Day 16,553 Gratitude

Today I am so grateful ...

For the courage to give another peek inside of my sketchbook journal. Journaling in this way is so new to me and I feel so vulnerable in the process and with the sharing. But it is good to be a beginner and the older that I get, the more that I embrace the gifts that it holds. There's nothing comfortable about feeling fumbly, but it is what awaits on the other side of the slipping and sliding that makes it all worthwhile.

For the courage to accept the triple-dog dare to let go of my attachment to multiple means of keeping track of my days and condense it all into this one sketchbook journal. Yikes. It seems ridiculous that this change should feel so overwhelming to me, but I love my big Moleskine journal/calendar with a page for each day. It's still so brand-spankin' new. I write my daily I-will lists and keep notes for each day in there. It's swell. And I've been consistent, which cannot be said for many other best intentions. But I never seem to get around to getting in that sketchbook journal that beckons me from side table. It's become all precious, which it shouldn't, so it's easily ignored. Unfortunate, because it yearns to be my best friend ... I just haven't given it a decent chance to prove its worth.

With that said, I will take the month of February to set aside my Moleskine and use my sketchbook journal alone as the daily receptacle for all things Jules. My world may implode in the process, but what buoys me is knowing that I can go back to keeping multiple journals on March 1st if this process doesn't suit me. Simplification is always a good thing, as is having one less thing to lug around. A little creative rewiring could do me a world of good.

If you're going to give something an extended try, think about doing it through February. Really. Twenty-eight days. We can do anything for 28 days. So how about you? What game will you be play with the shortest month of the year?