That sounds like a lovely setup! Having a notebook to keep quotes and passages from books sounds like a great idea, some people call it their Commonplace book :) I'm relieved to hear some people don't stick with the 5 year, it doesn't work for everyone!
Dear Emily I stumbled across your post and loved everything about it. Not long ago I addressed the benefits of journaling from a psychological perspective:)
Notebook junkie here… this year I tried to change up my way of organizing and journaling and I feel like I am floundering!! Tried to out everything in one… not a good idea… so I am here totally celebrating the multiple journals!!
Quick question… how do you all organize your daily to dos and actual appointments? Please enlighten me everyone!!
I definitely agree, having only one journal for everything didn’t work for me either! For my appointments and to-dos , I have a mix of doing a weekly overview planner page where I note down my to dos and appointments for the week and using the calendar on my phone (because it sends me multiple reminders!)
So much to keep organized!!! I caved and our family uses the phone calendar… it is nice that it is always up to date~ real time… but dang I miss my paper calendar!!! I still have to write the week out though so that my brain comprehends it!!!
Absolutely lovely! I love my TN. I’ve tried everything and every size out there and I think I found what works for me! More than anything it’s so wonderful you have this visual and creative outlet.
I keep four journals at the moment, although I'd like to streamline this when one of them runs out. In my rotation right now is my bullet journal (everyday companion for rolling dailies using the traditional bullet system), a reading journal (to save book notes and thoughts), a five-year journal (very stressful, I'm about three weeks behind) and a long-form journal for my lengthier entries. Ideally, I'll return to a bullet journal that I pen the long entries in as well!
Ahhhh the 5 year can be stressful can't it?! In 2023 that would frequently happen with me, so that's what ultimately led me to drop it for 2024. I like that you're planning to further streamline in the future, I was actually thinking of doing something very similar (combining my daily journal with my "everything journal") when my A5 runs out. Sounds like a great setup! Do you have a specific system for keeping book notes and thoughts?
I considered taking a year off it for 2025, but I know I’d regret it. Perhaps I’ll spend some time updating it tonight!
Yes, I always return to how I used to use my bujo as it was meant to be used: a commonplace book. Definitely going to move back to this when my current notebook runs out. I’m eyeing up a B6 size! My reading journal is super simple: a log that notes the title, author and date finished, then entries for each book that also notes the publishing house, format, dates read, page number, and my rating, along with notes and quotes using the bullet system.
For my daily journaling practice, I have a list of 4-5 prompts for the morning and evening that focus on gratitude and finding positivity in the little things:
Morning Prompts
1. What’s one thing I’m looking forward to today?
2. What is my intention for today?(E.g., “Stay focused,” “Embrace gratitude,” “Be kind to myself.”)
3. What are 3 things I’m grateful for this morning?
4. What is one small action I can take today to make my day better?
5. What is my plan for today (I fill this in at a high level, and separate it out into morning/afternoon/evening)
Evening Prompts:
1. What were 3 good things that happened today?
2. What’s one challenge I faced today, and how did I handle it (or what did I learn from it that I can bring to the next challenge)?
3. What’s one moment I felt proud, joyful, or content today?
4. What am I looking forward to tomorrow?
I take about 5 minutes to answer these each time. Feel free to try them out yourself :)
Your notebooks are so pretty. I'm trying to start the habit of actual daily reflection journaling. I seem to do it for a week or so and then stop. I currently have 6 notebooks: prayer journal, common place notebook, bujo (but is also common place? Lol ), a daily journal I call my burn book, a memory keeping journal and a spiritual memories journal.
The first 3 I use fairly regularly. The last three I'm struggling with.
love it! 4 is not too many. And I'm not saying that just because I have four different active journals too....
Haha 😄 Multiple journals are a must!!
I ditched the 5 year journal
But I have the dialy one. Then I have one to capture all my writing from all the classes/workshops and other online learning I do.
I have one for poems.
And I have a little one like you to keep in my handbag.
I am thinking of opening one to write down sentences from books that speak to me.
That sounds like a lovely setup! Having a notebook to keep quotes and passages from books sounds like a great idea, some people call it their Commonplace book :) I'm relieved to hear some people don't stick with the 5 year, it doesn't work for everyone!
