Through the hustle and bustle of daily life, it isn’t uncommon for the average person to find themselves buried under a mountain of responsibilities. Ever since becoming responsible for myself, my home, my work and the schedules of my 2 little humans, I have depended heavily on planners to keep everything organized and journals to keep my memories intact. It came to a point where keeping consistent on both these fronts became a challenge in itself. The number of half-filled notebooks and dated envelopes containing ephemera for journal entries I’d been meaning to get to was a sight for sore eyes, which was when I took to researching what options I had. Then I came across bullet journaling.

Being a person who swears by her planners and loves journaling, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by this system that promised planner-journaling heaven! Designed by Ryder Carroll, a digital product designer from New York, the bullet journal is an analogue system utilizing bullet points and predetermined symbols to organize and put into one place just about anything you want to keep tabs on.

At its core, it is simply a notebook with indexes, yearly and monthly calendars, as well as specific pages dedicated to to-do lists, checklists and note taking. For those with a penchant for creativity, a quick search of #bulletjournal on Pinterest or Instagram will have you feasting your eyes on a smorgasbord of neatly-inked notebook pages designed to track everything from daily tasks and books to read, to study schedules and savings plans. All you need to get started is a notebook and a pen.

While any notebook will do, the most popular ones used are dotted, lined or squared. Make sure the notebook you choose is of a size you can easily take with you anywhere, and hardy enough to withstand the amount of usage you’ll put it through. Once you have those with you, take some time to set your bullet journal up. It may seem daunting at first, with all the beautiful layouts presented online, but the system’s basic building blocks are all you need to be bullet journal ready.

THE BUILDING BLOCKS

1) Index

The first one or two pages of a bullet journal forms the Index. This works much like the Contents section of a book, tying everything together, except that it’s updated as you go along. Number every page in the journal so they can be recorded in the Index. When the time comes to look a certain topic up, all you’ll need to do is refer to the Index to find it!><

2) Future Log

The Future Log is the yearly calendar where you put all your major events, birthdays, short and long-term goals, and this should take up the next four pages (3 months per page). Like all the building blocks mentioned here, it doesn’t have to be filled in immediately, but once set up, you can easily add details later as required.

3) Monthly Log

Next up, is the Monthly Log where many have at least two pages dedicated to each month; one for the monthly calendar and the other for the month’s tasks. Monthly Logs only need to be set up for the current month, giving you unlimited pages each month and the ability to migrate incomplete tasks to the month you’ll be setting up next. It is similar to the traditional Monthly calendar pages seen in most planners.

4) Daily Log

This is simply your daily to-do lists, with still-to-complete tasks from yesterday added in. In the original bullet system, each day takes a full spread in the notebook with space on the left for the to-do list and on the right for notes and anything else you might need to keep track of. This layout works well if you like having lots of space. For a more compact approach, many bullet journalers make use of a weekly layout to get a greater overview of their schedules.

5) Key

The main idea behind bullet journals is that everything is jotted down in bullet points and short sentences. When taking notes and making lists, these bullet points are marked with simple symbols for easy categorization and tracking. While the original system recommends a set of symbols you can use, any symbol you feel comfortable with will work too. It is recommended that you keep a key of these symbols either at the front or back of your journal so you can refer to it should you need to.

6) Modules

What I found really useful in the system were the Modules. These are pages you set up for anything you’d like to track over time. They can be monthly pages used to track habits, health or finances. Or they can be lists of things you want to complete within the year such as books to read or restaurants to try. You can even set up a “Travel” module containing all the research you’ve collated for the next holiday you have booked up. Tracking these modules is easy with the ever-expanding index at the front of your journal. As long your pages are numbered and you have them catalogued in your index, finding them again will never be a problem.

As you might have figured out by now, the best part of the bullet journal system is its flexibility. You’ll essentially be building your bullet journal from scratch with unlimited pages per month to work with, which can be customized to suit your every need, whim and fancy. Bullet journalers have expanded this system in uncountable ways.

For some, making it look beautiful is pretty much a hobby, and they use this time to relax and unwind. If this is not for you though, don’t fret! How much time you spend keeping it simple or making it elaborate is completely up to you, and doesn’t in any way affect the efficiency of the bullet journal system.

