How to Use a Journal to Change Your Life

Today I want to talk about how to change your life by keeping a diary. I talk a lot about making and keeping a visual diary but this is something different – changing your life and getting closer to your goals and dreams by actually writing about them on a piece of paper.

*******
Thank you for subscribing to my Youtube channel!

*****

PROMPTS FOR CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR JOURNAL

If I could do anything and knew that I wouldn't fail, what would it be?

If I knew that nothing could possibly stop me, what would I do?

What do I want to do more than anything else?

What do I want to try more than anything else?

If I could design my life, what would it look like?

What do I need to do to die with the right regrets?

*****

Naming your deepest, wildest dreams, even in a private diary can feel scary. The problem is – one of the problems is – that many of us don't feel that we have the right. We deeply feel - "Who am I to allow myself to imagine a life that is big and gorgeous and creative?"

And what if I write it in my diary and someone sees it? What if I see it? I write it, I see it, and I fail and there, I've blown it so I better not write it down.

Well, you only have one, precious life and instead of giving up before you start and thereby comfortably avoiding fear and possibly guilt and maybe even shame (I've been there) – instead of that, what if you could see this differently? What would you write down if someone told you that you couldn't fail?

If you can just open the door in your mind and spirit, wide enough to ask that question - then you can put it on a piece of paper and you can bring it to the light. That's how you can begin.

You can start by making a map of your life – your goals and desires are the roads and streets and paths. While you may wander and meandering off the beaten track as you go, you are probably better off starting with a roadmap, all the same. This helps turn your life into a meaningful journey rather than aimless marching in place.

Of course, the trick is how to outwit your internal editor, the one telling you that you don't deserve to begin, haven't earned it yet. Don't kill her. Don't beat him up. Just go around the sucker. And here is a supereasy, non-fattening, extremely cheap tool for doing that. Write it down in a burner diary, the cheapest notebook you can find.

A school notebook from the grocery store is perfect, the one that costs $1.50. Dollar Tree, PoundLand. For this excercise, skip the fancy blank book, the one with the empty pages that won't let you write in it. If your notebook is cheap, you can afford to be extravagant with your thoughts. No one, not even your internal editor can say your thoughts and dreams aren't worth $1.50.

THIS cheap, run of the mill book is just the thing for writing your most outrageous dreams, the bigger and the madder the better. It's a burner diary - no one has to read this. Not even you. You can tell it anything you want! It's the very thing that lets you give yourself permission to write, and think, and scheme. Roll those imagination dice and make it big.

Okay, you have the cheapest notebook you can find. You need a pen or pencil. Cheap ones. The one in the bottom of the kitchen drawer will do.

Now find a place and a way to be alone. If it is nice out, sit under a tree. Sit in the back seat of your car in the driveway. Go to the library. I LOVE to write in the library. All that quiet and nice tables and nobody wants to know why you are going there. It's obvious you are going to look for a book – not part of your misplaced soul – so there is no need to overexplain, even to yourself. You can figure this out.

You have your cheap notebook. You have your cheap pen. You are alone for 15 minutes. Now WRITE.

[CatherineSunnysideJournals]

What a thought provoking video, Kelly. And, for me a bittersweet one. But don't worry, in a good way. The person/comrade/confidante you said to imagine, I was lucky enough to HAVE that person. For almost 40 years... that person who would say to me "Okay. Do you need an ear to vent? Or do you want my advice? I'm okay either way." And I knew there would be no judgement and good ideas. And supportive love no matter what I thought I had messed up. My soft place to fall. I miss him so very much but I am at the point where "a smile comes to my lips before a tear comes to my eye" now. He died too young. I suppose I could write as if I'm just sitting and talking with him up at the farm, like we used to. ...okay, that was WAY too long. Sorry. Oh, and completely off topic, but I LOVE your hair!!! ~~C.

[dorotheafinan]

Have always enjoyed your ideas. Now I want to say your hair looks great!

[chococat]

You put things so succinctly, thanks you, you are very inspirational.

[UrbanGrrl]

Sounds good Kelly. Now let me just hush my inner critic to buy that notebook 😀

[shelleynobleart]

So true! I have insisted on having cheap paper for thoughts and sketching for this exact reason. Never heard anyone else speak this out loud. Yes! Circumvents all hesitation to express.