Dear Emily I stumbled across your post and loved everything about it. Not long ago I addressed the benefits of journaling from a psychological perspective:)
https://cupofmonday.substack.com/p/from-stress-relief-to-cognitive-boost
Notebook junkie here… this year I tried to change up my way of organizing and journaling and I feel like I am floundering!! Tried to out everything in one… not a good idea… so I am here totally celebrating the multiple journals!!
Quick question… how do you all organize your daily to dos and actual appointments? Please enlighten me everyone!!
I definitely agree, having only one journal for everything didn’t work for me either! For my appointments and to-dos , I have a mix of doing a weekly overview planner page where I note down my to dos and appointments for the week and using the calendar on my phone (because it sends me multiple reminders!)
So much to keep organized!!! I caved and our family uses the phone calendar… it is nice that it is always up to date~ real time… but dang I miss my paper calendar!!! I still have to write the week out though so that my brain comprehends it!!!
Absolutely lovely! I love my TN. I’ve tried everything and every size out there and I think I found what works for me! More than anything it’s so wonderful you have this visual and creative outlet.
TN's are really amazing aren't they?! I'm so glad you found a size/system that works for you! Thank you so much, I think so too :)
I keep four journals at the moment, although I'd like to streamline this when one of them runs out. In my rotation right now is my bullet journal (everyday companion for rolling dailies using the traditional bullet system), a reading journal (to save book notes and thoughts), a five-year journal (very stressful, I'm about three weeks behind) and a long-form journal for my lengthier entries. Ideally, I'll return to a bullet journal that I pen the long entries in as well!
Ahhhh the 5 year can be stressful can't it?! In 2023 that would frequently happen with me, so that's what ultimately led me to drop it for 2024. I like that you're planning to further streamline in the future, I was actually thinking of doing something very similar (combining my daily journal with my "everything journal") when my A5 runs out. Sounds like a great setup! Do you have a specific system for keeping book notes and thoughts?
I considered taking a year off it for 2025, but I know I’d regret it. Perhaps I’ll spend some time updating it tonight!
Yes, I always return to how I used to use my bujo as it was meant to be used: a commonplace book. Definitely going to move back to this when my current notebook runs out. I’m eyeing up a B6 size! My reading journal is super simple: a log that notes the title, author and date finished, then entries for each book that also notes the publishing house, format, dates read, page number, and my rating, along with notes and quotes using the bullet system.
I really enjoy the B6 size, I definitely suggest trying it out! ☺️
Love this and love the idea of an everything journal (current googling options now)! Curious what your 4-5 morning and night prompts are?
For my daily journaling practice, I have a list of 4-5 prompts for the morning and evening that focus on gratitude and finding positivity in the little things:
Morning Prompts
1. What’s one thing I’m looking forward to today?
2. What is my intention for today?(E.g., “Stay focused,” “Embrace gratitude,” “Be kind to myself.”)
3. What are 3 things I’m grateful for this morning?
4. What is one small action I can take today to make my day better?
5. What is my plan for today (I fill this in at a high level, and separate it out into morning/afternoon/evening)
Evening Prompts:
1. What were 3 good things that happened today?
2. What’s one challenge I faced today, and how did I handle it (or what did I learn from it that I can bring to the next challenge)?
3. What’s one moment I felt proud, joyful, or content today?
4. What am I looking forward to tomorrow?
I take about 5 minutes to answer these each time. Feel free to try them out yourself :)
I hope you find a journal that is perfect as your "everything journal"! It's so fun to have :)
I don’t think, as a kid, I ever would have thought I’d be genuinely interested in notebooks. And yet, here I am
I love this post! I have a couple of journals too but I’m still learning the art to make them look as gorgeous as yours 💛
There is no such thing as too many notebooks. I believe it’s a law somewhere. 😁😁
Your notebooks are so pretty. I'm trying to start the habit of actual daily reflection journaling. I seem to do it for a week or so and then stop. I currently have 6 notebooks: prayer journal, common place notebook, bujo (but is also common place? Lol ), a daily journal I call my burn book, a memory keeping journal and a spiritual memories journal.
The first 3 I use fairly regularly. The last three I'm struggling with.
I love seeing the pretty pen case with Twsbis and Kawecos in the background 😍
It is so pretty! It’s from Galen Leather, although I find that I really have to squish it closed if I try to zip it all up, so I never zip it haha :)
Oooh that sounds like a great system! The reading journal sounds fun, do you find it being pre-printed helpful? 😊