Next week I turn 40. I’m looking forward to my 40s. The number doesn’t bother me nor the age. At least I thought until the other morning (at 4am mind you!) when one of our cats decided to wake us up by puking in the bedroom.  Normally when I am woken up early this early, I toss and turn trying to go back to sleep. When or if I do finally go back to sleep and then have to get out of bed, I physically feel horrible and wish I would have just gotten up. Does that ever happen to you?

This particular morning I decided to get up rather than try to go back to sleep. I have had so much on my mind lately that I thought it was a great time to grab my journal and jot some thoughts down and see if I could clear my head. What came out on the pages was surprising to me and not at all what I thought I would write about.

I started to reflect on the last 10 years of my life and what my goals were as apposed to where I am now and reflected on how far off track I got with my goals. I actually felt like I was having a mini-midlife crisis. Don’t worry, I wasn’t tempted to buy a red convertible like some of the experts say people do in a mid-life crisis. I just started questioning the decisions I was making and the reasons I was making them.

In a bit of a panic, I decided later that day to contact my wonderful friend, mentor and muse, Traci Long. I shared with her what I was going through and she immediately pointed out a pattern she has seen with me when I get to a certain point in my successes. It is that point where you are just about at the top of the mountain and then instead of going over the other side, you stop and slide back down the mountain.

“You’re not allowing for the miracle on the other side,” she said to me. What is so funny is that I decided to have a theme phrase for this year that would signify what I would do this year whenever faced with an obstacle. I would say this phrase and remind myself what I want this year to be. My phrase for this year is “Take Risks.”

I mean I have a plaque in my office that I happen to come across in a store by accident. I was put in the path of a jewelry designer who takes beautiful rings and engraves words on them and I had her create a ring that reads, “Take Risks.” I really thought I was taking risks this year. I mean I launched a journal business that I have been working on for 4 years and I have been letting go of other things that have been hard to let go of.

Sounds like I’m taking risks right? Wrong, what my dear friend pointed out to me is that I do this constantly. I come up with brilliant ideas and take them to a certain point and then when it is time to see if these ideas can fly on their own, I back down and move on to something else. I retreat to what is comfortable rather than going all the way in. I always seem to create a back-up plan for what I am doing.

She made another good observation in that I have built a cocoon for myself and become too recluse with my business. She is right! I have been in a virtual bubble for the last 9 years. I mean I work with clients all over the world but never have to meet them face-to-face. I have been so busy with running one of my companies that I have forgotten how to be social. I mean I have fun with my neighbors and I have certainly been more social but I have forgotten what it is like to really interact with people regarding business.

Interestingly enough, I have signed up for a booth at one of the Southern Womens’ Shows, which is a huge trade show in the southern region of the United States. I was even about to back out of that or sabotage the entire thing before I have even gotten there.

Now I know the true meaning of taking risks. It is making a leap even when there is no safety net or assurance that everything will be okay. Next month, I’m taking a risk and going for it! After all, I want to get on the other side of the mountain for a change and receive my miracle!

I’d love to hear if you have ever experienced the same thing and how you got to the other side of the mountain. Be sure to leave a comment below.

If you are a visual person or just very artistic, you might find art journaling right up your alley. What is art journaling? It is a form of journaling that draws upon the creative process using various mediums such as paint, images, drawing, words, etc. to express your thoughts or feelings.

I have to admit I haven’t done this type of journaling but it certainly intrigues me and it is something I am learning more about. I have been following various individuals who have been using this form of journaling.

For example, you might have heard of Donna Downey, who is a creative force in the crafting industry. Donna posts on her blog what she calls “Inspiration Wednesdays”. She takes her notebook and shows you via video something that inspires her and she begins to create amazing art. It might be a lesson, feeling, thought or an image that inspires her. She also posts photos of the finished product. You can check out Donna’s Inspiration Wednesdays by clicking here. Watching her go through the process is quite intriguing and awe inspiring.

While I’m still learning the process, I thought I would share with you some resources I have come across that can help you explore this technique. Who knows, you might enjoy this type of journaling more than just writing and writing.

