Hi, friend.
If you signed up for this newsletter (and you’re taking the time to read it), you’re clearly a thoughtful, clever human. So you probably already know that bigger isn’t always better - and I stand by that philosophy when it comes to journaling.
To that point, as much as I respect journaling maven Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” her expectation that we produce three full pages of free-writing every day before doing anything else just isn’t attainable for most of us, particularly given how our minds have adapted to the digital age. Plus, sometimes it’s helpful to have a prompt (which is why I created The Deck).
We are playing catch up with the firehose of new digital demands. The number of distractions has sky-rocketed while our attention span has diminished. So, I predicated AllSwell on meeting people where they are and building from there.
After attending an AllSwell workshop I led last summer, Megan Klein (founder of Little Saints) pointed out that my approach is like “microdosing journaling.” I laughed and nodded in recognition. Almost like a homeopathic dose, in workshops I often introduce mindful writing activities that are just a few minutes long. Why? In part because they tap into the good stuff without overburdening you.
Laura’s 4x4x4 Journaling Method
- Journal for 4 minutes a day,
- Try to do it 4 days a week, and
- Stick with it for 4 consecutive weeks.
This is the on-ramp. Once you start building pen-to-paper muscle memory and experience the incredible benefits of journaling, it’s easier to stick with it. In doing so you’re opening the door to more frequent, longer creative sessions. You may build towards a “hero dose” or roll with a consistent routine of mini-sessions. It’s all about what works for you.
Small wins pave the way to bigger wins. We grow more comfortable, confident and the vista ahead expands. “I can do this,” leads to “Let’s see what else can I do?” There’s a time and place to shoot for the moon, to attain mastery. But in the context of journaling, flaming out doesn’t help you get to the goodies.
The page is calling. Hope you’ll try out a microdose journaling protocol and see how it works for you. Want me to create one customized to your goals, lifestyle and strengths? Set up a 1:1 session and we’ll get you sorted.
Thank you for reading. And as always, let me know if there’s anything I can do to support your journey.
In Swellness,
Laura
PS: If some of the vocabulary I used above isn’t familiar to you, here’s a place to get oriented. And to be clear, I’m by no means suggesting that the use of psychedelics is beneficial for all. But journaling is.