For the last 30 days, I've been using the Thriving in Motherhood Journal. Before this personal challenge, I would use it about once a week when things were hard and noticed a nice lift to my week. But as this year has continued to surprise us I started to flounder and wanted to see what impact the journal would have in my life.
In this week's episode, I'll share some of the logistics and tips for using the journal, the impact it had on my life, and my invitation for you to give it a try for yourself.
You may be wondering what it actually took for me to stick to my 30-day challenge. Here are some things that I found helpful:
Have a pen ready
Have multiple windows of when you will use the journal and put it in the next likely spot (next to your bed, office, kitchen, etc.)
Be flexible with morning or night (or both).
Pick it back up when you miss a day.
Don’t pressure yourself to answer every question. Pick the relevant ones for that day and leave the rest.
Don’t worry about keeping the daily and weekly pages perfectly ordered.
When I started this challenge, I was floundering. We’ve had a hard year on lots of levels - health, jobs, lots of things going on, kids struggling with different things (including surgery), and the unexpected keeps popping up. I have felt exhausted.
Here are some of the positive impacts I noticed during my 30-day challenge:
Using the journal has empowered me through this season. I’ve been surprised at how much joy I have felt in the last 30 days.
I’ve been able to parent better, more consistently, and more confidently instead of pulling into myself and surviving through the hard days.
I’ve processed some hard emotions/situations so I could truly find peace and let go.
I did a lot more service outside of my home in 30 days than I did all year. Small ways, like helping return a grocery cart and carry food out to the car, and bigger things too.
I captured many magic moments during the last 30 days and now my days are full of them.
My health wasn’t great during this window but when I did my monthly review I discovered a miraculous amount of things got accomplished. I attribute this to the power of having the vision in my Thriving in Motherhood Planner and asking the daily questions in the journal about the next three steps for my priorities that week.
I got rid of mom guilt which normally rears its ugly head during hard survival times with the question, “What would help me feel successful today?” This question allowed me to pivot to what mattered most each day.
I have struggled with anxiety about facing the next day in the past and fret at night about what is to come, especially when I’m sleep-deprived. But this journaling process helped me live more in the moment each day and ending the day with magic moments, gratitude, big wins, and God’s involvement in my life made a big difference.
This process led me to naturally have a better routine before bed and get rid of tech when I was journaling.
I’d like to extend an invitation to you to pull out your Thriving in Motherhood Journal (or get yours today) and commit to 30 days of journaling. Watch and see the difference it makes in your life.
If you've already been using the journal, I would really appreciate it if you left a review on Amazon to help other moms find it and see if it would be a good fit for them. And as a special bonus, if you leave a review on Amazon, you’ll be entered to win a 2024 coil-bound Thriving in Motherhood Planner!
There are some amazing bonuses you can claim when you purchase the journal to help you get the most out of it so don’t wait to get yours!
6 Great Books I Read In January [Episode 303]
11 Ways To Prepare for a Difficult Pregnancy [Episode 302]
A Guide to Getting Started With Children's Audiobooks [Episode 301]
My Vision for 2024 [Episode 300]
Goal Planning Guide for Different Seasons of Motherhood [Episode 299]
Digital Minimalism 2024 | How to Use Your Phone Less [Episode 298]
Setting up a weekly schedule/rhythm | Ideal Week Walkthrough [Episode 297]
#1 Thing Moms Need to Do For 2024 [Episode 296]
Energy Busting Indoor Winter Activities For Kids | Screen Free [Episode 295]
The PEACE Method For Planning Your Week [Episode 294]
One Tool That Simplified our Family Cleaning Routine | Chore Chart Alternative [Episode 293]
My 10 Favorite Books I Read in 2023 [Episode 292]
Our Favorite Homeschooling Curriculum Fall 2023: Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade [Episode 291]
It's Never Too Late to Be The Mom You Hoped You Be with Stephanie Stutznegger [Episode 290]
How Manners Can Lead Kids to A Successful Life with Brooke Romney [Episode 289]
Maximizing Your Productivity During Nap time: Top Strategies and Tips [Episode 288]
Getting Started with Poetry Tea Time as a Family With Young Kids [Episode 287]
Routines When You Have Morning Sickness and Kids at Home [Episode 286]
How to Get Things Done as a Mom With The 2024 Thriving in Motherhood Planner - The System, Updates, and Changes [Episode 285]
How to Plan Effectively So You Don't Get Burned Out [Episode 284]
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