Shared notes vs private journals

A private journal is where you argue with yourself. A shared session note is where you and your mentor build something both of you can point to later. They serve different purposes and Ally's cabinet keeps them separate on purpose.

The shared note

Two pens. Both of you edit live during the session. It captures what you agreed, not everything you thought. It becomes the reference document you both read before session #7. Keep it short — a page or two per session.

The private note

One pen. Written between sessions. It captures what you noticed, what surprised you, what you didn't want to say out loud yet. Your mentor doesn't see it. Over time it becomes the material you sometimes decide to bring into a shared session.

Why the separation matters

Combined into a single document, the private observations get performative — you write for the mentor's eyes and lose the honesty. Separated cleanly, both can be candid. The Ally cabinet keeps them side by side, one column shared, one column private, no accidental spillover.