I found that I was able include journaling entries on the days we went on holiday with ephemera stuck on and get rid of multiple half-filled notebooks with separate planning schedules, which was a WIN!

If you find yourself struggling to maintain the many journals and planners one can have, give bullet journaling a try. With the basic building blocks in place, you may find in your hands one power-packed notebook containing your planner, journals, brainstorming notes and all!

The post An Introduction To Bullet Journaling, The Productivity Booster appeared first on WOFS.com.

The popularity of travel journalling has peaked in recent years and understandably so, with exploring the globe becoming accessible to more and more people over time. A travel journal can be one of your most treasured keepsakes from a trip, with first-hand documentation of your encounters with different cultures, landscapes and people the world around. Like all types of journalling done purposefully, it wields the possibility of transporting us back in vivid detail 10, 20, even 30 years from now.

You can have journals dedicated to trips within a specific year, or even have a different journal for each major trip you make. While many do, I am not one of those who can journal on the go. I have tried, and failed, many a time to bring my journal (and the colossal amount of stationery I think I might need) along, only to have it sit in my luggage untouched throughout the entire holiday. I prefer, instead, to not stress about it while away, taking in all the sights, paying special attention to the little details I want to include in my journal and noting them down in my phone for future reference. Whether you choose to take your journal along with you for the ride, or leave the journalling for when you return, here are 5 simple tips for getting the most out of your travel journalling.

1) Document your preparation

Preparation is a vital step to any trip, and the moment you decide on your destination and have your tickets booked is the best time to start putting entries down. When doing research on your destination, treat your travel journal as you would a planner tasked to organize all the information and to-dos prior to you leaving. Wish-lists of people and places you want to visit, must-try foods and your flight and travel itineraries all help to transport the excitement you feel for the trip into the pages of your journal.

Other pertinent information such as the expected local weather, transportation plans, as well as clothing and vaccination requirements make reliving the experience over and over again as vivid as possible. Leave some space between points for changes in plans and extra notes you might want to add in as you become better informed closer to your departure date.

2) Get down the details

It’s not always easy to remember specific details of what happened throughout the day, but specific details are what make travel journals such a joy to look back on in the first place. Get them down in bullet points anywhere you can; in your phone, on loose notepaper, even receipts or napkins if you must, so that when you can finally sit back at the end of the day and reflect, you’ll have all your notes with you, ready to be expanded upon in your journal. I add anecdotes of conversations we’d had, comments on the food we’d tried, our experiences with the various transport systems and information on the places we visit.

Remember to also note down how you feel throughout the trip. It’s much nicer to have a journal rich with the meaning of your travels as you reflect on your experiences. Compare them to what you understood of the world before your trip and see if there are any lessons to be learned and appreciated.

3) The little things

One of my favorite things to do on a trip is to collect little bits of ephemera to add to my entries. I liken it to a little treasure hunt of unique items I wouldn’t normally come across in my day-to-day life. It’s also a great way to bond with the kids. They love to discover new bits and pieces we can keep and eventually stick in the travel journal. Boarding passes, ticket stubs, information leaflets, labels, menus and maps are some of the things we actively keep a look out for.

Once in a while, we chance upon limited edition candy wrappers or custom rubber stamps, postcards and stickers offered by local shops and establishments for travelers and tourists to keep as souvenirs, and these are all kept safely in a little plastic envelope, to pull out later and paste in our travel journal. They add character and authenticity, making it really fun to look back at whenever we are feeling nostalgic.

For the creatively inclined, travelling is a wonderful way to reignite inspiration. You can include mini inspiration boards or mood boards, little sketches or artworks of all the new things that inspired you. Whether it’s sketching the local landscape or the pretty desserts, you can flex your creative muscles without the pressure of having everything perfect and make truly meaningful artwork for yourself and your family.

4) Good friends, great adventures

As with any journey, the people you travel with can be more important than your destination. When writing in your journal, remember to make special mentions of the people you spent your time with, the activities you did together and how you felt during your time with them. While taking photos of your surroundings is a must, don’t forget to also snap lots of pictures and selfies to remind you of the wonderful company you were with.

Occasionally, you may come across fellow travelers or friendly locals that leave an impression on you. A funny conversation in a foreign land conducted completely in body language is surely worthy of a snippet in our journal.

