With the flip of the calendar, the signs of fall slowly begin to creep into our daily routine: the football games, the oversized sweaters, the back to school trends. As the drink of the season transitions from berry sangria to pumpkin spice latte, it’s a good time to hit the refresh button. Leaving vacay mode in the rearview, the month of September is often used as a clean slate for both personal and professional living. With that being said, Dear Diary should be your new go-to.
A reminder of the importance of putting pen to paper and writing down one goal, one observation or one experience each day to improve your goal setting, problem solving and mindful thinking skills. Looking for an easy way to practice how to stay in the present moment? Try simply turning your thought into a sentence — and not just any sentence. One that you can erase (vs. delete), scratch through & doodle around.
Rather than letting your fall turn into a frenzy, keep calm and carry on with positive thoughts and present moments. To Dear Diary in all the right ways, check out the following quick list of tips.
1. Trade your sticky notes, text messages and digital notes for an old school journal.
2. Start by using your journal as an emotional response to your day-to-day experiences.
3. If you’re feeling like you have extra time, expand your one sentence into a full-length entry.
4. If you’re feeling rambunctious after that, categorize your entries (or journals) by interest: food, exercise, garden, travel, projects, reading goals and more.
5. When it comes to making an entry, establish a routine and schedule a time to observe, reflect and create.
6. Learn the importance of re-reading your entries on a regular basis, to see how the tides are changing.
7. At your discretion, share the content(s) of your journal and spread the word about the benefits of opening a page with Dear Diary.