Friday Reflection: Five Journal Prompts for Seasonal Curation
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Bonjour from Paris! The girls and I returned yesterday and the magic of le rentrée is in full force! I have spent this week with you, discussing the practical steps of creating your seasonal bucket list - the beautiful mess of inspiration, the organizing systems, and the Plan A and Plan B strategies. But beneath all of that methodology lies something deeper: the act of consciously choosing how you want to spend your irreplaceable time.
These five prompts are designed to help you AND me dig into the heart of seasonal curation - not just what you want to do, but why, and how those choices reflect what you truly value.
I'll be working through these myself this weekend whenever possible, and I'll share my own reflections as posts when they feel ready to offer something helpful to our conversation.
Take your time with these. Pour yourself something warm, find a quiet corner, and let your honest thoughts spill onto the page.
1. The Feeling Audit
Close your eyes and imagine your ideal afternoon in this season. Don't think about Instagram-worthy activities or places you think you should want to visit. Just focus on the feeling.
What does contentment look like for you right now? Are you surrounded by people or blissfully alone? Are you moving through the world or settled in one perfect spot? Are you learning something new or sinking into familiar comfort?
Write down every sensory detail - the textures, sounds, smells, temperatures that make you feel most like yourself. Then ask: does your current seasonal list actually create space for these feelings, or are you planning a season that looks good but doesn't feed your soul?
2. The Time Thief Investigation
We talked about how the average person watches 24 hours of television each week - essentially 5.7 years of their life. But television isn't the only way we unconsciously lease out our precious hours.
Where does your time actually go? Without judgment, track your patterns for a few days. How much time do you spend scrolling your phone? Complaining about things you can't change? Doing things you think you should do rather than things that genuinely nourish you?
If you reclaimed just half of your least intentional hours each week, what would you do with that gift of time? How would it change your capacity to live the curated life you're dreaming of?
3. The Authenticity Mirror
Think about the last few experiences you planned or activities you participated in. How many were chosen because you genuinely wanted them, versus because they seemed expected, impressive, or "right"?
This is particularly relevant if you're planning travel or exploring a new city. Are you including certain places or activities because they're "must-sees" or because they actually align with what brings you joy?
Write about a time when you did something purely because it delighted you, without worrying about how it would look to others. How can you build more of that authentic choosing into your seasonal plans?
4. The Slow Cooker Reflection
I mentioned how I think of my brain like a slow cooker - giving ideas time to develop depth and complexity rather than rushing the creative process.
Where else in your life could you benefit from this "slow cooker" approach? What projects, relationships, or personal growth areas might flourish if you gave them more patient, consistent attention rather than expecting immediate results?
How does this philosophy of patient cultivation apply to the way you want to move through this season? What would it mean to savor experiences fully rather than rushing toward the next thing?
5. The Legacy Question
If someone were to observe how you spend your time during this season - not just the highlights you share online, but the daily choices, the quiet moments, the things you prioritize when no one is watching - what would they conclude about your values?
Would they see someone who participates relentlessly in the manifestations of her own blessings? Someone who makes living itself an art? Or would they see someone who says she values certain things but actually spends her time quite differently?
This isn't about perfection - it's about alignment. Where might you need to close the gap between what you say matters to you and how you actually spend your days?
Take these prompts slowly, dear friend. There's no need to answer them all at once, and certainly no need to share your responses with anyone else unless you want to.
This is the real work of curation - not just choosing experiences, but choosing to live consciously, seasonally, authentically. One honest reflection at a time.