5) Be thankful

Travelling allows us to grow mentally as we become exposed to new people, cultures and lifestyles. The more we travel, the more we realize the things we constantly take for granted. Upon returning from your trip, give yourself some time to compare what you experienced with how your daily life is, and identify the things you’re grateful for every day. This way, your journal will be bursting with meaningful memories, unique keepsakes and valuable lessons learnt along the way.

The post The Travel Journal appeared first on WOFS.com.

Over the years, studies have shown that the practice of writing down the things we are thankful for, even just a few times a week, leads to improved sleep quality, milder symptoms when ill, less stress, and generally, a happier, calmer outlook. It not only boosts self-esteem, but fosters mental strength and resilience as well. By making it a point to reflect on our experiences and identifying the good stuff, we become more aware of them as we go through our day, bringing about immediate positive emotions and reducing a multitude of toxic ones.

I liken it to buying a car, driving it around the first few weeks and noticing that suddenly, lots more people are driving the exact same car. The truth is most likely that the cars were there all along, but only came into conscious view because we were enjoying our own new car.

Gratitude journaling, on the surface, is easy and pretty straightforward. Apart from stand-alone gratitude journals, this wonderful practice can be effortlessly incorporated into the weekly spreads of your planner or as journal entries dedicated to giving thanks in your personal journal. It takes only 10 to 15 minutes of your time and works wonders instantly. To ensure you reap the most rewards from your gratitude exercises, keep these 6 points in mind.

1) Choose Happiness

Changing habits come with its fair share of challenges. There will be days harder than others to find the silver lining, and days where a myriad of other more interesting activities take precedence over sitting with your journal. Happiness isn’t merely a result of having things. It is the result of being grateful we have them in the first place. Gratitude breeds happiness, and cultivating gratitude takes practice, which is exactly what gratitude journaling is for. Make happiness your biggest motivator, keep at it and you’ll be able to identify the positives when you need them the most.

2) Drill down

The effectiveness of this practice lies in its ability to gradually change the way we perceive situations and adjusting what we choose to focus on. Write not only WHAT it was that delighted you, but also WHY you felt so positively about it. Elaborate on your points and be as specific as possible in your entries. Instead of writing “I’m grateful for my husband”, it is way more meaningful to write “I’m grateful for my husband because he took the car for a service today even though it would be out of his way”.

3) Appreciate people

Our relationships with people greatly determine the level of happiness we feel in our lives. Making a conscious effort to notice the people we are thankful for, rather than just circumstances or material things, and acknowledging them by putting it down on paper is a sure way to enhance the benefits gained from giving thanks.

TIP: Take it a step further and extend your gratitude beyond the pages of your journal! A simple thank you note is a personal and understated approach to expressing how someone lifted your spirits. Let others know how appreciated they are and find out exactly how contagious happiness can be!

4) Freshen it up

With many of us, the motivation to become happier is enough to start us off on our little gratitude journey and our pages start to get filled with entries resembling “Mum bought my favourite mangoes!” and “Long weekend and a much-needed break! Woo!!” However, things can get pretty mundane, not to mention demotivating, if we were to write about the same things each time. To maintain a successful gratitude practice, challenge yourself to seek out and identify new things you are grateful for, never repeating the same entries. I can still be grateful for my husband, but this time, it can be because he bought dinner home on his way back from work.

5) Surprise!

A good way to make your gratitude journal more meaningful is to pay special attention to the unexpected events or surprises that made your day that much brighter. These types of events tend to elicit stronger feelings of gratitude and happiness, so savor every bit of the surprise and document them in vivid detail.

6) Good vibes only

While we tend to pour our hearts out into our personal journals, reserve your gratitude journal for only the positive, uplifting parts of your life. It is during the hardest of days that working on your gratitude becomes so much more impactful. Take the time our house was broken into by a petty thief. I had been working on my laptop into the wee hours of the morning and had left it on the couch to charge. When I woke up 3 hours later, the front door was wide open and my laptop, along with all the data I had been working on the past month was no more. Imagine my devastation when I realized I would have to start all over again from scratch, point zero. After a good 10 minutes of complaining, sitting on the stairs bawling my eyes out and feeling sorry for myself, one singular thought entered my mind ~ Thank goodness my laptop was there for the thief to steal, for if he had come in and found nothing, the worst case scenario would be him coming upstairs to demand our belongings personally. Thank goodness he ONLY took the laptop. Within seconds, my outlook on the situation shifted completely to one of gratitude and I was able to move on.

