A Year of Focused Journaling - Identifying Your Authenticity

In the mail today, I received the latest issue of The Magnolia Journal, per usual I dove right in to learn about the newest design tips and recipes that Jo and her team put together.  I always start with Joanna's Letter From The Editor that she publishes in every issue.  In her letter, she explained that over the next four issues they were going to weave different aspects related to Identity and "exploring the fullness of who we are as human beings." In the first part of the Journal's series, she speaks about peeling back the layers of authenticity and she quotes, "Authenticity can't be copied; it can't be false."  I couldn't help but think, they're about rediscovering who they are as a company and their culture, and as individuals.  How neat!

I finished the letter and moved on to flip through the magazine.  As I was flipping through, I noticed a page with a picture of a journal that read Authenticity.  Sparking my interest, I examined the picture of the gold journal and the second page and saw it was titled, A Year of Focused Journaling, with monthly prompts.  

light bulb

Like The Magnolia Journal and the Identity series they are starting, as I dog-eared the page I thought, since I decided 2019 is the year about rediscovering who C really is as an individual, this would be a great exercise in learning who I am and discovering my authenticity.  Each month I would write a blog post relating to that month's prompt and share with you how I'm identifying and growing with this series.  I invite you to take part in a year of focused journaling with me.  Whether you're an avid journaler or you've been wanting to take up journaling as a resolution, now would be the perfect time to do so.  You can do it however you want.  A few minutes a day or once a month, there's no wrong way of how you choose to journal.  Below you'll find the monthly prompts for A Year of Focused Journaling.  If you're wanting to rediscover who you are this year or you may be wanting to grow in certain aspects of your life, then I encourage you to give this series a try. 

I hope that with A Year of Focused Journaling, you're able to identify your authenticity.  

That's the word.  Until next time.  

-C 

A Year of Focused Journaling

Monthly Prompts

1.  Identify the hardest parts of last year through the lens of gratitude.  

2.  Consider one word that encapsulates what you want to focus on in the year ahead.  

3.  Imagine the best version of your true self.  Describe what that would look like.  

4.  Who or what has given you the grace to be yourself?

5. Freedom means something different to each of us.  When and where do you feel the most free?  

6.  Who do you need to forgive? How can you allow yourself to heal from past hurts and move on?

7. What obstacle is holding you back from who you want to be?

8. List ways you compartmentalize your life.  How can you break those down in order to live fully?

9. What are your mistakes and imperfections? Own them and commit to moving beyond them. 

10. What have you viewed negatively about yourself in the past that you can now accept as a positive?

11.  What changed in you for the good this year that you are resolved to carry into the coming year?

12.  Pen a note of encouragement to yourself about how far you've come over the past 12 months.