The 5 Minute Memory List — A Free Guide to Starting Your Life Story, One Memory at a Time

You don't need hours. You don't need to be a writer. You just need a cuppa and five minute, promise.

Can I tell you something? I have fifty four years of memories swirling around in my head and sometimes it feels like the most chaotic, whirling, wonderful mess in there. There are so many. And where do you even start? And honestly — who has the time?

You do. You have five minutes. You have a cup of tea. And that — I promise you — is genuinely enough to begin.

I created The 5 Minute Memory List because I wanted to show you that writing your memories down doesn't have to be a big, overwhelming, sit-down-for-three-hours kind of thing. It can be as simple as a list. A theme. A cuppa. A pen. And whatever comes.

And what comes — oh, what comes — will surprise you.

I recently asked my Instagram community to list the smells that take them back to childhood. The responses were just gorgeous — and it got me texting my oldest friend. The one I grew up with on the same road, caught the same school bus with, went to Pony Club with, and now — because life is sometimes so incredibly circular — lives next door to me. How lucky am I?

We started swapping smell memories back and forth. Text after text after text. Clag glue and scratch n sniff stickers. Her family's goat farm — goat poo, straw, formaldehyde. Nan's Christmas pudding. Hubba bubba. Rotten mandarin peels at the bottom of a school bag. Space food sticks. The incinerator.

We talked — or texted, rather — until I started drifting off to sleep mid-message because the clock was nearly midnight and I am absolutely, definitively, not a night owl. (I know, I know. Phone in bed. I'm not proud.)

All of that. From a simple list.

That's what this little guide can do.

What's inside:

How to create a 5 minute memory list — simple, and lots of fun

A real example list — our actual smells from an 80s childhood (it will make you laugh, I guarantee it) 

How to take one list item and turn it into a written memory — with a before and after that shows you how 

A whole page of list prompt ideas for whenever you need them

All of it in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea. Maybe two if you get a bit carried away — which I really truly hope you do.

A little taste of what's possible:

Inside the guide I show you the difference between writing about a memory and actually writing it. For example:

Instead of: "My mum used to bake bread every weekend."

Try: "Every Saturday morning the house filled with the smell of Mum's bread baking. I'd wander in my pyjamas and she'd be at the bench, flour on her hands, slicing the first warm loaf."

Same memory. Completely different feeling.

And you can absolutely do this. I know you can.

This is for you if:

You've been meaning to write your memories down for a while now — but the blank page defeats you every time.

You keep telling yourself you don't have enough time — but you do have five minutes and a cup of tea somewhere in your day.

You're not sure you're a writer — but something keeps nudging you to begin.

You want to leave something behind for the people you love — and you know, somewhere deep down, that your ordinary life is someone else's treasure.

It's free. Of course it is.

Grab it by clicking the button below.

You'll also start receiving my weekly Betty Mae Wrote newsletter — stories of slow living, letter writing, memory keeping, and the small ordinary moments that are absolutely worth paying attention to. You can unsubscribe anytime, though I do hope you'll stay and pull up a chair for a while.

And remember — even if you only ever make the list and do nothing else with it, that's a beautiful thing. Those memories, written down, belong to you and to the people who will one day want to know who you really were.

Happy memory making. Kim x

***A note on accessing the guide: 

Click the button below to grab your free guide. It will take you to my Substack, where you will need to subscribe to my newsletter (it's free, don't worry!). Once you subscribe you will receive a welcome email in your inbox. The guide is in there. Enjoy! Oh, and if you don't want to continue receiving weekly stories from me via your inbox, please feel free to unsubscribe at any time:) 

Looking for More Support with Your Stories?

This guide is just the beginning. If you discover a deeper connection to your stories and would like more personalised guidance, support and ongoing accountability you might be interested in joining my Little Life Stories program when doors open again.

Little Life Stories is a 3 month guided life writing experience for women who are ready to start writing their stories. It includes:

• Six weeks of gentle email encouragement, guidance and support
• 3 months of access to me via email (ask me anything!)
• 3 x monthly group calls with fellow LLS members – all designed to help you capture the memories that matter most and get that precious story written.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LITTLE LIFE STORIES HERE

Questions about getting started with your stories? I'm here to help. Please email me at any time: kim@bettymaewrote.com