The power of showing up and journaling
The Power of Showing Up
Jan 21, 2019
It’s been three weeks since my new routine of attending writing meetups and practicing the piano daily. I noticed that I was consistently following the schedule for the first two weeks, and got complacent by the third. My remedy and resolve: I can’t let complacency win. 3 weeks isn’t sufficient. I will consistently show up for 6 consecutive weeks. According to productivity experts, it takes 21 days to establish a new habit - I’m setting myself up for 6 weeks, i.e. 42 days, so I could establish a solid routine. Better still, if I showed up for 10 weeks, i.e. 70 days, I’d be set in my bones. Let’s do this.
What I’ve found powerful about showing up at these writing meetups though we don’t talk to each other is the collective spirit of focus and dedication to our craft. The unseen is more powerful than the seen. There is something more power about our collective focus than our mere physical presence in a cafe.
What I’ve found powerful about consistently showing up is that it kills my natural human tendency for creating excuses. Simply because the human nature is lazy and dislikes being challenged. When I make it a point to show up, I kill that lazy tendency, slowly but surely.
I’ve just found out from my collection of written materials in my Google drive that between 2009 and 2010 I’ve been writing short stories. This comes as a surprise because I’ve always thought that I can’t write fiction. ‘Well, whaddayaknow, Angie, it turns out that you can and you do write fiction pretty well, if I might say so myself.’ What we focus on becomes stronger; what we practice becomes better. My resolve: I will write short stories again.
A cosy corner in my house where I read and write
The Power of Journaling
The above is a sneak peek into my journal dated Jan 21, 2019. Yes I journal daily, and the reason for doing so is because I have to. It’s as important to me as the air that I breathe. You see, I’m an expressionist. I have this insatiable need to express myself, be it in words or actions. And because I can’t always be sharing my thoughts to someone or a group of people for fear of boring or tiring them out with my endless stream of consciousness, I’ve found my journal to be my best therapist, a most faithful listener and companion who is present rain or shine, snow or drought. My journal neither judges nor despises me. My journal listens, accepts and loves me no matter if I’ve been good or bad.
Days when I feel less than a writer for not publishing a polished article, my journal assures me that I’ve done my part for the day because I’ve written in my journal which ain’t for public consumption and is private to my and my journal’s eyes only.
No matter how your day goes, the extreme joy, the deepest sorrow, take it out on your journal - you’d find a ready friend who always listens and comforts. And I guarantee you, journaling is cheaper than a cup of coffee (which you’d have to pay for if you met a friend for coffee to chat or pour your grief to).