DEAR HARRIETTE: This letter is regarding “Birthday Blues,” the person who wrote in about celebrating their birthday in a new city.
Here’s another suggestion for her, or for other introverts who dread their birthdays because their friends don’t remember and they don’t like spending it alone. For my birthday, I always invite three good friends to help me celebrate my birthday by meeting at a restaurant.
It saves them the embarrassment of forgetting my birthday, and it ensures that I will be spending my birthday with people I like.
We each pay for our own meals, and it has become an annual event that we all enjoy.
— Introvert’s Celebration
DEAR INTROVERT’S CELEBRATION: I love the idea of planning your own special moment and inviting people to join you. This solves the worry of whether or not people will remember your birthday. Plus, inviting more than one person makes it more likely that people will show up.
Finally, being clear that there is no expectation of anyone footing the whole bill takes the pressure off of your invited guests.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m trying to start a daily journaling habit for personal growth, but I’m struggling to find the time and stay consistent.
I end up too busy or too tired by the end of the day to write, and as a result I haven’t kept up with it as I’d hoped.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to make journaling a sustainable and enjoyable practice. Are there any tips for incorporating it into my daily life without it feeling like a chore? Also, based on your experience, do you think journaling is truly worth the effort?
I’m eager to hear your perspective and any advice you might have on making this habit stick.
— Daily Journaling Habits
DEAR DAILY JOURNALING HABITS: Like any other new habit, you have to really commit to doing it. In the beginning, it will likely not be easy.
It has been said that anything you do consistently for 30 days can take root as a habit, so consider giving yourself one whole month before you give up on your idea.
Nobody said you have to journal at night. Pick a time of day that works for you. Consider journaling before you get out of bed. Wake up, stretch, take a sip of water and write. Keep a journal at your bedside and write down whatever thoughts are coming up for you that morning. Words, phrases, sentences or even images may emerge. Write them down or draw them. Do this each day, and look back at your notes at the end of the day to see what you have harvested.
I find that journaling helps me to gain clarity around my thoughts and can provide direction for next steps if I pay attention to what I capture. It is definitely worth it.
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions toaskharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.