I’m just going to put it out there. I want my journal to do it all.
I want it to be a tool for:
getting to know myself better,
noticing and understanding what’s happening around me,
making notes about the things I’m learning,
thinking through challenges and how to overcome them,
setting goals, moving toward them, and tracking my progress,
capturing important memories,
exploring new ideas before I put them out into the world,
developing my voice, improving my writing, growing my confidence, accepting and embracing who I am,
practicing my handwriting, lettering, painting, sketching, and other ways to express myself,
taking a close look at my days and thinking about how to make the most of them, and
just about everything else that involves creating a meaningful, purposeful life.
That’s a big ask for one journal, so I have three: a notebook, a sketchbook, and a binder. Between the three, I journal almost daily, either by writing in my notebook, playing with paint or collage in my sketchbook, and/or adding entries to my journal calendar or other printable pages in my binder.
As you may have noticed, I need a lot of variety in my journaling, along with a sense of spontaneity and an absence of limitations. It’s also important to me that my journal accommodate nearly every facet of my life. After many years of trial and error and no small amount worrying that I might not be doing it right, I have made my journal my own.
And therein lies my view of what our journals should do for each one of us. In my view, a rewarding journal practice should embrace and reflect the fullness of our lives -- for better or worse, in good times and in bad, so that we can write what needs to be written and remember what we want to remember and work to achieve what we want to achieve.
Further, I believe a rewarding journal practice has two parts:
The journaling itself, in that moment while you’re writing or drawing or typing, should be rewarding. It should be interesting (even fun!), insightful, and moving. It should spark ideas and discoveries that you can explore further or put into use right now.
The cumulative result of your journaling should also be rewarding. The work you do in your journal should be meaningful and significant to you as you learn and grow. It should help you become the person you want to be.
And since we are all different and unique, every journal will be different and unique.
I’d like to spend some time over the next few weeks writing about ways to make your journal your own. In addition to creating a wide variety of printable journal pages that aim to support a rewarding journal practice, I have collected a variety of tips and tricks over the years for making the most of your journal. To get the ball rolling, I’ll share the one thing I’ve learned so far that means the most to me: when you make your journal your own, you’re one step closer to making your life your own.
