Wcomp-19

A Month of Ten Minutes:
A Path to Embracing the Practice of Journaling

Susan Pesznecker

Before I begin, here’s a full disclosure: I’m a college English professor in real life, and I’m also a writer and published author—so it’s a fair guess to say I’m a big supporter of all kinds of writing. That said, I’m human, too, and just like most of you, I sometimes struggle with the act of writing. I find myself thinking I should write something but am completely stymied on how to begin. Or I dive into a writing project and find myself lagging at some point or hitting the proverbial wall, or even procrastinating about getting finished.

We magick writers … We’re all human, too.

But that said, there’s one aspect of writing I’m fierce about, and that’s journaling. I’ve come to believe in the myriad ways it makes me a better writer, a better magick user, and a better—and more relaxed—person. I never skimp on journaling.

Journaling is perhaps the single most effective way to inspire your creativity, keep track of your life details, and, in the case of magical folks, support your practice and craft.

Journaling is perhaps the single most effective way to inspire your creativity, keep track of your life details, and, in the case of magickal folks, support your practice and craft. Researchers also know that journaling can help us manage stress, reduce anxiety, modify depression, and access deep memories (Holloway and Nelson).

Despite these benefits, if I had a nickel for every person I’ve talked to—student, magickal friend, apprentice, whomever—who’s said, “I tried to journal, but it was boring” or “I couldn’t keep it up” or “I didn’t like it; I’d rather draw” or “What’s the point?,” well, I’d be living a nice life in a remote country.

In this essay, I want to convince you that journaling is worth the time and effort. I want to convince you to devote at least ten minutes a day to it. Ten minutes is a great place to start because it’s a small, manageable goal. I want to give you ideas to make journaling work for you and to make it both practical and fun. I’ll help you think about why and how you should try journaling, and then I’ll set you up with a month’s worth of ideas to help you put the practice to work. After all, journaling is like anything else: the more you do it, the easier it gets, and the more it becomes a routine part of your daily schedule.

I Dunno … Anytime I’ve Tried to Do
Something Every Day, It Never Works

Let’s take a pragmatic look at this. I’ll assume you sleep eight hours out of every twenty-four. That means you’re awake for the other sixteen hours. Ten minutes is equal to just 1/96th of those sixteen hours. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? And it’s not. I’m asking you to spend just 1/96th of your waking day practicing your journaling skills, and I promise you that if you make it a priority, you can find those ten minutes in your day.

Still not convinced? Consider that daily practice is all about creating a habit—i.e., the process by which a set of behaviors is repeated (and reinforced) until it becomes automatic. Developing a habit requires the following:

• Setting a simple goal

• Making a simple, focused plan to reach the goal

• Picking a reliable time and place to work

• Starting the plan and sticking to it

• Reflecting on your progress and on the value of the activity, typically by keeping some sort of record (like a journal, right?)

The goal? When you do anything regularly, over and over, you develop what physiologists call muscle memory. Your body automatically dives into the behavior and repeats it without thinking. The act of conscious reflection (e.g., asking what the experience has been like, how well it’s working, what value it’s had, and so on) helps further reinforce the behavior.

Some folks find that working with someone else helps keep them accountable. To be fair, journaling is an independent activity—you can’t really do it “with” another person, but you can work side by side or perhaps share your progress with each other. I have a good friend—a fellow writer—who once a week goes to a “Sit and Write” group. During this time, everyone sits together in the same room for an hour and writes. That’s all they do. No talking, visiting, or anything else is allowed. Just writing. They find that just being there together is beneficial. The act of gathering and writing silently becomes a habit, the community of writers helps them stay accountable, and the practice makes them write, which reinforces the activity.

You may not be able to arrange journal writing time with another person every day of the year, and you may not even want to. This business of journaling is a deeply individual process, after all. But you might choose to share your progress via social media or a monthly get-together with a fellow writer-friend. You might even join (or start) a writing group to share ideas.

Okay, I’m Listening. But I’m Not a
Very Good Writer. What About That?

As a writing teacher, I’ll reassure you that many people think they aren’t good writers but actually do a perfectly wonderful job of writing. Have confidence in yourself: you have your own stories to tell, and no one else can tell them in the same way. Also, journaling isn’t about being perfect. No one is going to see your work unless you invite them to, and there really aren’t any rules at all when it comes to journaling. You can write bulleted lists, short paragraphs, or brilliant prose. You don’t even have to write if you don’t want to: you can sketch, paint, make collages, draw pie charts, or indulge in other creative approaches. If you like it and it works for you, it’s good.

