Before 2024, I have never had a safe place to keep a paper journal. I tried every journaling and note taking app there was. I never stuck with it and I could never find a flow state. Especially if I was typing on my phone vs. computer. Autocorrect, typos, backspacing, finding the right word. They are all distractions but I couldn’t figure out why typing just isn’t the same. (Even as I do it now, it’s annoying with the auto word fill trying to guess what my thoughts will be) I thought perhaps there’s just something old and neuroscience-y about writing. Pen and paper. And maybe there is. But I think it’s the tendency to backspace and edit as we go that is the real barrier. I never thought of writing with a pen as only being able to move forward before. But yeah, that’s so true. I had a physical reaction when I read that. And I think that explains my ability, for the first time in my life, to stick with journaling long term. I have filled 2 journals in 2 years and that has been life changing for me. Thanks for sharing this. I’ll be thinking about it every time I pick up my notebook and pen.
Dear Jeni: WOW! thank you so much for sharing your experiences! you are 1000% correct: "Autocorrect, typos, backspacing, finding the right word. They are all distractions but I couldn’t figure out why typing just isn’t the same. " ! and "But I think it’s the tendency to backspace and edit as we go that is the real barrier." there is so much more "freedom" on page with pen or pencil!
I'm in it when my coffee goes cold and when I stop hearing the world around me. I tend to sit in the same places when I'm getting into my flow, so that's one signal, and I often listen to a specific playlist, which has become a cue for my brain. I've started with handwriting in the past and may go back to that, especially now that I'm at the start of a project again. I totally agree with you--it's not the amount of time that matters, but the repetition. Yes, it's great when I have an hour or two to spend writing, but I remind myself not to turn my nose up at 20 minutes! So much can be accomplished in scraps of time.
Dear Judith: I love your phrase of "scraps of time!" and I am so happy that you got your process down! and cant wait to hear/read more about your new project! Cheering you on, M
Loved the way you logically explained everything making us understand the science the safety behind flow , and the manner you have written ( put ) everything together
Waiting for that perfect, quiet cabin retreat to finally start working is such a trap we all fall into. I love the reminder that we can build so much in just twenty minutes before the rest of the house wakes up. It makes the whole process feel doable again instead of like a luxury we can't afford.
Dear Latte: you put it so eloquently: " It makes the whole process feel doable again instead of like a luxury we can't afford." - and you are so right - small, doable, micro actions and micro time chunks are so underrated!
I liked this a lot. Waiting for a big block of time can become another way of putting the work off. Twenty minutes feels small enough to begin, and doing that regularly is often how the work actually gets done.
Well, I've nailed repetition. I do it at the start of the day, always in the same place, so I suppose the brain/body likes that. I write my idea life, affirmations, if you like, and when the page is full, I stop. I usually start with the one knotty problem I cannot seem to solve and finish with the same sentence: "I am blessed. Thank you." It worked well for a while. Now I do a page of my ideal life and a more "fleshed out" version, (also only a page) mainly detailing how I feel about this ideal day. Maybe something internally is shifting, but it's not evident yet.
Dear Rose: I'm so happy for you that you've got repetition down, and that you are trying diffrent things, and I strongly feel that things are shifting and that once you start collecting evidence and noticing the tiny shifts you will have the experience of major aha this is actually happening moment! Cheering you on! M
Thank you Magdalena. So kind of you to respond to my whining. I know I am not a very patient person (despite 10 months of daily entries) so if a big shift is coming, I wish it would catch an earlier train.
You welcome, Rose! Look for tiny shift - what has shifted for you in the 10 months in micro ways? clarity of thinking, confidence, expression ...all of that counts!
Thank you Magdalena. I noticed a big difference at first, as the depression I was suffering from left. To be honest, I was surprised to see it gone. But now, every day seems the same. No big insights. No small insights. I still do the pages, both my "ideal life" and "how it feels like to me once I've "arrived" at whatever stage is comfortably successful. Every day. If there are positive shifts, they are so small I don't notice them. I feel the depression waiting in the wings to pay another visit, but it's not here yet. But thank you for your responses.
