Lists, dreams, travels, gratitude, reflections, trackers, there are endless uses for notebooks and journals. Here we are sharing how our team journals, plus the best products for capturing your inspirations.
Kelly Y.
I love to keep a journal when I travel to remember beautiful places, amazing people, and the moments that I don’t want to forget that a photograph could never capture.
This past trip to Japan, I found out that there are these stamps- called Eki stamps (eki means train station)- that are found all over but mostly in train stations. You have to seek them out but they are very fun and unique to each area. I carried my journal out with me every day just in case we might find one. It was so much fun and a great memory addition for my journal.
Kelly S.
I am less of a journaler and more of a list-maker. I live for lists! I have notebooks full of lists, often organized by:
- work
- home
- family
- Monica (there is always something to review with my business partner!)
- pets
Not only do these notes live in notebooks, they are usually duplicated in my Google calendar, so I can see daily tasks on my phone and laptop. A small notebook does live bedside, for jotting fragments of dreams or ideas that come in the middle of the night.
Monica
Keeping a journal is something I have done throughout my life, I have a diary all the way back from third grade! I used to be superstitious about reading my old journals but after encouragement to do so from a friend, I have found it to be transformative in helping me see patterns in my life and giving me agency to break through limiting beliefs.
I have about 6+ journals active at any one time. Most of them I use as trackers for habits that I am forming and wish to maintain. I use almost all of these as part of my evening wind-down, where I light a candle and journal by candlelight.
These are the types of journals in my current rotation.
- Reading tracker - what days I've read, as well as a list of all of the books I've read
- Workout tracker - what types of exercise I did that day
- Goals tracker - for specific goals I am working towards, or for new habits that I am focusing on building.
- Gratitude and daily tracker - A line is dedicated to the things that made me happy that day, and a tracker for the basic habits that I strive to include in my daily life.
- Evening journal - A place for me to reflect on the day, what I am grateful for, where I feel resistance, and to visualize my coming day or week.
- Journal - A place for me to journal anything and everything, but that I keep separate from my daily journal. This is usually where I go when I have big things to work through or moments to capture.
Shop Marbled Composition Notebook
Amber
I keep my journals on my bedside table to write the wonderful, wacky and weird dreams that I have down. Sometimes I go back and read them, and I love to share them with my kids. I also enjoy looking up the symbolism of the dream elements.
We hope you document your thoughts and journies too. Here is a resource to get started from NPR's Life Kit.
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