Books on art journaling:

	Journal Spilling: Mixed-Media Techniques for Free Expression by Diana Trout
	Artist’s Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures by Cathy Johnson
	Raw Art Journaling by Quinn McDonald
	The Art Journal Workshop: Break Through, Explore, and Make it Your Own by Traci Bunkers

Inspiration

	365: A Daily Creativity Journal: Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life! by Noah Scalin
	Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash Your Inner Eccentric by Violette

If not having enough time is a reason you don’t journal, I want to share with you an easy way that doesn’t take much time but has a huge impact. You might already be doing it and didn’t realize that it is considered journaling. It is called List or Log Journaling. If you have ever made a list of things you want, you are journaling. How cool and simple is that!

To give you an example, when my husband and I made the decision to move to another state, we made a list of what we wanted in a home and neighborhood. You can see my list pictured here. You will notice that there are check marks next to most of the items. Those are what we accomplished when we finally moved. What is even better is that just by making this simple list, I am able to remember why those things were important to me and how I felt at the time I was making that list.

List journaling is really powerful. It not only captures what you want but you can tell what place you were in at the time you made the list. You can look back years later to see what was accomplished and how far you have come. There are many ways to journal out there but this is by far my favorite one because it gets to the point and is so simple. I did do more descriptive journaling along the way but when I didn’t have time, I at least had my list I could look back on to review.

If you decide to do some list journaling, here are 10 Rules for Creating and Conquering Your Life List as outlined in the book Dream It. List It. by 43Things.com. Also be sure to check out their website as it is a great way to accomplish their first rule.

1. Make your list public. Making your goals public solidifies your commitment to them, holds you accountable, and helps you connect with others who share your interests.
2. Include serious and fun goals. Vary the scope of your goals and include some wild just-for-fun dreams.
3. Include undefined goals. Avoid overlooking a developing passion or interest by fearlessly adding goals even if you can’t totally articulate them.
4. Document progress. While reviewing the list, record your progress and determine the next steps.
5. Make goals manageable but rewarding. Divide big goals into smaller tasks, but not so small that they become tedious.
6. Define the finish line. You’ll find it easier to complete certain tasks and track progress if you determine the duration, results, or final outcome you desire from achieving a specific goal.
7. Prioritize goals. Arrange your goals to reflect what you want to begin working on right away.
8. Maintain a manageable list. Somewhere between twenty and forty-three is a sweet spot for many people.
9. Review your list weekly. It sharpens your focus, keeps up your momentum, and reminds you of what’s important.
10. Revise and remove goals. A life list should be constantly evolving – it should reflect what’s important to you right now, not what mattered in the past.

Recently, I had a friend return from a trip to Europe. She expressed to me how laid back everyone was and how enjoying every moment out of a day was the priority. “The locals were just interested in seeing the beauty of every moment,” she expressed. She went on to explain how it was very different than America where we are so busy just trying to keep up. More than any previous generation, we find ourselves stuffing our calendars so full there is no possible way to get things done.

Once the day is done, we fall in to bed exhausted only to wake up and do it all over again. It was no surprise to me that when I did a survey to find out more about people’s journal habits, 84% of the people I surveyed said they don’t journal because they don’t have time.

This along with many other reasons is what drove me to create Sheic Journals. We ALL have a story to tell and we are the only ones who can tell it. If you don’t tell your story, who will?

I’m going to give you tips to lift the excuse of not having time to journal. You don’t have to spend hours on journaling. You can take just a few minutes a day. Here are some tips that will help you find the times that work best for you in your busy schedule.

• When choosing a time of day, find a time when you are least likely to be disturbed. I have a friend who likes to get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning before the kids and husband. It is her quiet time to grab a cup of coffee and just be with her thoughts before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.
• Rather than reading the morning paper at breakfast, take five minutes to write in your journal. Trust me you won’t miss anything as you will be bombarded with news all day anyway. At least this way you start out your morning on a positive note rather than constant negative news.
• For me, after I take a show in the morning I take 5 minutes to jot down any thoughts. Being an entrepreneur, I always seem to get my best ideas in the shower so I want to capture them immediately before I forget them.
• When you take your 15 minute break at work, take 5 minutes to write in your journal.
• While waiting in the carpool line at your child’s school or if you are waiting in any waiting room, take five minutes to journal.
• Once you are home, dinner is done, dishes clean and everyone is off to bed, take 5 minutes to reflect on the day in your journal.

Those are just some suggestions. You know your schedule better than anyone and you will find a time that works best for you. Give yourself permission to find time for yourself. It doesn’t have to be hours just five minutes. The point is to slow down long enough to take a breath and make yourself a priority. After all, it is a moment to make it all about you.

