what you are journaling, and even the type of pen you use makes a difference.  Until then, God bless you.

How to journal (or at least how I journal) and included are some topics that might interest you in getting started.

Hello, and welcome back to Day 2 in my Journaling 101 series.  Yesterday was an introduction into the world of journaling and how writing in diaries differ from journaling.  We looked into the definition of the word journaling from two different sources, and I hope you will check them out.  What I failed to mention is a series on journaling by Lisa Shea, whose first book, titled Journaling Basis-Journal Writing for Beginners, talks about how you should journal, different techniques, and using tools on journaling.  I have not listened to it for a while on Audible, but I highly recommend this book and any of Ms. Shea’s other books in this 9-book series.  It is also available as an E-book and in paperback.

Today, We are continuing the series by talking about how to journal.  I know I explained in yesterday’s post that you can journal any way you want, but what I do not want to do is to have you fail at this.  Journaling anyway you want does not really promote self-love, which is the theme I am seeing lately.  Today, there are too many people hate on themselves and on each other.  So, with that being said, if you want to write a fun-loving journal that promotes happiness, go ahead and do it.  No one is stopping you, but I have to ask you, what happens when you are faced with a problem?  You can dance around the situation, but what is your reaction to that situation?  I will get into the types of journals you can have in the next post.  Let’s get started.

First things-Preparation:

If you have never journaled before, I suggest that you get a notebook with lines.  This is how I started out and you can transfer over to a more permanent notebook (with or without line), a binder, or online later.  Now is the time to get supplies while they are on sale for Back to School.  There are journaling books that you can buy as well.  Get a well-made book, and I have some at Dollar Tree for $1.  I have mentioned the advantages and disadvantages of written and online in the introduction, but I will go more into detail of each later.

Where to write:

Next, find a comfy spot.  This is your area for you and you alone.  No spouse, no children, and no pets.  It can be a corner, at the kitchen table, your craft room, or She Shed/man cave. (yes, guys, if you can have a man cave, she can have a She Shed.  It is the latest thing for women.)  Place anything in that space that will make you comfortable:  your favorite mug, blanket, pillow, a pot of coffee, even wine, but not too much wine, you want to be able to read this entry in your 80’s.  I have two spaces; my computer desk and my bed.  I can access my journal in either location, depending on my mood.  Put on a little mood music if you need to.  Hey, it is your space and your world. 

When to write:

Anytime is the right time to write but be consistent.  Do not write when you feel like it.  Morning, noon, nighttime. I have been known to write at 4 AM when my mind is racing.  I founded out from Lisa Shea that you cannot write like that unless you are writing in a creative journal.  (more on that in the next post).  For grateful, daily, and other ‘finding yourself” type journals, it is best to be quiet, be still, and write.  4 AM is for sleeping, getting up to go to work, or in my case, that last round of Cookie Jam Blast.  Hey, I cannot say that I am perfect.  I do have a few flaws.  Only God is perfect, LOL. 

How often you write is also up to you.  I recommend at least once a day, or in the case of a creative journal, whenever an idea springs up.  Again, no matter how you do it, please be consistent in your timing.  You can write as long as you want to but do not make it an all-day event.  You have places to go, people to see and take care of.  In the case of a creative journal, carry a small notebook with you. When an idea comes up, write down in your notebook and transfer it to your journal later. You can start and stop your journaling anytime you want.  Perhaps this is a special journal where you journal about your pregnancy, and what you what your child to know about.  This is a 9-month journal that has a start date and an end date.  It may end on the day you give birth to him/her or it may end one year after the birth.  You may have a 5-year journal.  Again, it has a start date and an end date.

I will cover what types of journal books work with your style of writing at a later time under the tools of the trade.

Conclusion:

Well, this is the end of day 2 and what translates to a day where it does not matter what type of notebook you have for journaling, if you do it on a computer, online or offline, or in your handwriting, what time of day, or where to write, as long as you are satisfied with the results of your journaling.  Remember, if you have any questions about your journaling process, please send them to plogan721@att.net, and I will try to get back to you.  Thank you for following along. 

If there is a specific question you feel would benefit my readers, you can send them to the address mentioned, and I will try to address that topic in another post.

In the meantime, on day 3, where I will discuss what types of journaling can you start and what purpose can you get out of them.  Until then, God bless you.

Journaling 101 day 1: an introduction

Lately, I have been in sort of a funk and thinking back, I should have really gotten into my journaling and really explore my feelings on this funk.  I am through it now, but there were times when I just wish that I had written about this emotion and that emotion.  This is one of the disadvantages of having an online journal.

“What, you do not journal?”  Are you even aware of the potentials that journaling can have on you as a person?  Journaling helps a person sort things out.  It does not have to be during the times where you are having problems in your life.  That is only one type of journal.  There are all kinds of journals for a person to write.   

For now, I want to focus on journaling.

What is Journaling?

OMG, where do I begin?  Let’s start with your plain ordinary dictionary version of the word.  According to the Sharecare website, it has to say this about journaling:

Journaling is a vehicle of emotional exploration, a way to channel difficult feelings into healthy and creative outcomes. It is a form of free self-expression that leads to exploration and personal growth. ... You have to listen rather than run away from your feelings.

You can really expand with this definition because this comes from a health website, who specializes in using journaling for therapeutic purposes.  This is perfect for someone who is embarrassed in going to a therapist.  For that, I recommend you seek help before diving into self-help.  I am no expert in psychology.

Creative Writing now, another website, describes journaling this way:

A journal is a written record of your thoughts, experiences, and observations.

This is the definition I want to focus on for now because journaling is more than “I feel this way” or “I feel that way”. It is a series of thought processes and putting it in written form and how you are processing those thought processes, observations and ideas running around in that head we all have.

