One of my earliest memories is saving money to buy a–wait for it–notebook.  Yes, I earned money so I could buy a Hello Kitty journal.

As the daughter of an immigrant and an (unreasonably) proud homeschooled child, I loved writing, but often had to use old or discarded notebooks my mom found while dumpster diving.

I learned how to save money from exchanging recyclables for cash, selling lemonade, and hosting a yard sale when I was nine years old.

When I walked into the bright pink Hello Kitty store (which smelled like peach cream, fresh erasers, and grape soda) and bought my first ever new journal, I felt like Ernest Hemingway.  Little Ernesta Hemingwariguez. That was the start of my passion for journaling.

Every year, I start a new journal and I add entries whenever I can (traveling, during low moments, when I need to figure out what to do next, etc.).  Take a look at my 2022 journal versus my 2023 journal.

Last year’s journal looks like it took a beating, but it’s simply signs of motherhood.  My daughter left a greasy burrito on my journal…she put stickers on it…she left me notes on the cover (and virtually every page).

When I look back on what I wrote in it, I see peaks and valleys, which is just a poetic way of saying I ate crap, I blundered, I got lost, but found a way to keep going.

Ernesta Hemingwariguez strikes again!

Journals, for me, are a testament to surviving 100% of my hardest days.  It’s realizing that the moments I thought defined or ruined me, were simply challenges to determine my strength.  If each page could talk, it’d yell at me, HOW BAD DO YOU WANT THIS SO BUCK UP AND KEEP GOING.

(My journal has the same attitude of my Puerto Rican cousin who lives in the Bronx and wears hoop earrings so big they practically touch her elbows.)

Without sounding dramatic, journaling has changed my life.  At my lowest points, being able to write my thoughts revealed my greatest worries…and then opened my eyes to the next best action to take. If you’re ready to journal in 2023, I’d love to sell you my new journal now available at Target…JUST KIDDING I AM NOT PITCHING A JOURNAL.

If you’re ready to journal in 2023, here’s a very simple framework to get you started:

1. List three things you’re grateful for (get specific: you’re not just thankful for your pet, list what, specifically, your pet does to make you grateful).
2. List three emotions you’re going to focus on for the day (how do you want to feel?)
3. List three things you’re focused on working toward (business goals, health goals, relationship goals, etc.)
4. List three things that you think will stop you from working toward what you want (and then add ways to stop it from happening).

When you start journaling, take a photo and tag me on your Instagram story…bonus points if you have a Hello Kitty journal.

To writing our futures,

j*

P.S. If you are starting 2023 by mapping out your goals and creating a plan to reach them, you’ll want to >>press play<< on this podcast episode. I’m going to walk you through the exact process I use to map out my goals each quarter and break them down into doable monthly, weekly, and daily assignments. I’ve used this process for years and seen the results in my business – and I can’t wait to share it with you. Press >>PLAY<< now!