Before 2024, I have never had a safe place to keep a paper journal. I tried every journaling and note taking app there was. I never stuck with it and I could never find a flow state. Especially if I was typing on my phone vs. computer. Autocorrect, typos, backspacing, finding the right word. They are all distractions but I couldn’t figure out why typing just isn’t the same. (Even as I do it now, it’s annoying with the auto word fill trying to guess what my thoughts will be) I thought perhaps there’s just something old and neuroscience-y about writing. Pen and paper. And maybe there is. But I think it’s the tendency to backspace and edit as we go that is the real barrier. I never thought of writing with a pen as only being able to move forward before. But yeah, that’s so true. I had a physical reaction when I read that. And I think that explains my ability, for the first time in my life, to stick with journaling long term. I have filled 2 journals in 2 years and that has been life changing for me. Thanks for sharing this. I’ll be thinking about it every time I pick up my notebook and pen.
Dear Jeni: WOW! thank you so much for sharing your experiences! you are 1000% correct: "Autocorrect, typos, backspacing, finding the right word. They are all distractions but I couldn’t figure out why typing just isn’t the same. " ! and "But I think it’s the tendency to backspace and edit as we go that is the real barrier." there is so much more "freedom" on page with pen or pencil!
Exactly! <3
I'm in it when my coffee goes cold and when I stop hearing the world around me. I tend to sit in the same places when I'm getting into my flow, so that's one signal, and I often listen to a specific playlist, which has become a cue for my brain. I've started with handwriting in the past and may go back to that, especially now that I'm at the start of a project again. I totally agree with you--it's not the amount of time that matters, but the repetition. Yes, it's great when I have an hour or two to spend writing, but I remind myself not to turn my nose up at 20 minutes! So much can be accomplished in scraps of time.
Dear Judith: I love your phrase of "scraps of time!" and I am so happy that you got your process down! and cant wait to hear/read more about your new project! Cheering you on, M
Thought i wanna know more about the order in awareness!?!?!
Loved the way you logically explained everything making us understand the science the safety behind flow , and the manner you have written ( put ) everything together
Dear Dannn: I'm so glad that it resonated with you! Thank you for your kind words!
Waiting for that perfect, quiet cabin retreat to finally start working is such a trap we all fall into. I love the reminder that we can build so much in just twenty minutes before the rest of the house wakes up. It makes the whole process feel doable again instead of like a luxury we can't afford.
Dear Latte: you put it so eloquently: " It makes the whole process feel doable again instead of like a luxury we can't afford." - and you are so right - small, doable, micro actions and micro time chunks are so underrated!
I liked this a lot. Waiting for a big block of time can become another way of putting the work off. Twenty minutes feels small enough to begin, and doing that regularly is often how the work actually gets done.
Dear Sara: I'm so glad that it resonated with you! and yes, creating block of time that feels small enough is a great starting point!
Well, I've nailed repetition. I do it at the start of the day, always in the same place, so I suppose the brain/body likes that. I write my idea life, affirmations, if you like, and when the page is full, I stop. I usually start with the one knotty problem I cannot seem to solve and finish with the same sentence: "I am blessed. Thank you." It worked well for a while. Now I do a page of my ideal life and a more "fleshed out" version, (also only a page) mainly detailing how I feel about this ideal day. Maybe something internally is shifting, but it's not evident yet.
Dear Rose: I'm so happy for you that you've got repetition down, and that you are trying diffrent things, and I strongly feel that things are shifting and that once you start collecting evidence and noticing the tiny shifts you will have the experience of major aha this is actually happening moment! Cheering you on! M
Thank you Magdalena. So kind of you to respond to my whining. I know I am not a very patient person (despite 10 months of daily entries) so if a big shift is coming, I wish it would catch an earlier train.
You welcome, Rose! Look for tiny shift - what has shifted for you in the 10 months in micro ways? clarity of thinking, confidence, expression ...all of that counts!
Thank you Magdalena. I noticed a big difference at first, as the depression I was suffering from left. To be honest, I was surprised to see it gone. But now, every day seems the same. No big insights. No small insights. I still do the pages, both my "ideal life" and "how it feels like to me once I've "arrived" at whatever stage is comfortably successful. Every day. If there are positive shifts, they are so small I don't notice them. I feel the depression waiting in the wings to pay another visit, but it's not here yet. But thank you for your responses.
You very welcome, Rose! Keep going, keep looking and doing the work. None of this goes to waist! And I'm speaking from yearssss of experience!