We aren’t able to control exactly what happens to us, but we can definitely control how we react to our circumstances. Gratitude is an emotion that needs to be fostered consistently for it to be second nature. Look to your gratitude journal as an instant pick-me-up in times when you are feeling low to remind yourself of all the things you have going for you. See for yourself how quickly a bad day isn’t so bad after all… and be happy!

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One of journaling’s many uses is as a tool for planning and organizing the various aspects that make up your life. It is a process that becomes meaningful when given a purpose. My mother always told me that in order to remember or track anything, I had to write it down. It worked for my studies in school, for my budgeting in university and every other task I set out to complete. Checklists, notebooks and annual planners became my dependable (albeit limited) personal assistants; prompting me, making sure my time was well-spent and most importantly, giving my mind the freedom to tackle each task with more focus and my heart the peace to enjoy the little things.

There are times, however, when even the most organized person bites off more than they can chew and overwhelm sets in. It is then necessary to take a step back, review the past few months in your journal and evaluate the goals you’ve set for yourself – in relationships, work, your studies, finance, health and fitness.

Vision boards are where you prioritize your goals. It is a space where you can redirect or refine the course of your actions. There are usually a million things we want to do, to complete or to experience and this is where you narrow your goals down to the ones that are the most meaningful. The goals you decide to focus on set the tone for what ultimately go into the action boards.

Create Your Vision Board

STEP 1: Identify your most important goals

Choose a time when you can get a few hours to complete your vision board in a quiet and comfortable location. This should be a place where you can relax, unwind and immerse yourself in your thoughts, with enough space to cut out your images and arrange them onto your board. Remember to have your journal with you. Take some time to go through it, reflect on the past months and list down the goals you want to focus on within the next six to twelve months. Make them specific and attainable and not too far-fetched that putting in the work will yield results that continue to motivate you to while closing the gap.

STEP 2: Select relevant images from your favorite magazines, Pinterest or personal collection

It is undeniable that visualization plays a key role in the actualization of goals. It has long been touted as one of the most powerful mind exercises you can do. By having your goals set out in clear view, you guide your mind to concentrate on the ones you expressly want to realize. The most effective vision boards should display not only images of the things you want, but also those depicting how you want to feel once those said goals have been attained. The more your board reflects how you want to feel, the more it will come to life and usher you in the right direction.

If one of your goals is to spend more time with your family, you can retrieve photos of your family members in a happy setting, enjoying each other’s company. If you are looking to complete a marathon, select images of people rejoicing in the fact they’ve just crossed the finish line. Whatever your goals may be, pick the images that remind you of why you made that goal a priority in the first place.

STEP 3: Map out your images on your board

Once you have all your photos and images cut out and prepared, it is time to map them out onto your board. As with journaling, how you go about arranging the goals on your board is entirely up to you. Let your vision guide you in deciding which images belong and which don’t. You can use anything as the backing of your boards. Some examples use a poster board or corkboard adhered to the wall, while others simply fill a frame or small canvas and hang it up.

Use definitive words to describe your goals. Phrases such as “Climb Mount Kinabalu”, “Write a book” or “Win the regional chess tournament” make the goals you place on your board all the more distinct and actionable. Write them out on little cards and place them next to their corresponding images. Finally, don’t forget to incorporate your own picture amidst all those goals as a way of visualizing yourself being surrounded by all the things you have accomplished.

Action Boards, on the other hand, set out small, doable, positive changes you can make to achieve the larger goals of the vision board. Reviewed on a weekly basis, they provide the platform for detailing the steps, notes and ideas required to reach those goals. These should be organic and allowed to evolve as you go. Give yourself the flexibility to edit the boards as you become more informed of the processes involved. As long as the bigger picture stays the same, you can modify the route you take to get there.

For this reason, whiteboards, magnetic boards and canvases work really well. If you prefer a board with more visual appeal, you can cover up some canvases with pretty cotton fabrics stapled around the back and you have yourself a customizable board that matches your room decor. Magnets and push pins make reorganizing your action boards a breeze and you won’t end up with a truckload of boards taking up precious storage space over time.

