I’ve been journaling in Questions For Life: Two Year Guided Daily Journal For Intentional Living for a year now. Since it’s a two-year journal, I’m at the wonderful point where I can reflect back on what I wrote last year: what I did every day, what my happiest moments were, what I was grateful for, and how I answered the self-discovery questions. I read what I wrote through the end of 2016. It’s been insightful to see what a difference a year has made, and at the same time, where I’m still stuck. Some things that upset me this time last year no longer matter. But there were areas where I was struggling that I still find myself struggling with today. This self-reflection and comparison over a year’s time helps provide an understanding of my emotions, strengths and weaknesses. It provides me with clarity and direction for moving forward. This is the magic of journaling and reflection.

For example, here is the question for December 23: What are you avoiding? Why?

Last year I wrote three things each followed by “because it’s hard.” One of those things I no longer want to do, thankfully. One of those things I’m still avoiding because it’s still hard. And one of those things is still really hard, but guess what, I’m not avoiding it anymore.

I think that question alone is a great example of the difference a year can (and also can’t) make. And now I know one of my 2018 goals needs to be that thing I’ve avoided for two years because it’s hard. I don’t want to still be avoiding it next year, too. I know I can do hard things. It’s time to tackle this one.

This is the magic of journaling and reflection! It is crucial to our well-being to be able to see our change, our growth, and yet also identify where we’re stuck. Not to mention, we tend to have amnesia when it comes to the day-to-day. Reading through my happiest moments from December 2016 has brought back lovely memories that didn’t necessarily make the 2016 highlight reel.

I’ve also been expressing gratitude in this journal every day for over a year now. Not once did I struggle to find something to be grateful for. Many days, I was grateful for things as simple as laughing with friends, a long chat with my oldest brother, being home after a couple days away, or being able to help a friend… Identifying something you feel grateful for every day helps you realize how truly fortunate you really are.

This post is not intended to be an advertisement for Questions For Life (although I highly recommend it not only because I wrote it, but because I use it every day). This post is to share with you the magic of journaling and reflection. This is specifically why I created it as a two-year journal. Journaling alone is reflective and wonderful, but having a direct comparison to what you wrote the year before is where the magic happens. Being reminded of what was going on, what you did, what made you happy… learning from it and growing from it.

I’m enjoying this journal very much. I always look forward to writing in it, but now even more so reading about last year.

Questions For Life is on sale at Amazon right now for $15.99. Although it can be started any time of the year, the new year is a great time. Buy one for a gift and one for yourself and experience the magic of journaling and reflection for yourself.

As a wellness blogger, I share my journey to living a happier, healthier life. Everything that I’m learning, along with my triumphs and tribulations, I share here in hopes that I may positively impact at least one person. To know that I have been successful in that is glorious recognition. I know because Sarah Hawkins Miduski (@obligatraveler), aka The Obligatory Traveler nominated me for a “One Lovely Blog Award.” She has this to say about my site:

“Jess’s blog is one of my favorite, inspiring blogs. She  posts on staying healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually. Jess keeps me grounded, especially when I start to feel self-conscious about my appearance compared to other travel bloggers and vloggers. My hair will always frizz in humidity, my body will never be bikini worthy, and my Lupus causes me to have skin issues. Jess reminds us as women to embrace the things that make us beautiful.”

Reading that mine is one of Sarah’s favorite blogs was my happiest moment yesterday. Sarah is a wonderful person whose enthusiasm for life and adventure is contagious and inspiring! She radiates excitement and joy and has tremendous passion for the things in life, like travel, Harry Potter and ice cream (lots and lots of ice cream) that make her happy. It is this passion and authentic joy that lives within her that makes her shine. I am thrilled to have helped her remember to embrace that which makes her beautiful.

Despite having three chronic illnesses and the different challenges each condition brings, Sarah keeps traveling and living life to the fullest.  She writes mainly about travel, books, and ice cream. Be sure to check out Obligatory Traveler for a dose of inspiration!

So now I’m going to share the love(ly). The rules are:

• Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog

• List seven random things about yourself

1. I have a degree in Fashion Marketing
2. I really enjoy true crime/mobster movies, documentaries, podcasts, etc.
3. I wanted to be a professional surfer when I was a kid
4. A salami and cheese sandwich is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods
5. I am an enormous Harry Potter fan (Ravenclaw represent!)
6. I went to Disney World for the first time when I was 26
7. I feel uncomfortable if I don’t have a glass or bottle of water nearby

• Nominate (up to 15) other bloggers
  

1. I only just recently discovered Life is For Living, but when I did I couldn’t believe how much me and Jen have in common! If you like my site, I’m fairly certain you’ll like hers, too. A self-proclaimed “former fatty,” Jen is all about healthy, simple living. She is also a fellow aspiring writer, foodie, personal finance nerd, compulsive list-maker and Ravenclaw! Be sure to check her out.

• (Please don’t feel pressured to reciprocate if you don’t want to or have done so before. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate all of the hard work that you put into your writing.)

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NaNoWriMo:

If you’re a regular reader, then you know I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) throughout all of November; the goal being to draft 50,000 words of a novel in one month.

I am extremely pleased to report that I succeeded! I “won” NaNoWriMo and what I have accomplished is far more than an outline. Writing a novel has been a dream of mine since I was a child and I am now 50,000 steps closer, thanks to the good people at National Novel Writing Month, a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging writers. I am in love with what I’ve created so far.

