Reverse engineer your day - new 10-minute journal pages!

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about reverse engineering your day — starting with the way you’d like your day to end and working your way backward from there to figure out how you’ll make it happen.

Since then, I’ve been working on turning that idea into a new set of 10-Minute printable journal pages. I’ve just posted them all in my shop and this first one (in the photo above) is free! If you’d like to give it a try, just click on the photo above or right here to download it.

The rest of the pages in the set take the idea even further — from a page dedicated to thinking about how you’d like to feel at the end of the day to a page for testing out one of your new ideas by day’s end. I hope you’ll love them all!

Tell me about your day

The longer I journal, the more I appreciate the stories of our days. Short enough to wrap our heads around, long enough to recognize the actions and reactions, big and small, that made a difference.

When we tie those stories together over weeks and months, moments become patterns, choices become paths, and, if we’re so inclined, the insights that emerge become opportunities for transformation. It’s a line of inquiry I find endlessly fascinating, with boundless potential.

If you’re up for sharing, tell me a little something about your day today. What’s one thing, big or small, you did today that made it better — more productive, more impactful, more enjoyable, or more interesting?

Who/what/which moments did you adore today?

With a playful wink to Valentine’s Day, today’s journal calendar prompt is “adored”. I loved writing about the sweet moments that filled my heart.

Who/what/which moments did you adore today?

Patterns journal

Trying something new over here — when am I not trying something new? — a little journal to keep track of painted page and pattern experiments.

These aren’t the originals, but scanned and printed copies. Mostly to see how they scan and print and copy. Possibly material for future printables. Possibly not. I’m not entirely sure where I’m headed with this, but I do love the journey.

Reverse engineer your day

I wrote this margin note after reading a fascinating chapter on learning outcomes and wondering how to apply its principles to daily living. This little snippet of an idea emerged: what if, instead of thinking about your day from the morning forward, you worked your way backward? What if you thought about how you’d like your day to end and then what you could do to make it happen? What if you reverse engineered your days?

The life you're creating for yourself

Checking in with a colourful prompt from my new set. Like all of the pages in the set, this one’s made for re-printing from time to time as your life expands and unfolds.

Starting with today, in this moment right now, what words would you use to describe the life you’re creating for yourself?

New printable journal pages!

Every set of journal pages begins with a vision for the kind of writing and thinking I hope each page will encourage. With this new set, which includes my latest experiments in watercolour backgrounds, I envisioned the sense of optimism and possibility held in each little tube of brightly pigmented paint. I pictured colourful pages intended to brighten your day and bring joy to your journaling. I hope you’ll think so, too.

You’ll find the first page, pictured above, right at the top of my recent additions page. It’s free and it’s all about this moment right now.

Here are my three things in this moment:

(1) I can hear the sounds of family all around. (It was a rare super-snow day due to freezing rain. Even the university where my husband works was closed.)

(2) The butter on the counter is almost at room temperature. There are sugar cookies in our very near future.

(3) I’m totally distracted by ideas for new backgrounds — including something that might be fun for next week, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

How about you? What’s on your list?

What did you share today?

New month, new journal calendar page. Bring on the new.

Today’s prompt was “shared” and, at first, I couldn’t think of a single thing. Then I thought about my lost tripod and how I called my husband earlier today, hoping he would remember what I’d done with it — and how we shared our memories of the last time I used it — because it was new and figuring out the best setup became a group project — and how we ended up finding it, right where I left it.

(And then I discovered I didn’t need it after all. But I had the loveliest chat with my sweetheart, right in the middle of the day. So, it all worked out exactly as it was meant to.)

How about you? What did you share today?

New printable journal pages almost ready to go . . .

What did you prepare today?

I love these little boxes and their odd questions.

Today, I prepared yet another batch of painted pages. I think I’m at 9 attempts now. Not quite there yet, but I’m learning to use a mop brush (and makeup sponges as makeshift brushes!) and my scanner’s settings make a little more sense every day. There might even be a new journal page, somewhere in the distance.

How about you? What did you prepare today?