Do I Have to Write by Hand? Can I Use My Laptop?

For many of us today, written communication involves a keyboard rather than a pen. There are advantages to electronic journaling. It is easy and quick—many of us can type faster than we can write. E-journals take many forms and can be safely backed up on cloud sites, making them easy to access from digital device. They’re easy to share and easy to search using keywords—versus thumbing through handwritten pages. On the other hand, with electronic journaling, e-distractions can be a problem, such as the incoming email or text message that is hard to ignore.

Many writers prefer using paper and a pen or pencil. There’s a certain romance to setting pen to paper, and many find this more engaging and more magickal. Interestingly, research has also found that when we write by hand, we remember the ideas longer, understand them better, and retrieve them more easily than when we type (May).

What’s the answer? Simple: choose the method you like the most and the one that works the best for you. The more you enjoy it and the more convenient it is, the more likely you’ll keep it up.

But I Really Don’t Like Writing. How Can I Journal?

As I mentioned earlier, there are other ways to keep journals besides writing. Journaling is all about capturing the details and ideas from your daily experience, and I’m betting you can think of many ways to do this. For example, you might try sketching, painting, or photography—or you might combine different forms.

One of my favorite approaches is to keep a nature journal. I’ll write down my impressions from a nature outing or hike. I might add a quick map of the site or a sketch of a leaf or a cloud formation. Sometimes I’ll glue in bits of brochures or materials picked up at the site. Later I’ll come back and use colored pencils to add highlights or borders.

Your journal is by you, about you, and for you—no one else. The ways it benefits you are completely unique and in your hands. The sky’s the limit, really. Let go and express yourself in whatever medium works for you.

Okay, I’m in. How Do I Get Started?

First, pick an ideal time. Don’t try to journal when you’re rushed or exhausted, and remember, you only need ten minutes. Find a time during the day when your mind is alive and alert. Be greedy about it: you deserve this time!

Second, if possible, pick a place where you’ll be comfortable and undisturbed and where your materials are at hand. By journaling at the same time and place each day, you’ll help the habit take shape.

Third, pick your materials and method.

Fourth, do it! Every day. For just ten minutes. (Of course, if things are rolling along, you can always keep writing!)

Fifth, reflect. Every so often, stop and think about how the process feels, how it’s benefitting you, and so forth. Read through your past entries now and then, looking for discoveries or maybe for patterns that reveal something about yourself. Don’t forget to journal about what you find.

P.S. If you miss a day for any reason, don’t flog yourself about it. Just start again the next day.

A Month of Ten Minutes

You can use the following prompts and instructions to kick off your first month of daily journal writing, or create your own!

1. Get up early in the morning and greet the sunrise. Write about what you see and feel.

2. Write a prayer. Address a deity or energy focus, make a request, and offer thanks.

3. Sit outside under the full moon and “write down the moon,” capturing your experience.

4. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

5. Write about your home and an experience you’ve had in it.

6. Reflect on a holiday experience with a friend or family member.

7. Write about a trip you’ve taken.

8. Describe your best friend.

9. Pull a Tarot card, rune, or other divinatory item and write or sketch about what comes to mind.

10. Create a sigil—a magickal symbol that represents you. Explain its meaning.

11. Discuss a color.

12. Write about a spell or charm that worked (or didn’t).

13. Take a walk and look for a “day sign”—an occurrence that speaks to you.

14. Write about a magickal goal.

15. Where would you like to travel next?

16. Go back to your earliest memory.

17. Write about the current season.

18. Describe a favorite food.

19. Write a poem that captures your current emotions.

20. What is something you wish you could do better?

21. Pause and be mindful in the moment. What do you hear, feel, and see?

22. Describe a memorable ritual.

23. Write about your favorite season.

24. Write a meditation. Then use it!

25. Write about a question, discussion, or controversy in your magickal community.

26. Write about the moon.

27. What is the most important magickal tool?

28. Do you have a spirit animal? What is its significance?

29. Imagine looking into a scrying bowl. What do you see?

30. Who is your hero?

Here’s wishing you a great experience with your journal!

Works Cited

Holloway, Beth, and Gail Nelson, medical reviewers. “Journaling for Mental Health.” University of Rochester Medical Center. www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4552.

May, Cindi. “A Learning Secret: Don’t Take Notes with a Laptop.” Scientific American. June 3, 2014. www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-learning-secret-don-t-take-notes-with-a-laptop.