Create Your Action Board

STEP 1: Take a good look at your vision board

What actions can you take to move closer towards those goals? Take some time to brainstorm and list down your plans of execution. Most goals demand some extent of multitasking and the action boards ensure you don’t overlook any crucial steps in the process.

STEP 2: Fill in your action board

Now that you’ve determined what you need to do, you can fill in your action board. Sift through your idea or bullet journals and attach small lists and notes pertinent to your plan. Putting all the information in front of you will give you more clarity on how best to proceed.

STEP 3: Keep It Visible

As the old adage goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Have your vision and action boards out in the open and clearly accessible to you. Look at them often as they now function as constant visual reminders of what your precious time should be spent on. I have my action board up on the wall in front of my desk and it has many a time prevented my attention from going all monkey-minded and losing focus.

STEP 4: Review and update on schedule

Action boards are only as effective as the last review. Make it a point to reevaluate your actions on a weekly basis, identify what worked, what didn’t and what needs modification. Was an action too general? Be more specific. Remove completed tasks and add new ones. Update regularly and you create real momentum towards actualizing your goals.

While vision boards have the ability to inspire and motivate, action boards bridge the gap of where you are now and where you envision yourself to be in the future. Employed together with your bullet journal or planner for daily organization and you have all the tools you need to make your goals a reality. Good luck!

“Vision is merely a dream without action.” ~ Joel Barker

The post Actualize Your Goals With Vision And Action Boards appeared first on WOFS.com.

The value of ephemera is found not only in their content, but also in the beauty of their presentation. Interesting works of graphic design, typography and the ever evolving print industry create objects that reflect the design aesthetics of the time. Examples range from small ticket stubs, party invites and brand tags to the much larger formats of leaflets, packaging and maps.

Needless to say, you will find an abundance of meaningful memorabilia at your disposal once you decide to collect and use them in your journalling endeavours. In this month’s column, I look at three ways ephemera can be creatively incorporated into your journal spreads.

#1 Layer to add depth and dimension

The many different types of papers used to print ephemera provide a wonderful field of texture you can build on and frame your layouts with. Large pieces such as maps, sheet music and vintage book pages are frequently employed to set the stage for the rest of the spread and even these can be layered for a more elaborate layout.

Smaller elements such as movie tickets, teabag envelopes and postage stamps placed strategically over the larger ones lend a three dimensional quality to an otherwise two dimensional page. Make sure to pick items with relevance, as meaningful images and motifs influence how a viewer sees the page, forming points of interest as the eyes roam.

Certain items such as packaging and wrapping paper make excellent embellishments because of their pleasing aesthetic. Visually appealing printed matter such as maps and papers with text or script backgrounds add a touch of nostalgia to everyday modern ephemera. An easy way to produce custom embellishments unique to your journal is to use hole punchers in simple shapes like circles, hexagons, triangles and flags on these beautiful papers. In the image above, I used giftwrap my son received during his 9th birthday party to build the banner on the top of the spread.

Personal ephemera like boarding passes and invitation cards can also be punched out in the sections containing your name or any other important details you may want to include and highlight. Layering these one-of-a-kind embellishments takes your journal page up a notch because it is so much more personal.

Festive seasons are another wonderful time to collect unique ephemera you wouldn’t usually be able to obtain any other time of the year. Red packets during Chinese New Year, chocolate egg wrappers from Easter and ephemera collected during Christmas and Halloween are only some of the examples you can include to retain each festival’s distinct characteristics.

There really are no hard and fast rules in journalling. When layering ephemera, you can choose to include negative space to evoke a feeling of airy calmness, or go to town and collage the whole page to your heart’s content. The most important thing is to enjoy the process journalling affords you.

#2 Utilise typography

Typography plays a huge role in any journal entry. Old magazines, leaflets and brochures are an inexhaustible resource for words, phrases and inspirational quotes presented in an even larger array of fonts. Fonts of varying sizes and colour can be mixed and matched to compliment your own handwritten script. Use them for titles, headings, dates and even modern day acronyms, whenever individual alphabet letters fit the bill.

