Welcome to Session 1 of the Innermost Journaling Course! I am excited to start this journey with you. Each session begins with a short video, followed by 6 journal prompts. You can take this course as quickly or as leisurely as you like. I recommend watching the video and then completing the first prompt. If you want to take this course over six weeks, then continue with one prompt a day. If you’d like to immerse yourself in a day of journaling, feel free to do a whole week in one day. You will find a link to Session 2 at the bottom of this page. If you want to send me a message with any thoughts/reflections/especially meaningful prompts, etc., feel free! I hope you love this course. Thank you for being here with me. Your support truly has changed my life.
Happy Journaling,
Mackenzie
Session 1–Just Show Up: How To Begin a Transformative Journaling Practice
Week 1 Journal Prompts
Day 1: Ready, Set, Write!
Find a quiet spot, set a timer for 10 minutes, and write! Are you ready?
A few quick reminders for you:
1) It doesn’t matter what you write! Feel free to write the most boring junk ever. Trust me, there are going to be some gems that will surprise you buried there.
2) Don’t labor over your words. Keep your hand moving, and don’t stop writing! Let yourself be surprised by what you find.
3) No Distractions! Turn off your phone, your beeps and dings. Try to hide from your kids… Set a timer for 10 minutes and don’t stop writing till the time is up.
Day 2: Things I Love…
Today you are going to make a list. (I love lists!) At the top of your paper, I want you to write:
Things I Love…
Hit go on your 10 minutes, and write as fast as you can, everything that comes to mind. They can be big things like your Mama, your husband, your dog or little things like paper dolls, seashells, red-winged blackbirds, brown paper bags… There are no rules or categories. Just anything and everything that you love.
Ready? Set.Go!
Day 3: Describe a Place
Today, I want you to set your timer and write about a place. Any place. A house, a city, a park… It could be your current kitchen table or somewhere you went as a child. Any place that comes to mind will do. Think about how it looks, feels, smells, sounds… Think about it in the morning, in the evening, when it is crowded, when you are alone there, etc. Just let your imagination take you to this place and write as many details as you can think of. Start your pen moving across the page and don’t stop writing!
Day 4: Write About Your Perfect Day
Today we are going to write about your perfect day.This could be a day that, in theory, could actually happen. Or you can write about a day that could never really happen because it is impossible. There are no rules about what to write here. This is your journal. You are filling it with your innermost thoughts. And some of those are incredibly deep and poignant, while others are funny and may even be completely nonsensical. There is a place for all of those thoughts and ideas on the safe pages of your open journal.
Day 5: Write a Letter to Yourself.
Imagine yourself as a child. How would you speak to yourself? What would you tell her? Now imagine yourself 10 or 20 years from now. What do you have to say to your future self? Pick another version of yourself (future or past), and write her a letter. See where your words take you.
Day 6: Treasure Hunting Through This Week’s Journaling
Today, I would like for you to read through this week’s journal entries, and look for a gem. It could be a word or a sentence. It could be an entire writing session. Find something that speaks to you, even if it feels meaningful and you can’t even explain why. This is what I call looking for treasure. For today’s writing exercise, you are going to be using something you wrote as a starting point for another journal entry. Feel free to circle it or underline it or rewrite it on your new page. Find something you wrote that tugs at you, and begin today’s entry with those words. See where these words take you.
Happy Journaling!
Love,
Mackenzie