Monday Memo #6

The conversation you have with yourself.

The Monday memo is food for thought to fuel your week.

Hi everybody,

There was a time when I would get up early and do this three-mile hike every day. I think I did this for about a year. When you walk the same trail every day, you begin to notice tiny changes. Flowers blooming. A stream that ebbs and flows. And some things, like plants and trees, grow so slowly that you can’t see them grow. You can only notice by looking back and seeing how much they have grown over time. Seasons change slowly. But nothing stands still. Everything is always in a state of becoming.

Journaling is a way of paying attention to that. It is a kindness. Just you and your thoughts, hanging out for a while. Quality time.

You become yourself when you pay attention to yourself. 

A journal is a place that’s just for you. A place where you can grow, stretch, explore, imagine. A place where you don’t need to please anyone else. Where you are free to be yourself; where you will not be judged; where you are accepted for who you are. A place where you can discover yourself. A place where you give yourself space and time to think. 

This week’s exercise.

Here is your exercise: For the next week, make a commitment to pay attention to yourself. You can start small. Write down one thing every morning, and one thing every evening. You can do more if you like. Try keeping a pen and paper by your bed. If you don’t want to use pen and paper you can use a notes app or something similar on your phone. 

Here are a few ideas:

In the morning, you can write down your dreams. You can let your stream of consciousness flow freely. You can think about your day. You can set intentions and expectations: what you want to accomplish, and what you want to get out of it. 

In the evening you can reflect on your day. You can think about what you accomplished, what you learned. You can think about what happened and what it means to you. You can set intentions for tomorrow, next week, next year.

Try this for a week. Give yourself this gift. See how it feels. Give yourself some time to watch yourself grow.

Updates.

This Wednesday, from 9-10:30 AM Pacific (Noon-1:30 PM Eastern, 5-6:30 PM GMT), I will host a Collaboratory on journaling, note-taking, and the conversation you have with yourself. We will talk about how and why we have these conversations with ourselves, how we take notes, collect material, and create systems for growing, remembering, and creating.

Collaboratories are free for members. Members, your joining instructions are “below the fold.”

Last week we had 34 members. This week we have 37. The first 100 members will lock in the $20/month rate forever. Will you be number 38?

Become a member by upgrading your subscription, or you can buy a one-time ticket for Wednesday’s Collaboratory here.

If you’re already a member, thank you. You’re making this possible.