#3 Camouflage unsightly ephemera

Not all ephemera can be classified as good looking. A crumpled, fluorescent coloured post-it note with “I LOVE YOU” clumsily scribbled on by a 4 year old, while holding immense personal value, may not always jive with the rest of the page. There is, however, a useful little secret to including these priceless treasures while still ending up with a beautiful spread. Create pockets or envelopes with double sided patterned papers and house them safely inside. And when all else fails, as it sometimes can happen when ephemera sizes are larger and thicker than any pocket can handle, embrace it and design your entire page around it, bright colours and all.

The use of ephemera is not limited to personal or family journals. In idea journals, for example, interesting patterns, textures and images can be combined to create inspirational vision boards and reminders. Whatever journal you are keeping now, I encourage you to take a quick browse through your house or drawers and see what ephemeral treasures you can find that would make fun additions to your spreads.

The post 3 Creative Ways To Incorporate Ephemera In Your Journals appeared first on WOFS.com.

1. Family Journals

I know of parents who keep a separate journal for each child and gift it to them when they’re older. When my firstborn came along, I had the intention of doing just that but taking care of a little human put memory-keeping on the backburner.

A simpler, more satisfying solution to this was a family journal. Our family journals contain a collection of significant family events, funny quotes from the children (and adults!), ephemera from our little adventures and lots of photos. Granted most of it is from my perspective, but as the stories are all about our shenanigans, they do not disappoint. Contributions of notes and pieces of art from our kids all help to cement the little moments of family life frequently lost in the commotion of the daily one.

2. Travel Journals

Travel journals have become one of the most popular journals to keep and understandably so. No travel adventure is complete without some sort of souvenir or record to remind us of our unique experiences. These journals help make vivid the details of what would otherwise be faded memories.

Whether you decide to keep a different journal for each destination or journals with multiple adventures inside, get started the moment you book your trip. You can write down wish lists of places to visit and things you look forward to experiencing. Travel tickets, entry tickets, brochures and postcards are only some of the items you will collect along the way. Don’t forget to also pick up maps and interesting ephemera from each of the places you visit. All these make wonderful reminders and can be housed safely in your travel journal when you return. Paired with detailed descriptions on the places, food and activities you did and you have yourself a wonderful keepsake to look back on in the future.

3. Gratitude Journals

Many positive events happen to us as we go through our day, but are quickly forgotten or sometimes, even go unnoticed. For this reason, keeping a gratitude journal can be an uplifting experience as you pause and identify things you can be grateful for. Gratitude lists are known to be so impactful that space is frequently reserved for them in other types of journals and planners. If you only have space for one journal in your life, let it be this one. It is a relaxing and simple practice, taking only a few minutes of your time each evening, yet its positive effects on your overall well-being become apparent almost immediately.

In each entry, list down 5 good things you experience through your day. Record little triumphs and simple joys in specific detail and explain why they made you happy. By training your mind to focus on the good in everything, you gain new perspective on what is important to you and what you truly appreciate in your life. Make it a daily habit and watch your spirit soar!

4. Interest and Hobby Journals

Do you have a green thumb? Are you an avid reader or love cooking? Whatever your interests may be, a hobby journal will help you store all the pertinent information in one place for easy referral. Gardening journals are an example of this. In them, you can keep notes on the plants you grow, their water and soil preferences, your seed catalogue and that wonderful organic pest concoction you just learnt about. Recipe journals are great for chronicling recipes you’ve tried, while fitness and health journals track your journey to a healthier you. Some hobbies and interests turn into passions over the years and documenting these chapters will remind you of your growth, achievements and how far you’ve come.

5. Bullet Journals

Mainly used to plan and prioritize your goals, bullet journals track and break each goal down to manageable steps, allowing you to more efficiently utilize your time to reach each one. While there are many digital alternatives, a paper based planner is able to give you an all-in-one bird’s eye view of your work commitments, family responsibilities, social life and goals. These journals are highly customizable to your requirements and lifestyle. You can incorporate gratitude spreads, trackers for hobbies and so much more. If you feel overwhelmed with tasks and expectations, a bullet journal will help put everything in perspective and allow you to tackle each one with peace of mind.

