First tracks 🐾

How many times have you set a goal or a vision for yourself and wanted to achieve it immediately?

In his book, Boyd Varty reflects on this tendency—our desire to rush headlong into a new job or relationship. Yet, in doing so, we overlook the vital first tracks of the journey.

“Obsessed with perfection and doing it right, we want to go straight to the ‘lion.’ We don’t realize the significance of the path of first tracks and how to be invested in a discovery rather than an outcome.”

The journey begins by pausing and first asking yourself: What do I need?

Varty shares the story of someone burnt-out by work and family life, yearning for inner peace. When this person reflected on what they truly needed, their response was clear:

“I need to be alone for a while. I need some time completely alone. But then what?”

Varty’s response:

“Don’t jump to then what…You have a first track. If you go and get some of what you need, you might get a second first track. The journey to transformation is a series of first tracks.”

Happy journaling,

Kelsey

Most journal prompts you’ll find here draw inspiration from the books I’m reading. Below, you’ll find the books and weekly themes so you can read ahead if you’d like. Reading isn’t necessary—it's simply an option if a particular theme sparks your curiosity and you'd like to dive deeper. 

Here’s the schedule:

• Week of January 6th - Theme: Self-discovery. Book: The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life

• Week of January 13th - Theme: Creating rituals. Book: The Power of Ritual

• Week of January 20th - Theme: Connecting & communication. Book: Nonviolent Communication

• Week of January 27th - Theme: Finding purpose. Book: Man’s Search for Meaning

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Want to find more prompts? You can scroll through all previous prompts here.