Journaling #1 | 21 days challenge of Morning Pages
Good morning. This is Asato, a life coach with a journal.
I am thrilled to announce that I am going to start this new Journaling series.
This year I want to bring in a little more journaling aspect to this newsletter. I am aiming to post one journaling related article per month. (Already missed January, Oops!)
The very first blog post is Morning Pages challenge. Early this year, supported by my in-person friend in Rwanda, we decided to form a team to embark on a 21 days challenge.
In this article, I will share the Morning Pages methods, and share my thoughts and the journey.
I hope it exposes you to a new journaling method, if you are unfamiliar with this journaling style, and perhaps you’d pick up your pen and notebook!
Launching Journaling series!
Before we dive in, since this is episode 1, I want to share my intention of this series.
So in this series, I will be diving into journaling related topics.
Journaling methods that I truly enjoy or I’m testing out
Journaling prompts for you to open your notebook
Journaling related questions I get during workshop
Let’s see how it goes but I am so excited to have a space, where I can fully chat about journaling which I am passionate about.
I had the idea in mind, and with the lovely comment I received from Sarah on the journaling prompt article, I decided to give it a go!
Please let me know what you think as the series unfolds. And if there is any journaling related question that you want to ask me, don’t hesitate to drop it in the comment section!
What is the Morning Pages journaling method?
Morning pages journaling method is shared by Julia Cameron in her famous book called “the Artist’s Way.”
Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing,
done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*–
they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about
anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes
only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and
synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put
three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow.
Quoted from official website : Morning Pages | Julia Cameron Live
In my words, it is very simple.
Write three pages a day
Preferably in the morning when you are half asleep half awake
3rd page is challenging but when you push yourself to fill up the page, something deep within you starts to show up on the notebook
Of course, it is not supposed to be read by anyone. Even YOU are not supposed to re-read the entries for at least 3 months. This allows you not to worry about the quality of writing.
My own rule is to write three pages a day. Ideally 3 pages in one shot, but things happen, so there are days I write a page, and then come back to it much later in the day.
To form a good habit, it is crucial to adjust the rules based on what is sustainable for me, right?
The reason I believe in this journaling method
I have tried the Morning Pages journaling method three times, and although it is time consuming and requires quite an effort and commitment, I always got some sort of fruit out of it.
1st time was a long time ago, I tried it for 3 months.
I noticed I really enjoyed writing. As the days went by, I kept writing about turning this writing habit into something.
That is when I decided to become a Web article writer. I registered myself to a platform, pitched myself and got several clients. I managed to generate money for the first time, outside my Corporate job, using the skill that I did not know I possessed.
2nd time was a year ago, I tried for two weeks in December
Six months after giving birth, to close the year strong, I tried a 2 week challenge. When I came up with the Morning pages challenge idea, I only had 14 days to go until the year-end.
During the two weeks, I recalled myself of the project that I had hidden, using the pregnancy as an excuse. Soon after that realization, I did my own research, found and paid for the program that started in a month. And here I am. Now I am a certified life coach.
3rd time was the 21 days challenge mid- way through last year
The December challenge was so powerful, I decided to give it a go in June, as a mid-year check in.
During the three weeks, I noticed I had stressed myself a lot with the project I was taking on. The 6 months program was just about to end at that time, and I wanted to get the balance back. That is when I really tapped into the concept of Wellness.
Since then, I challenged myself to move my body a little more. Also, that is how I ended up creating this newsletter for my creative writing space. I think I wanted to move a little bit away from the “building my own business” mindset.
21 days challenge in 2024
I had spoken about my previous journey here and there. In early January, one of my friends in Kigali, Rwanda sent me a message saying she is interested in giving it a go. It’s January. She wanted something new and fresh.
Noticing we have 21 days left until end-Jan, we quickly became an accountability partner to each other. The next day, we wrote in at our own pace, and followed up from time to time.
Writing three pages would take me an average of 45 minutes. Plus, I am writing in Japanese, which takes much less space than writing in English. So, it is a LOT!!
This is my first time to have a partner, and I noticed it makes such a big difference. We decided that once we are done with the challenge, we will sit together and share the learnings and thoughts. I cannot wait to have a deep conversation with her!
If you are curious to start this journaling method, please share this post to your friend in mind, so that you have your own accountability partner to start with!
Today’s journaling prompt: When is the last time you’ve written three pages?