Create your new year - A series of #SoftHeartSessions by riles to start 2021 off right.

Are you trying to enter 2021 as your most caring, creative, confident self? Do you want to cultivate the practices to make that possible? If so, I got you! Join us in a three week series of journal prompts specifically designed to help you uncover and center how to be your best caring, creative self and inspire you to have the confidence to act to create the world you want to live in. Together, we can create anything we set our minds and hearts to.

If you haven't signed up yet, click here to sign up. 

Okay, assuming you're signed up, what can you do before the first prompts start rolling on January first?

Here are a few things you can do to get ready.

1. Figure out how you want to journal. Do you want to write in a new notebook? Use scrap papers that you toss each day? Use a rocket journal you can erase? Do you want to record your entries using your phone or other audio recorder? Do you want to make daily vlog-style video entries? Do you want to blog online somewhere, whether privately or publicly? Think about it now and pick something, so you know exactly where you are starting on day one. (If you do want a new notebook, you can pick up a handpainted one from me here, or message me if you'd like a custom one.)

2. Figure out when you will journal. In order to create and maintain a new habit, it will help to preemptively carve out the time for it in your schedue. Think about it now -- will you write while you drink your morning coffee? Take a walk at lunchtime and record an audio in your phone? Sit down to write after the kids have gone to bed at night? Think now about when you can make it fit. I know it can seem simpler to leave it up to chance, "I'll do it when I have the time," but we both know that something else will take the time if you don't very intentionally make the time. So consider how it will fit in with your life, and how you can make that easy for yourself. (Can you set a daily phone alarm to remind you it's journaling time? Can you store your notebook next to the coffee pot, to remind you to pick it up when your pour your cup?)

3. See if you can get a buddy to do it with you! Humans are social creatures, and we work best together. Having someone else to do this with increases the odds of both of you completing the work, so consider asking a pal if they want the do it too. Y'all don't need to talk to each other about the content of your daily prompts (though if you feel comfortable doing so, sharing about it is another great way to process is and help yourself set intentions for action steps.) You can just check in with each other as you work through the prompts, and help hold each other accountable to making the space for the work.

Once you've gotten yourself set up, you can get started on a few pre-prompts to get the juices flowing.

This three week session will be focused on how we can create the world around us with our actions, and how to go about doing that from a place rooted deep in care. When considering how to cultivate care, we first have to ask: "What is care? What does it mean to care for something or about something?" Consider taking 10-15 minutes to journal about that, or do some light reading on the subject. 

We will also be talking a lot about creativity. Instead of thinking of a narrow idea of simply artistic creativity, it will be important to think more widely about creativity as the creative force behind anything we do in the world. Anything you create is inherently creative. Ask yourself questions like "What does creativity mean to me? What have I done recently that is creative? Would I initially have thought of those thing as creative? Why or why not?" Simple things like writing an email is creative. Making breakfast is creative. Take care of a house plant is creative. Even going for a walk can be creative, as you are creating and cultivating your relationship with the world around you. Consider how far you can stretch your idea of what is creative.

Okay, that's all for now. Looking forward to digging into this more with you! Please leave a comment or reach out if you have any thoughts about the prompts shared here or have any questions about joining the three week journal prompt session. You can see the whole series of prompts that have been published by clicking here.

with love,
riles