Hello WEEKEND! Remember, the 200 Day Journal is a journaling journey you can join in at anytime! We made it through another week, now it’s time to kick back, relax, reflect and… journal, of course!

You can find out details of our current adventure HERE . If you are stepping in and have some free time to journal or you want to check any prompts you missed, this is the PAGE to GO for all the prompts as they are published.

Prompt 59: 20

This prompt, I confess, is inspired by my beautiful daughter, Katherine, who turned 20 on October 9- -which, technically, will be yesterday at the time of this publication.

I dedicate this prompt to My Girl (my nickname for her) and all those who are turning 20 in 2020. AND for all of us who have lived through 20, moved through twenty-something and beyond…um, and so on, and so on, and…well you get the point. This prompt is for YOU and all of US!

Choose the journaling prompt option that fits for you, ignore the rest!

Option 1: On your mark, get set…GO! Happy Birthday, 20! You are one year older. Twenty years in to your own life’s journey. You have left the teen years behind, and crossed over into a new, uncharted territory. Welcome to the land of Almost an Adult, BUT, Not Quite. In this new land, you have some freedom, growing responsibilities, and more than a few possibilities to explore. Write about these three areas in your journal. You can use columns, create mind maps, or bulleted lists. There is no wrong way to express yourself in your journal. You do not have to be perfect, have all the answers, or dot your i’s and cross your t’s. You can scribble your thoughts. There is only one person those scribbles have to be legible for and that person is you.

If you need some starters, try these:

The freedoms I have are…

My responsibilities include…

A few possibilities I would like to explore are…

If I had zero limitations I would….

PS The above prompts work for all ages, especially when you need a fresh start!

Option 2: 2020 has been a unique and challenging time in history in many ways. Or has it? In the Book of Ecclesiastes, there is a verse that reads : “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.“ (ESV) How is this comforting? How is this disturbing? How can we reconcile the two? What can we take away from these words, especially in a year that is continuously claimed to be unprecedented? Respond in your journal. On a random side note, Ecclesiastes is my favorite book in the Bible.

Option 3: 20 Beautiful Memories – Remembering the Precious (2 Part Prompt)

Part 1. Using a timeline OR a list OR brainstorm session. Write as many beautiful moments or memories you can. Go for quantity. They can be ordinary, simple things. They might be subtle or unnoticed by others, but were sublime in some way to you. One rule: Remember and think only about light and lovely memories. Times of happiness, laughter, love, beautiful moments. Places of beauty you’ve visited, moments in time where something pulled your attention, a captivating view that you recall. An unexpected blessing. Try to just capture as many as you can during this writing session. A serendipitous moment. This is a quick write NOT detailed, just quick snapshots jotted down. Maybe about 15 minutes.

Part 2. This is where you narrow down to 20 and add the details, the defining moments and what made them beautiful, lovely or precious. You can write twenty individual paragraphs. Or minimize your journaling to one sentence descriptions. Or draw out 20 boxes, boxes to fill with description. You could use 20 index or journaling cards. Find the thread if there is one, or find what the common denominator is in these 20. Keep these 20 Beautiful memories and revisit them in the future, noticing (and journaling) what perceptions change, what details resurface over time, what changes, and what stays the same.

Option 4 : Dear 2020,

Ending on a positive note- Write the letter that you really want to this year BUT it must end with a turn for the positive. After you say what you think you must say to the year that shall not be named (Ha!)- try the turn with something like:

Still…

However…

No matter what…

I promise myself…

Option 5: Speaking of Promises!

Last but not least, journal 20 promises to yourself…that you will keep, because you are worth the effort. Keep them simple, sincere. Not all have to be serious because silly promises can bring laughter…and that is good for the soul!

I hope you found at least one of these prompts doable. Look at it this way, you’ve got the rest of the year to work through them! These prompts will self destruct at midnight January 1, 2021.

Um…that’s not true. But I had you for a minute, didn’t I?

Journaling Tip- 20 is just a number, if you are feeling overwhelmed, you can make that 20 any number that works for you! 5, 10, 15, 3…Don’t sweat the small stuff. Repeat that 20 times. In your journal!