Journaling for Well-Being

1. Introduction : Welcome to this course designed to support you in becoming a more intentional, grounded, and empowered version of yourself. In a world that constantly pulls our attention outward, cultivating a relationship with ourselves has never been more essential. Self leadership is the art of guiding your own life with clarity, consistency, and care. It's not about being perfect or always having the right answers. It's about learning how to listen to yourself, act with purpose, and stay aligned with what truly matters to you. This course invites you to slow down for just five to 10 minutes each day and reflect through powerful intentional journaling prompts. These questions have been carefully chosen to help you tap into your values, confront avoidance, rebuild self trust, and recommit to your well being. Through this process, you'll begin to see how small daily reflections can lead to big internal shifts, building the clarity that fuels confidence, awareness that drives aligned decisions and personal growth. Whether you're brand new to journaling or returning to it as a familiar practice, this journey will offer you a fresh perspective on what it means to lead yourself. You don't need any fancy tools, just a notebook, a Notes app, or a few quiet minutes during your morning coffee. By the end of the course, you'll have greater awareness of what's been holding you back, a deeper understanding of your core values, stronger trust in your inner voice, a renewed sense of direction and momentum, and practical ways to show up for yourself with more kindness and consistency. You are your most important leader, and in this course, you'll take the first steps to lead yourself with the wisdom, clarity, and care that you deserve. 2. Class Project - Self-Trust Journal Entries: Class project, you're going to take one small but meaningful action that shows you trust yourself. The first step is to identify one situation or decision where you feel called to trust yourself more. Then you should choose one small action that demonstrates self trust. It could be saying no to something that doesn't feel right, speaking up in a situation where you normally stay quiet. Taking the first step toward a goal you've been hesitant about or following your own timing instead of external pressure. The third steps is to write a short reflection on what action you chose, how it felt to follow through, and what you learned about yourself. This project isn't about being perfect, it's about practicing. Every time you choose to trust your voice, even a little, you strengthen it. You don't need permission. You already have the wisdom. Now you're learning to listen to it and live from it. Feel free to snap a picture of your self trust journal entry or your reflection from the project and share it under the course thread or community space. It could be a photo of your journal, a quote that stood out to you, or even just a word or phrase that captures what you learned. By sharing, you're not just expressing your voice, you're reminding someone else that they can trust theirs too. 3. Facing Avoidance: We often carry decisions in our minds long before we act on them. Like unopened messages, they sit quietly in the background, taking up mental space, tugging at our attention, draining energy we don't realize we're using. Avoidance doesn't always show up loudly. Sometimes it disguises itself as business, distraction, or even productivity in other areas. We tell ourselves, I'll think about it later. It's not the right time or it's not that important, but deep down. We know it is important because we keep circling back to it in our thoughts, our stress, our restlessness. This is your moment to pause and take an honest, compassionate look at what you've been putting off. Start by identifying one decision that's been lingering. It might be personal or professional, big or small, concrete or emotional. It could be ending or starting a relationship, making a career move or having a difficult conversation, setting a boundary you've been avoiding, saying yes or no to an opportunity. Committing to a change you've been contemplating. Ask yourself, what's the decision? What's keeping me from making it? Sometimes the answer will surprise you. What looks like procrastination on the surface is often fear in disguise. Now, explore what's underneath the avoidance. What emotions or beliefs are showing up. It might be fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of loss, fear of responsibility or emotional fatigue. None of these fears makes you weak or incapable. They make you human. When you name what you're afraid of, it loses some of its power. You begin to relate to the fear rather than be ruled by it. As you reflect, consider this too. What is the cost of continuing to avoid this decision? Avoidance often creates prolonged stress or anxiety, disconnection from yourself or others, stalled progress in areas that matter, or a sense of self doubt or disempowerment. Facing a decision doesn't always mean making it immediately. It means acknowledging that it matters and being willing to explore it with honesty and compassion. The prompts in this video are less about forcing clarity and more about creating space for it. Your mind might not have the answer yet, but your inner knowing probably already has some guidance to offer. Trust that. Ask yourself, what would I do if I trusted myself more? What's one step I could take just to move closer to this decision? Even writing about it is a step. Before you finish this part of journaling, take a deep breath and thank yourself for showing up for being willing to look inward and for beginning this journey towards self leadership. Avoidance loses its grip the moment we face it with awareness. You're already doing the hard part, you're looking at. 4. Clarifying Core Values: Values are the invisible threads that weave through every meaningful decision, action, and relationship in your life. When you're aligned with them, things feel purposeful, even when they're hard. When you're disconnected from them, even success can feel strangely empty. You should be sure that your values aren't static. They evolve. What mattered most to you five years ago may not feel as vital today. That's why regularly pausing to reconnect with your values is an essential part of self leadership. Now pause for a moment and ask yourself, what values matter most to me right now in this season of life in this version of myself. Think of your values as a compass. They help you make choices that feel authentic, set boundaries that protect your energy, say yes and no with confidence and align your time and energy with what truly matters. When you're unclear on your