5 Ways You Can Write Your Way To A Change In The New Year

I'm delighted to welcome guest blogger Debra Marrs to Mums Got a Business in the first of a series of posts about writing and creativity.  Debra teaches writers to: get organised, get their book done, build a platform and generate a marketing buzz.  She's the founder of www.yourwritelife.com

The start of a new year is such a wonderful blank slate, isn't it? It's amazing how a simple flip of the calendar page makes us believe we can do whatever we choose, we can create whatever we want, we can be whoever we ever thought we could be. I believe that too.

So the normal thing to do is set a few new years' resolutions, and then what? Well, for many of us, it’s not long before we’ve forgotten what the new years’ resolutions were, we feel really bad about that, and we start the new year feeling low and blue rather than upbeat and strong.

Over the years, I’ve taught busy women just like you the merits of keeping a journal. We’re not talking the “Dear Diary, I broke up with Jimmy…” version of a journal. We’re talking a journaling process that helps you create change and open up new possibilities.

5 Ways You Can Write Your Way to A Change in The New Year

1. Daily Joy Points Journal - it’s so easy to notice all the things that aren’t working in your life. Change your mindset by recording your Daily Joy Points. Each night before you go to bed, record whatever brings you joy, makes you happy, or brings you back to the wonder of being a child again.

2. A Food Journal - Losing weight is the #1 new years’ resolution. Keeping a Food Journal leads to better choices. So go beyond setting a goal for how many pounds you want to lose. Record everything you put in your mouth, and make adjustments if the weight isn’t coming off as quickly as planned.

3. A Gratitude Journal – The Law of Attraction reminds us that gratitude is essential for attracting more of what you want and less of what you don’t want. Like a daily prayer, the Gratitude Journal boosts your attraction magnetism because you take time to notice all the things you’re blessed with.

4. A Victory Journal – Did you know that your level of self-esteem is directly linked to how competent you feel? And how competent you feel is directly linked to how much you believe you accomplish? The simple act of writing down 3 things you’re proud of accomplishing each day, great or small, will create evidence that you are a super success too.

5. A Writer’s Journal – A Writer’s Journal can be a dumping ground for stress relief as well as a source book of fresh ideas. Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer (even though I know you write or blog, right?), a Writer’s Journal serves as a repository for lists, first drafts, found poems, self-discovery writings, and polished story details. Whether you write poetry or prose, fiction or memoir, blog posts or ebooks, from a dream journal to a project notebook, from a memory archive to a research file, the writer’s journal is a springboard for creating publishable material. A writer’s notebook is a great place to collect flashes of insight, audition new material, or cure writer’s block.

Armed with 5 potential journal formats, you’re now ready to fill in your new year’s blank slate with fantastic change. From blank slate to super success, you’ll have all the proof you need on December 31 in the journal you keep all year long.

We’d love to hear which journal format you’ll start with. Please tell us a little about where you’ll begin in the comments below.

Debra Marrs teaches creative writing courses in memoir and personal essay. Her business writing workshops attract article, blog and ebook authors. Find her creativity and organization tips at YourWriteLife.com

Join Debra Marrs for more writing magic and inspiration during the 2012 L.E.A.P. Day Virtual Writing Workshop Retreat at: www.writersquickstart.com