A few weeks ago I made a list of lofty goals and habits that I want to form in the upcoming year. It’s come to my realization that making and keeping habits is going to be an extremely difficult task.
Luckily, I’m pretty stubborn and I’m determined to stick to these goals, and am willing to experiment a bit to find the best ways to go about meeting them.
The one I want to focus on today is my writing habit.
I love writing. I’ve kept a journal for as long as I can remember. My degree is in creative writing, and even though I haven’t found a way to use it for income, I like to point out to my parents that I still use those skills every single day.
So far, I’ve been doing really well at keeping my goal of writing at least six days a week. The problem is, I want to do a little more than just write about my day or what I’ve been eating or what is making me upset. I’d really like to find a way to push myself and stretch my creativity. I want to get a little uncomfortable in order to grow.
That’s why I decided to start a “Thought Box.”
I got the idea from a project I did last year where I wrote one good thing about my day on a slip of paper and kept it in a box. I still haven’t done anything with those slips, but am planning to make a scrap book one of these days.
Anyway, the idea for the thought box isn’t really anything like the “one good thing” project, except that it involves slips of paper and a box.
I thought it was a completely original idea, but I quickly found other similar projects on pinterest in the form of a “Journal Jar.”
It’s really very simple. All you need is a pretty box or jar, some note cards, and some colorful pens.
I started by making a list of 125 journal prompts. Some I found on the web, and some I thought of myself. I purposely put a good mix of prompts that I thought would be both fun and challenging. Some are ones that I’m excited about writing about, while others I’m completely dreading.
Since I know some topics will be more difficult than others, I’ve added another optional step that I think will make things more fun. I purchased a blank journal that I will use to brainstorm the topics and build inspiration. I always wanted to start a Smash journal back when they were all the rage, so I figure this will be a similar way to inspire and get creative with the prompts that I find more difficult.
I’m really excited about this project for a lot of different reasons. In addition to stretching my writing and creativity muscles, I think it will be a great way to get to know myself a little better, which is one of my favorite things to do.
It’s strange that after 32 years of being in my body, I’m still figuring out who I am and what I really love in life.
Anyway, I’d love for you to join me or start your own thought box! I put up a page with a list of all the prompts that I’m using and will cross them off and link to them as I go.
I’m going to be choosing my prompt a few days in advance and will post it for anyone who needs some inspiration.
I’ll be choosing my prompts on Tuesdays and writing the response on Thursdays, so that I’ll have a few days to brain storm.
The first topic is-
What is your favorite Season?
So that will be up later this week.
I’m still looking for other ways to stretch myself and would love to hear what you do when you’re in a writing rut.
What inspires you? What gets your creative juices flowing?
