In case there was any doubt, I want to assure my readers that even though I am a coach, I am also normal, imperfect and quite human. I make mistakes and goofs just like the rest of you. I even fail to follow my own advice at times.
Today I picked up my journal for the first time in 5 days! I am admitting this to you because journaling is something I recommend in my book and to every client as a habit that brings enormous clarity, healing and growth. Why am I admitting this so honestly today? Because of the clarity I gained as I resumed writing in my journal today. As Homer Simpson would say, “DOH!”
In all seriousness, the main excuse that I failed to journal was because I was on vacation. Although I packed my journal, I never once felt the urge to unpack it. I had slipped into a new routine – very much enjoying warm sun, running on the beach, a chance to sleep in, a new book, movies on my Ipad and just doing nothing. Truly in vacation mode, I never even had a brilliant insight to capture on paper. It’s as simple as that.
The beauty of this is that today I returned to all of my healthy routines including my 5:40 AM alarm, 16 ounces of water upon waking, the Five Tibetan Fountain of Youth Exercises, a breakfast Weight Watchers would be proud to track and making up lost time with my journal. Words poured onto the page as I realized that my good habits are well-established and comfortable. A brief escape to a magical place had merely interrupted my routine in a purely temporary way.
It is okay to break a few rules once in a while. A journal is a fantastic consciousness-building tool, even if you might choose to take a break from it now and then. That’s my best advice for today and I am sticking with it!