[laurelw]

I’m new to your channel but excited to be here. I swear I have laughed out loud in every video of yours I’ve watched. Thanks for the brain candy and the giggles! Take Care.

[alexandraalmeida]

I never had a diary in my life, because my question was precisely that: what if I read it? However, for many years I exchanged letters with a friend (a lady much older than me) and I would tell her all my dreams, my fears, my goals, my disappointments, everything. I felt so good after writing her. But I felt that way, because I would never read what I wrote again. She answered me, of course, but my writing was forever beyond my reach and that was so comforting. She is no longer here, so I have no one to write to, because nobody cares about letters anymore, and I thought about writing a diary and either throw the page away, after writing it, or paint over it or collage... because honestly I can’t bring myself to write something and then read it again. I tried that once and I felt my writing a bit ridiculous... ❤️💙💜💚🧡🖤💗💛♥️

[suelutz]

I just recently got into art/junk journaling. I've never been any good at "traditional" journaling. I think I will try the idea of writing in my journal, then covering it up with the art. I'm actually sitting here crying over this. At the age of 71, I really feel the time for dreams has passed me by, although I do have things I would like to accomplish. I just can't see them happening. So glad I found your channel!

[agold]

Stumbled on you accidentally. What a great surprise find. Thank you!

[christinesanchez]

my business Mentor calls this a BHAG- THANK YOU I love to be reminded often, my internal editor can be loud sometimes

[lynnboyd]

Ohhh My Kelly, you are just a total gem! I really love this lesson and have the exact cheapy note book that I need right beside my studio desk! My "problem" is, I often start these type of things, but then discontinue it after a few days or weeks. Do you add to yours each and every day? Many, many years ago, I used to keep many written journals, and still have most of them. But man, are they BORING and don't really seem to go in any direction. But then again, that was me, say 40 years ago. I'm hoping that I've gained much wisdom and can come up with many more directions for my life to go. Believe me...I will be here at the ready, tomorrow just waiting for your next lesson! Thanks Kelly, for all your wit and wisdom! Thank you oh so very much for all of your generous shares! You are seriously, one of my favorite creatives up here on my save list!!🌞👍

[roksannastephens]

Nice!! Thank you. I have a few cheap notebooks that would lend themselves well for this process. Thank you Kelly. Let me scheme, plan, be alone. Me too, love the library. Love the prompt list. Looking forward to tomorrow's road map.

[NolaTheAlamoChiliQueen]

This is a great video. I’ll have to think this through. Can’t wait for your next vid!

[taylorcorcoran]

I totally stumbled on this…and boy am I thankful. Great technique. Thank you for your work and passion.

[WarmFuzzyVibes]

I do different journals and always have an extra composition book (cost about 88 cents at grocery store). I have all kinds of journals and one is a bright yellow paper folder with those clips inside you add notebook pages to. I wrote Dreams on the cover. I put into it dreams that I had while asleep ( as opposed to the ones while awake). It is easy to find in my junk because it is yellow. I also write other stuff in there, so it is what ever I need it to be. I also have a garden journal that I put plant info in as a reference book and also dates of purchase, planting, repotting, garden mapping, yard maps, etc. Very useful! I have a crystal journal. I have a healing journal. All these are useful. They each have a slightly different look. Now I am doing photo books and that is a new thing these days for me. Also junk journals or glue books that are mainly visual arts but also speak to my creative side.

[retroqueenbeeart]

Thank you, my husband became very sick. Myself, I have a disease called acromegaly and take 3 injections a day for pituitary disfunction which causes other diseases. My metal thigh is limiting my mobility. Anyway, my energy is low even with all the stuff I do to try improve it. Maybe I need to start writing like you suggested to help me physically. I use ❤rails to do stairs but so hard to bring stuff in my home, my husband can no longer do it. I do not like complaining-writing sounds like a good way I can complain-haha❤

[debsmith]

Way cool Kelly! See you at the library :)

[rickiquilt]

Thanks for this video….it’s inspiring…I used to journal…but this seems a bit different…I’m going to try it.

[ISayToMyself]

Looking forward to tomorrow. What a great video!!

[Krispymuffin]

Great video, I find when I can't seem to write anything I'll draw ideograms