This past weekend, my hubby and I took a trip home to see family. I always take reading material with me on the airplane so I can distract myself (I don’t like to fly!). I picked up the latest issue of Where Women Create magazine. I just love this magazine. It is so beautifully done and is one of those magazines that wouldn’t have the same effect if it ever went digital.

If you have never heard of Where Women Create, it is a visual feast by featuring inspiring spaces of some of the top names in the crafting world. While I’m not a huge crafter, I love the spaces that are featured and the stories of how these individuals started their journey. Pick up a copy as you won’t be disappointed.

In this quarter’s issue, they featured Holly Becker of the popular blog, decor8. I was enjoying Holly’s story of how she got started. She was sharing her story of how she worked in the corporate world and was having a panic attack one day. She continues, “After my panic attack, I began to journal daily so I could tap into what I loved to do as a child. I also did a lot of list making and mind mapping.”

Whoo hoo!!! I was excited to see that she tapped in to the power of jouraling and look at her now.  In her words, “And now, six years later, I author one of the most influential design blogs with a daily audience of over 46,000 people.”

It is always my desire for people to tap in to their soul through journaling. In the words of L’Oreal just say to yourself, “I am worth it”. If you too find yourself in an unhappy place, take your journal out and remember what you used to enjoy as a child. You will be amazed at what you discover.

Of course I want to eliminate any reason you won’t journal, whether it be time or convenience. Be sure to check out our easy to use journals to help make your discovery process more enjoyable. Click here to learn more.

How many times have you done it – gone shopping and spent tons of money only to get home and realize you made a mistake or it wasn’t really what you wanted? You felt the pressure of “SALE”, “50% OFF”, “BUY NOW”, etc. You couldn’t let that sale pass you by.

I used to do this all the time and then after I married my husband, he taught me patience. I had gotten so much better and learned to wait before making a purchase, especially a large purchase. But I have to confess, last year I backslid and it was such a large purchase it jolted me back to my strategy of making decisions.

Last year I participated in a 12 month mastermind group. I learned a lot in the group and it really served me well. I had made the decision that when it came time to renew, I was not going to renew. It was time for me to move on and spread my wings and fly.

We had our last in-person retreat towards the end of the year. On the first day of the retreat, the sales pitch came to renew. I was totally thrown off guard and wasn’t expecting it at all. They offered an incredible deal to renew and the price was half of what I paid originally to join the program. In order to take advantage of this great price, you had to sign up before you left the retreat.

As someone who loves a good deal, I started to consider signing up even though I had said I would not and was at total peace with the decision. Now I started second guessing my choice and was wondering if I was making a huge mistake not renewing. Thus started a downward spiral of sleepless nights trying to decide what to do.

I called my husband and he was at first very adamant about not renewing and reminded me of why we came to that decision. I however started to try and convince him otherwise. I did at least have the wherewithal to sleep on it before making a decision but that caused a totally sleepless night. Also the peer pressure from my other colleagues was something I couldn’t ignore.

Long story short, I ended up renewing. While people say there are no mistakes, I really feel like this was one huge mistake and obviously a lesson I had to learn. I think we make the best of our mistakes and they can turn around but none the less, this was a mistake.

In looking back, I analyzed why I let myself get caught up in the sales pitch. One of the huge things I did wrong was I made the decision out of fear. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to succeed without the mastermind group and I wouldn’t have the impressiveness of the program. Those were 2 huge red flags I ignored.

The other is I usually take out my journal and write the pros and cons of the choices I have. I didn’t do this important step.

I know we live in an instant gratification society but I have learned that as American’s we have unlimited resources at our disposal, which we sometimes take for granted. If something is available once, it will be available again when we need it or are ready for it. I mean even though Oprah went off the air, you can watch reruns of her show.

This year when the time comes to renew, first I am not even attending the final in-person retreat and second, I am 100% confident I will not be renewing. I have done the pre-work of journaling the pros and cons and looking at why I am making the decision. Another mistake avoided!

“It finally happened! Tommy spoke to me. I can’t believe it. I have such a huge crush on him.” Remember when you were a little girl you had one of those cute, pink diaries that had a lock on the front and you probably hid your diary between your bed mattresses? You would write about a boy you had a crush on or how the girls in your class were being mean? Ah when days were simple.