A brief thought on diaries 

This applies more to women than men but think back to when you were a child and you wanted to talk about your day.  Children will automatically talk about their day.  They may take longer to explain it because to a little child, it is harder to formulate and place descriptive words into an adult’s head.  Sometimes a parent or other adults have said things like, “and what happened next”.  When we are teens, we do not want to talk about our day, at least I did not.  I wanted to keep things in the secret, among my friends, who knew all about it.  No parent needs to know about it.  “We can solve it ourselves” is every teen girl’s motto.  Writing about it helps with the feelings.  Things like “Today was the worse day of my short life.  Mrs. Logan embarrassed me by calling on me in math class.  Calling me out because I forgot my homework.  Why do I bother in this class?  Then, there was a cute boy I saw while walking to choir rehearsal.  I am not going to do it, but maybe I should ask Tricia if she has him in any of her classes.  I almost did not get off at my bus stop because I was so tired.  Mom was mad at me because she thought I needed to make my bed before I go to school.  Who does that? Let’s not talk about my part-time job.  On second, let’s not talk about my PT job because I do not want to go.  BTW, I need off next week because of prom.  I wonder who is going to ask me?  P.S.  It’s that time of the month again.  I am blotted, moody, and I need Chocolate.  I hope my little brother, Seth the bad breath does not find you again.  I will be modified if he gives it to mom to read.  I really think she works too much at that job of hers.”

You get the drift of that entry.  This is called journaling, but it is more of a diary. 

So, am I saying that a diary is a journal?  Yes and no, and many famous people, dead and alive have one.  Anne Frank, Helen Keller, Lewis Carroll, Harry S. Truman, Virginia Woolf, and many others.  According to Quora, the difference between a diary and a journal is feelings, emotions, problems, and reflections.  A journal adds experiences to the mix.  Both are used to evaluate one’s life and reaction to that feeling or experience. In fact, a person could intertwine the two, and still have a book they can read for years to come.

What a journal is not:

I will have to say that there is nothing much you cannot use a journal for.  I have used my journal as a sounding board, rant session, crying session, and planning session, to name a few.  In fact, I research using the words, “what you cannot journal”, and they are all for what you can journal.  So, journal until your heart is content.

Different ways of journaling.

Written:

Get yourself a notebook.  A blank notebook.  Start writing something, even if you say, “The grass is blue-green with yellow polka dots”.  You just made your first entry. With that entry, expand it.  You can say, “and when I walk on it with my bare feet, it feels squishy and wet.  It must have rained today.”  Talk about how the rain made you feel.  Was it cold?  Warm to the touch?  Tastes like chocolate? (hmm, I must be in a chocolate mood today).  What color is the rain?  Clear?  Blue like the ocean.  Brown?  (Ok, there goes that chocolate reference again, someone get me a candy bar, LOL).  Whatever you put in that blank book is your thoughts, your observations, and your ideas on the grass and the rain.  No one else. They may think the same thing, put in their journal, but it is their thoughts, their observations, and their ideas on the grass and the rain. There also may have a different way of describing that observation.

Online:

Some people like to type on their computer.  It feels good to them.  For online journals, you can use whatever software you use to create documents.  I use Microsoft Word and have successful created 5 journals (working on #6) from that software, with no reason to change.  I love this software for reasons, such as it is easy, if you already know how to use it, it becomes second nature to you when you start a journal, and you can take it offline (which how I use it).  I can type in my journal from this desktop, my Ipad, and my mobile phone. I have no plans to do this, but since I know my password, I can go to any public library, college campus, or work computer, and if their server allows it, I can go to Office 365.com, go to my account, pull up my journal and start typing.  When I get back to my home computer, it will automatically update when I pull it from the cloud because I can sync with it.  That is the beauty of this software, it so versatile.  Also, it does not cost much to have a monthly subscription ($7.99).  You can go with an older version of MS Word but be warned.  I read last month that they are or have already done away with support for the older Office suites.  If you are tight on money and your budget does not allow it, any free word processing software (including WordPad for Windows and Pages for IOS) can do the job.

For those who want to know, I will link up with this article, that talks about the websites that allow online journaling.  Because I do not use this method of putting down my innermost thoughts, I cannot say which one I recommend over another.    The only thing I can say about this method is to make sure you research before committing to this type of online journaling.  If what you have to write is way too personal, I suggest you go my route.  Also, some of these websites may not be free.  Update your virus software, before you start typing anything.  Make sure you read the fine print.

Well, I hope I have given you some insight on what to expect when you start journaling.  The topics I plan on covering with this series are:

1. How to journal (or at least how I journal) and included are some topics that might interest you in getting started.
2. Types of journals and what they are best for.  I have already given you one type already.
3. More on the written journal, tools to use, and other goodies.  You can really get creative with the written one.
4. Finally putting it all together.  How you can have one cohesive-looking journal, and what to do if you decide to publish it in the form of a blog.

Conclusion:

Until the next time, if you are interested in following along with me in a free exercise.  You will need by the time you read my next post:

• A notebook or your computer
• Your favorite pen for now.  I will tell you what I use for pens when we get to the tools of the trade.
• The willingness to learn about how you write. I have only one rule, and that is to have fun. I am not going to ask you to submit something.  I do not have the website to do that.  If you want me to critic on your writing, my address is plogan721@att.net, but I am only going to tell you, about your style of writing and spelling.  I am not an English teacher, nor I never had the desire to be one.  I had too many nightmares of red marks in my day, so, I commend anyone who wants to be one.  I used to be a preschool teacher if that helps any, and I would go back to get my license in Elementary Education, but that’s it.  If I do critic your work, it is only for you to learn.   

Again, until the next post, God bless you.