Start Journaling and Change Your Life in 7 Days
by Mari L. McCarthy
Synopsis:
Journaling, like any writing adventure or exercise program, tends to be cyclical—there are the times when you can’t wait to get-to-it and times when you can’t get started. Mari has the fix! It is her new e-workbook Start Journaling and Change Your Life in 7 Days.
In this workbook Mari addresses the most common roadblocks we come against in our journaling practice, from writer’s block and lack of time to finding motivation and silencing our inner critic. Whether you are new to journaling or need to climb out of a slump these seven days of writing prompts will get you moving in the right direction.
My Thoughts:
I am a wanna-be journaler. I love journals. I love pens. But putting the two together has always been a challenge for me. There is something so frightening about penning my innermost thoughts where someone might find them and find out how crazy I really am! There is also that part of journaling that is so freeing, too. The ability to dump everything; to work through a problem by writing it out; to discover things about myself that I did not know were there. So, I go through stages of wanting to journal. I even bought an app for my iPad that is password-protected thinking that would encourage me to journal more. It hasn’t.
Mari McCarthy is a journaling therapist (how cool is that?!) and in her short seven-day workbook she tackles the seven mostly common obstacles for people who are starting to journal. She captured my attention from the second paragraph. I felt like she was speaking directly to me:
“Have you ever tried journaling before? If so, think about the reasons you may have stalled in the past. Do you have a hard time fitting it into your busy schedule? Do you battle writer’s block every time you sit down to write? Or do you go through fits and starts with journaling, writing every day for a week, then abandoning your journal for months at a time?” –p. 3
Yes. Yes. Yes.
The workbook is designed to be done over the course of one week. On each of the seven days, Mari explains one of the obstacles to journaling and ways to overcome it. For example, she offers advice for combating writer’s block and finding time to write. Journaling prompts provide a starting point for the beginning journaler.
I really enjoyed Mari’s book and I am looking forward to working through it in depth in the very near future. There is a lot of great information for the beginning journaler or the tried-and-gave-up journaler (me) with great prompts to get you started writing immediately. Mari also offers a Start Journaling and Change Your Life Challenge (next one is June 4-10) and a forum for journalers to connect for support and inspiration.
I would definitely recommend this book to those looking to start journaling and need a bit of creative inspiration. It is a great resource.
*****
About the Author:
When Multiple Sclerosis robbed her right side of strength Mari decided to teach herself to write with her left hand. She gained more than strength, she found herself–buried talents, hidden baggage, and a way to heal herself from the inside out.
Now a certified Journal Therapist, Mari shares her knowledge and experience with others by teaching them how to find their own strengths and talents and use them to solve problems and achieve goals.
Mari L. McCarthy is The Journaling Therapy Specialist, founder of Create Write Now and Journaling for the Health of It™. Mari offers guidance, counseling and encouragement to writers through her many journaling eBooks and in private Journaling Jumpstart consultations.
Website: http://www.createwritenow.com/
Blog: http://www.createwritenow.com/
*****
Jen, I’m with you…I start but never keep up with journaling. This might be very useful for me. Thanks for the info!!
What a cool book. I used to journal a lot. I cut a few people out of my life that caused me angst and drama, so I don’t need to journal as much anymore. But I carry it with me everywhere and whenever I’m feeling conflicted or sad, I pull it out and write down what I’m feeling and sort things out.
This sounds cool! I always recommend journaling to clients, but I know a lot have trouble with it and this might be something good to recommend!
Hi Jen,
Thank you for the rave review! Yes, it is really challenging to start and stick to a life-changing Journaling Practice, what with all the negativity, old tapes etc, stuck in our body. I just came out with a free ebook, 143 of Mari’s Juicy Journal Prompts…that may help: http://www.createwritenow.com/download-free-journal-prompts-ebook/ WriteON!
I’ll be interested in how this works for you, because I totally empathize with why you hesitate. I am a compulsive journal buyers. THey just draw me. But writing in them, not so easy. Thanks for reviewing this book! It sounds great and good luck working through it!
Wow, I’ve been trying to journal more too, since I don’t want to every forget the first year of my studies in Japan. This sounds like a great book (and one I need to read) ^^