What happened to the fun an innocents of journaling? Why did writing in our “diary” become such a chore and why on earth did we make it so hard? I can remember spending countless hours sitting in a field outside my house writing and writing. I would draw pictures and put stickers in my journal and found it was the one friend I could count on to not betray me or hurt my feelings.

While I have grown up, I certainly face much bigger issues as an adult but my journal is still there and still my consistent and confident friend. However, I tend to neglect it and take its devoted friendship for granted. It is the most forgiving friend though and never questions where I have been or why I haven’t spent more time with it. It happily takes my thoughts and abuse and lends a tender page to cry on.

We can always pick back up where we left off like we had never been apart even if months go by. I feel certain, we will be friends for life and hopefully I will be a better friend as it has been a comforting friend to me.

I know we all have busy lives. But what if for just 5 minutes we could have that childish innocents again? If you have 5 minutes, you have time to write in your journal. Open your journal and write whatever comes to you in that 5 minutes then stop once the 5 minutes are up. You might be surprised what you learn! You might even find an old friend again.

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I just got done watching E’s Fashion Police and saw a story on Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen’s new upscale clothing line The Row and how they have a $39,000.00 crocodile backpack. One of the contributors on the show justified the cost stating that manufacturers can only use the underbelly of the crocodile and it is hard to harvest. I wasn’t sure what was more appalling to me the fact that they are harvesting crocodile or the cost of the backpack. I love fashion but wowza!

It made me feel really proud that we don’t use animal skin to make our journals. We use a high quality, man-made material so we can be one less contributor to sacrificing animals for fashion. Best yet, our journals DON’T cost $39K they are actually less than $100.00. We are also very proud that our journals are made right here in the USA.

You don’t have to sacrifice style to have something made in an unconventional way.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Be sure to share them below.

We are also excited to hear from one of our new customers. Here is what she had to say once she received her Sheic Journal in the mail:

“Thanks for my journal. It’s so beautiful! I am planning to take it to Germany with me and write daily. Being away from everything, that will be a lovely experience and good for reflection. Moments of quietude – what luxury.”
~ Helga Matzko

Having “balance” in your life is hard. There are those that argue there is no such thing as balance and those that say it is necessary. One thing we can all agree on is that there are times in our lives, some longer periods than others, where we feel overwhelmed by all the demands we have and also put on ourselves. Take this assessment to find out what stage of overwhelm you are in and learn tips on how you can avoid increasing more demands on yourself.

All my life, I have always been inquisitive to people’s stories. When my parents would have their friends over, I would sit and listen to them talk about their lives rather than playing outside with the other kids. This trend continued as I grew up and I always seemed to have someone older in my life who acted as a mentor and whose life I was fascinated by.

When I was in junior high (middle school for those who are younger) I had the opportunity to work in the library as one of my classes for the semester.  Sounds nerdy I know but for me, it was like giving me the keys to the world. I would organize the books on the shelves and find myself constantly stuck in the autobiography section. One of the first books I read was Diary of Anne Frank. One of the most amazing books I have ever read. It didn’t stop there as I continued to learn about others lives, their struggles and how they overcame them.

There was so much to learn. I was actually sad when it came time for me to end my term in the library. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life. My love for hearing others stories never died though.

If it wasn’t for people writing the stories of their lives, we would miss out on so much history. Anne Frank is just one great example of how a little girl not only gave us a glimpse of her life but it also told of the activities of one of the most significant times in history.

While my senses may be heightened because of my passion for journaling, I certainly have been noticing a lot of movies and celebrities lately who are journaling. Some of my favorite movies/tv shows that either center around or involve journaling are Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Little House on the Prairie (based on the real Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life) and Sex & The City (okay not a diary but it was based on Carrie Bradshaw’s life).

I know recently Jacyee Dugard released her memoir which was based on her journals she kept while being held prisoner by her kidnappers.  While I haven’t read it yet, I imagine it will be tough to get through.

Celebrities have been journaling such as Sarah Ferguson in her reality show, Finding Sarah. As she goes through her journey to finding out who she really is, she jots the moments down in her journal.

Part of the reason I created Sheic Journals was not only to give people a tool to help capture their stories but to also create a movement and encourage people to journal. I know we all have a story to tell and whether we let the world know about it or just keep it to ourselves it is always nice to put it down on paper and reflect back to how far we have come.

I would love to hear what some of your favorite movies or books are that are either autobiographies or center around journaling. Be sure to add a comment below.