values, you may notice signs like feeling scattered, unsure or easily swayed, saying yes when you want to say no, feeling off track, but not sure why or struggling to feel connected to your goals or roles. That's not failure, it's feedback. Now you're tuning back in. Begin by writing down a list of words that resonate, integrity, connection, freedom, courage, creativity, honesty, playfulness, growth. Balance, service, peace, loyalty, love, curiosity, ambition, compassion, joy, simplicity, justice, resilience, presence. Which ones make you feel grounded? Which ones make you feel alive and narrow it down to your top three to five values. Ask yourself, why does this value matter to me right now? How does it show up in my life? Or how do I wish it would? What choices feel aligned or misaligned with this value? It's one thing to name a value. It's another to live it. Take a moment to reflect. Where in my life am I living this value fully? Where am I compromising it and what's the cost? What would it look like to embody this value more clearly this week? Living your values doesn't require dramatic change. It might mean speaking more honestly, slowing down when you want to rush or prioritizing something that's been calling for your attention. When you clarify your values, decision making becomes simpler, not always easier, but clearer. You become less reactive and more responsive. You stop chasing what looks good and start moving toward what feels right. You're not just listing words, you're reclaiming your compass. 5. Strengthening Self-Trust: Self trust is one of the most foundational and most fragile forms of confidence. But for many of us, self trust has been worn down by years of second guessing, external pressure or the habit of outsourcing our wisdom to others. When we don't trust ourselves, we stall, we shrink, we wait for permission. We wonder if we're too much or not enough. Self trust is not loud or showy, it doesn't demand attention. Instead, it shows up in subtle but powerful ways in how we make decisions, in how we speak our truth, in how we honor our boundaries. Take a moment and ask yourself. Where in my life do I need to trust myself more? It might be in a decision you've been circling around. It might be in a conversation you know you need to have. It might be in finally choosing rest, a boundary, a bold idea, or a truth that's been quietly asking for your attention. Then you can ask yourself, what am I afraid will happen if I trust myself? Whose approval am I afraid of losing? What has past experience taught me about my own instincts, and how can I reclaim them? Every time you silence your inner knowing, a part of you learns to doubt your wisdom. Self doubt isn't always loud. Sometimes it looks like over researching, asking for five opinions before making one move, changing your mind too quickly when challenged, saying yes when your whole body says no, or just feeling disconnected from your own desires or truth. These aren't signs of failure, they're signals. They're reminders to come home to yourself. Self trust isn't built in one moment. It's a practice. Like any relationship, it grows stronger through consistency, honesty, and kindness. Ask yourself, what would I do differently if I fully trusted myself here? What's one small way I can prove to myself that I've got my own back? How can I show myself that my voice, my wisdom, and my timing are valid, even if others don't understand? Start small. Keep promises to yourself. Speak up, even when your voice shakes, honor your needs, even when it feels uncomfortable. You don't need more advice today. You need more belief in your own inner guidance. You are already wiser than you realize. The more you listen to yourself, the clearer your path becomes. Strengthening self trust isn't about always being right. It's about choosing to be rooted in your own voice, especially when it would be easier to go quiet. You're not lost, you're learning to trust your way forward. 6. Your Future Self : Change doesn't have to be grand or overwhelming to be powerful. In fact, it rarely is. Often, the most lasting and transformative progress comes from small intentional actions taken consistently over time. Think of each small action like planting a seed. You water it today and it grows slowly. Sometimes unseen, but eventually blossoms into something strong and life giving. When you act for your future self, you're making a commitment to that seed. You're saying, I believe in the person I'm becoming and I'm willing to invest in them. Your future self isn't some distant stranger. They are you just a little further along the path. The choices you make now shape their reality, your health, your peace of mind, your opportunities, your confidence. Sometimes it's easy to get stuck in the right now and lose sight of what your future self needs. But when you make decisions with your future in mind, you create a powerful sense of purpose and motivation. You start acting not just for immediate comfort but for long term fulfillment. What does a small action look like? For example, make that phone call or send that email. It might be about a job, a mentor, a difficult conversation, or a new opportunity. Set a healthy boundary, saying no to one thing that drains you can open space for something that fuels you. Create a new habit. 10 minutes of reading, journaling, meditation or exercise can build momentum. Prioritize rest. Choosing to pause and recharge today is an act of kindness to your future self. Nourish your body. Preparing a healthy meal or drinking more water supports your energy and well being. Organize or plan. Spending a few minutes preparing for tomorrow or reviewing your goals can reduce stress and increase focus. Each small action builds your capacity to grow, adapt, and thrive. Sometimes it feels like small actions don't matter or that you're too busy to add anything new. But the truth is, small actions create ripples. They shift your mindset, your energy, and your confidence. Remember, your future self is not asking for perfection. You're asking for care, attention, a little effort. Even tiny steps taken consistently can transform your path. Take a moment now to close your eyes and imagine your future self six months or a year from now. What do they look like? How do they feel? What are they doing differently because of the choices you make today? Feel the gratitude from that future self as they thank you for the actions you're about to take. Your future self is rooting for you. By choosing to act today, you're building a bridge between who you are now and who you want to become. This is self leadership in its most compassionate, powerful form. You're not just hoping for a better future, you're creating it.