In My Hunt for Clarity
These last few years have given me a lot of emotions and thoughts to process, most of which have been grief related. I’ve used many methods to do the needed processing to get myself to clarity and peace, but sitting down with my journal and pen is one of my favorite ways to work through things and figure out what’s going on inside. Usually, all I need is a blank page to create space to capture all of the thoughts and feelings tumbling in my mind so I can bring order to them.
However, earlier this year I realized I was in a season where a blank page felt overwhelming instead of helpful. I wasn’t sure why, but every time I’d try to journal my thoughts I couldn’t. I’d sit there staring at my page with thoughts and emotions needing to come out, but I didn’t know where to start. I’d try to write something, but it only made my stress levels rise instead of providing the intended relief.
“Don’t get caught up in doing things the same way simply because you always have.”
When I because aware of this pattern, I became curious about what was happening.
What I found was that I didn’t want a blank page, but some guides to help me find the clarity and sense of grounding I was seeking.
I looked for a guided journal resource to help me with this, but couldn’t find anything to fit my needs. So I tried creating my own. I found the questions to be helpful and after some tweaking it became exactly what I needed in that season.
When I first started using it, I would use the complete two-page spread daily. After a few days, I realized that I didn’t always want to use it daily or fill out all of it. So I gave myself permission to use it in whatever way was helpful. After all the point was to gain clarity, not fill out something daily.
Here are some of the ways I’ve it helpful to use the Clarity Check-In in my personal life…
~using it as a part of my morning routine to help me know what’s going on in my inner world daily
~only use the first page when I need a quick sense of grounding or need to process thoughts and emotions
~only use the second page when I want to get an idea of how I’m doing and where I’m heading
~ use it anytime when I want to journal through some things, but a blank page feels a little overwhelming
Lately one of my favorite ways to use it is on my iPad (with my Apple Pencil) whenever I need to check in with myself. I didn’t know how to use it in that way, but someone helped me to figure it out. I want to share how to do that with you in case you would like to try it or another PDF file in the same way. (Look below for the instructions.)
No matter what you use to help yourself find clarity, just remember that it’s okay to change the method you use in different seasons. Don’t get caught up in doing things the same way simply because you always have. And if one of the ways you would like to experiment with is a guided resource, maybe the Clarity Check-In I created might be helpful to you. If so, you can find it here (link to shop listing).
“I gave myself permission to use it in whatever way was helpful.”
~How to fill out a PDF file on your iPad\~
In order to fill out a PDF file on your iPad (with Apple Pencil) you will need an app that will give the capability.
A few options in the app store are Noteshelf, Goodnotes, and Notability. I chose Noteshelf for the app I use and so far I’m really enjoying it. I recommend reading about the capabilities of each app and picking the one that will work best for you.
How to use your pdf file digitally with Noteshelf...
~Purchase the app in the App Store and download it.
~Open the app.
~Click on the “+” in the upper right corner.
~Click on “Import Document”.
~Locate the pdf file and click on it.
~Click on the new notebook created with your pdf file.
~Choose your pen, color, and size to write with from the first icon in the middle set.
~Begin writing on your pdf file and enjoy!
While these instructions are specific to Noteshelf, the idea is the same for each app. I recommend going through the app you choose and get to know how it works. YouTube can be a great resource for tutorials on specific apps if you would like extra help.
I hope that you enjoy being able to gain clarity in this fun digital way! Please let me know if you have any questions.