6. Idea Journals

Ideas are fleeting and some of the best ones appear out of the blue. An idea journal kept close at hand can capture these bursts of unexpected genius and make sure you don’t lose any of them. There’s nothing worse than coming up with a brilliant idea in the middle of a party, a phone conversation or while trying to fall asleep, and having nowhere to note it down. Putting your ideas down on paper, however insignificant they may seem helps organize your thoughts and actions. In times when inspiration is lacking, these journals can be a great resource. Many writers in the past carried small notebooks around for this very reason.

You can choose to have different journals for each subject or, if you’re like me, combine a variety of them into one. When keeping more than one journal, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to write in all of them every day. Each one will serve a different function in your life and they will all enrich it in some way. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, keeping even one of these journals will bring you immense joy. Happy journaling!

The post Enrich Your Life With Journaling appeared first on WOFS.com.

1 Choose Your Tools Carefully

In any journaling endeavour, your most important tools will be your notebook and pen. While any plain notebook will suffice, there are a few details you may want to consider when choosing the right one for you.

Pick a notebook size you can easily carry around in your bag. On the days you want to journal on the go, you’ll be glad you took this into consideration, as over time, you’ll find that your journal has quite literally grown with you. There’ll be occasions when you don’t have your journal on hand. Jot down short notes on whatever you can find (receipts, scrap paper, etc) or add it into your phone’s note-taking app to refer back to later when you get the chance.

If you want your journals to last, select ones made with acid-free paper. Strong acids used in modern paper production cause the paper to easily break down. Most decent bookstores nowadays carry a good selection of bound notebooks containing acid-free pages that will stand up to the test of time. Plus, the processes used in manufacturing acid-free paper are more environmentally friendly, producing less contaminant by-products compared to the general versions.

Whichever notebook you commit to, it should be one that inspires you to continue filling its pages, as it will be your loyal companion throughout your journalling journey.

2 Handwrite your entries

There is something about putting pen to paper that creates an emotional connection to what you are writing. Everybody’s handwriting is different. When used together; big and small sentences, curly and straight strokes all work together to reflect emotions in a very intimate way.

Digitally typed text is also typically void of corrections and edits done when adjusting the text. Keeping this visible opens up a window to your thoughts; giving the reader a much closer connection with you and your emotional state at the time of writing.

Did you know? The physical act of writing with a pen and paper forces the brain to multitask in ways that digitally typing text does not. Your brain has to simultaneously recall letters and words you write, decide on what to write, while at the same time, instruct your hand to put those words down on paper. Many studies have shown the exercise of writing to be an excellent mode of keeping your brain active in the long term, so get writing!

3 Highlight the most impactful events

In the early days of starting a journal, you may be all too eager to document every single detail that happens throughout your day, but that could easily lead to a journalling burnout. Make a conscious decision to only highlight the most memorable events of your day or week and make them the focus of your journal entries.

Snippets of a conversation and mementos from a particular event or trip all help to make your entries more cohesive and interesting. With enough information put down, you’ll find re-reading your journal 10 years from now as enjoyable as reading the chapters of your favourite book, if not more.

4 Get snapping

Photos speak a thousand words and nothing describes a memory better than a well-captioned picture! With our cameras now ever ready to take high quality photos and the advent of compact personal photo printers, adding photos into our journal entries has never been easier.

Of course, you may end up with a hundred photos to choose from. This is where you’ll need to take some time to choose the ones that really convey the emotions and memories you’ll want to come back to in the future.

For best results and longevity, print your photos on high quality archival paper. Developed with long-lasting vibrancy in mind, these age with minimal yellowing and fading, making sure your efforts don’t go to waste.

5 Enjoy yourself

There are no rules in journalling. Most journal entries only see the light of day when in the presence of the author and those they choose to share it with. Write freely and without judgement and you’ll soon find your journal to be the gift that keeps giving back.

While I use my journal mainly as a memory keeper, it has become more than just a documentation of my life. In it is my creative playground, where trials and errors are made and improved upon. In this highly-digitized era of computers and smartphones, my journal is a welcome respite.

Whatever the reason that you choose to start a journal, allow yourself the freedom to get messy and make mistakes. Have fun! At the end of the day, your journal is a reflection of you at that point in your life, so make it as honest as possible, and the rewards will be well worth the effort.

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