Now the goal will be to maintain the momentum, at least somewhat, and work at revisions. The real writing comes in the editing.

If I could do this, then so can you. I cannot say it enough: if there is something you desperately want to do, please, start now. Dedicate a month, a week, even a weekend to getting things started. Getting started is the hardest part, I assure you. The magical thing though is that getting started takes no time at all. Open your laptop, save a blank file, write a sentence – any sentence, even a line of dialogue stuck in your head – and just like that, you’ve gotten started! Once you do, who knows what you may achieve after a month…

Thanksgiving:

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. I am happy to report that I enjoyed mine very much thanks to all the tools I have acquired over the past year. By maintaining an open heart, managing my expectations, and being mindful of my actions and the present moment, I had a very peaceful day and felt a lot of love for those around me.

Like with all families, there was some madness. But what I found is that when you don’t participate in the madness, it can’t escalate. Madness/chaos/negativity – it’s all a fire. Without added wood or oxygen, the fire simply burns out. I didn’t participate as wood or oxygen. I endured a little heat and in no time, things fizzled out.

Happy, peaceful visits with my family, my mom especially, mean a great deal to me. We’ve been through a lot of tough times and a lot of unpleasant holidays. I think every good one tips the scales a little bit in a more favorable direction and removes any residual bitter taste that lingers from the previous year. The only taste left in my mouth from this past Thanksgiving is a pleasant one.

What’s Next:

November ends today and as promised, I am heading back on the road to continue my journey.  I am eager to continue the exercises in A Course in Weight Loss, get back to yoga more regularly, and reinvigorate my home meditation practice. All of these things have fallen by the wayside while I was prioritizing writing. It’s difficult to do everything all at once. It’s one thing to give up things we don’t love (like television watching and Facebook), but sometimes we also need to sacrifice things we do love to make room for other things we desire. There’s nothing wrong with it. This is why I am not broken hearted or beating myself up over any of it. November was a month very well spent.

I confess I’m downright miserable over my weight, though. I had a very successful week in November focusing on a low carb/high protein diet. I cooked some amazing food that week and was pleased with the weight I lost. But then Thanksgiving came along. I’m back on a low carb/high protein diet this week so hopefully I will feel better soon. There’s clearly still a lot that’s impacting my ability, physically and mentally, to take this weight off, though. Figuring this out will be a major focus of mine. As will combating any potential holiday blues, and thinking ahead to the new year, my favorite time of year.

Beyond that, we’ll see what happens. Many of these posts are written in response to things that happen in my life. Both fortunately and unfortunately, we don’t have too much control over those things… I’ll be focusing on the things I can control in the meantime, and trusting the process.

Excitement courses through my veins and I have this sharpness and clarity. I think a little quicker, see a little clearer, and move a little faster. My energy is increased and I marvel at my speed and accuracy; my discipline and focus, as I extend my days and check off goals and to-dos, as if they were items on a grocery list. My productivity for everything has never been so high. My happiness equates to only that of first falling in love.

This is the high of creative magic. This was what I experienced all last week.

Ten days into National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the creative magic has, most unfortunately, worn off. I spent a day and a half fighting to get it back, racking my brain for solutions to the problems in my story structure. Desperation to feel that magic once more was my primary motivator.

But now, after the worst of the withdrawal, I am motivated once again by my goal. I heard that most people quit in the second week, which means my scenario and frustrations are not unique. That is both comforting and sad. The first week is all excitement, but then we soon realize this undertaking is really fucking hard. It’s not so different than New Years resolutions. For that first week everyone is pumped.

“This is it! This is my year! I’m going to meet my goals! I’m taking back my life!”

After a week, most people have already resigned to the fact that no, this isn’t going to be their year. This is precisely why we often end up living the same year over and over and calling it a life.

I refuse to be someone who gives up after a week. Giving up on this goal hasn’t even occurred to me, because not being a writer has never occurred to me.

I am so grateful I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo. It’s the perfect time to take on drafting a novel because there is so much amazing energy globally around writing, and so many resources available. I have learned more in the past ten days about story structure than I have in the past five years. That is because I’m learning by doing.

Although incredibly frustrating and demotivating, I am happy to know NOW where my problems are so I can address them and rework them, instead of after years of planning and thinking about something, only to realize ten days in that it doesn’t work.

If you have an idea you want to write, something you want to build, or something you want to paint, my advice to you is: START NOW.

You can read all you want about building, writing and painting or anything else, but until you start putting brush to canvas, or pen to page, you’re not making any progress. And I assure you, no matter how much you read, you’ll soon realize that you have no idea what you’re doing, just like I realized with my novel. I say that with laughter, but it isn’t a joke.

I’m going to keep working toward my goal of 50,000 words. Hopefully the creative magic finds me again. I have already learned that it’s not about the words. In striving for those words, you are forced to plot, develop your characters, do research AND write. The words are the fruits of having been forced to figure shit out. So if I keep striving for 50,000 words, I know I’ll need to figure out my story structure. I’m many steps closer to that thanks to getting derailed and refusing to quit. I will figure out how to get things back on track.

I want to have a novel. Therefore, I’ll need to write one. Now is just as good as a time as any to make that happen.

What do you want that you’ve never had? Maybe it’s time to do something you’ve never done before, like get started.