International Women’s Day is the perfect time to reflect on how you can empower yourself and the women around you and we’re sharing some journaling prompts to help you do exactly that.

Journal prompt: How can I do a better job of showing up for myself?

One way you can build your confidence is by doing what you say you’re going to do. Follow through! Most of the time we have no problem following through with the things we say we’re going to do for others. But when it comes to keeping the promises we make to ourselves, we usually fall short.

Consider your writing goals, for example. How can you show up for yourself and actually work toward your writing dreams? Have you been scheduling time to write but when that time comes you do something else instead? It’s time to make a change!

Journal prompt: What lies is your inner mean girl telling you? What’s the truth?

I call my inner critic my inner mean girl and she always has plenty to say. You’re not smart enough. You’re not pretty enough. You’re weird and nobody actually likes you. People are only nice to you because they feel sorry for you. That’s just a sampling of what my inner mean girl told me TODAY. But everything she says is rooted in lies and those lies are all rooted in fear. To get her to shut up, I break out my journal and write what’s good and true and focus on those thoughts instead.

When your inner mean girl starts putting you down, I recommend you try doing the same.

Journal prompt: What boundaries do you need to set in your personal and professional lives?

Boundaries are instructions for how we want to be treated and we need to set boundaries in all of our relationships – both personal and professional.

We need to establish boundaries in our writing life too. For example, you need clear rules on whether or not you will write for free and if so, under what circumstances. You also need rules regarding what you want to be paid. Do you have a minimum amount you’ll accept for a writing assignment? Do you have a preferred hourly rate?

Having clear answers to these questions will help you get clear on how you want to be treated in your writing life.

Journal prompt: Which women in my life am I most grateful for and how can I show them my appreciation?

Remember, International Women’s Day isn’t all about you. You should strive to uplift the women around you too. And this can be as simple as letting the women in your circle know how much you appreciate them.

Also, don’t forget to be their cheerleaders as they go after their goals.

Journal prompt: To which organizations and causes can I donate my time, talent, or treasure?

While empowering ourselves and the women in our circle is necessary, we can’t stop there. We need to help women outside of our direct sphere of influence too. One way you can do this is by volunteering with local organizations that focus on helping women. And remember true empowerment is about working for systemic change. So find organizations that are doing advocacy work to change public policy too.

One organization I’m a huge fan of is the Women’s Foundation of Alabama. This foundation gives grants to organizations that help women with day-to-day needs such as education, childcare, and jobs, with the goal of accelerating women’s economic opportunity and disrupting the cycle of generational poverty. But WFA also does research to get to the root of the problems that women face and lobbies for policies that will help break down barriers.

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If you enjoy journaling and would like to learn more about how transformative the practice can be, join me for Your Story Is Your Superpower, a journaling workshop set for March 18 that’s all about how to unearth your unique stories and use them to boost your confidence and more.

Learn more and grab your tickets here.