I’ve written morning pages for over 30 years. I began writing in composition notebooks, but some years ago I discovered Eccolo World Traveler journals. I love the soft covers, the paper quality, and the size of these journals. I used to find them at TJ Maxx for around $5. I usually have a more generic notebook dedicated to everyday things — current tasks, notes of things I need to do. I’ve been using this notebook less the past year or so; my phone holds notes and reminders, both in memos and photos.
Thanks so much for sharing, Peggy! I’m going to watch for the Eccolo journals you mentioned. They sound quite nice, and I’d like to go back to something smaller than 8.5 x 11 for journaling. (I wonder if they might still have some at TJ Maxx… I haven’t been in one of those stores in years.) It sounds like you have a system that works well for you!
My "journaling," if you could call it that, came about in a more serendipitous way. On January 1, 2013, I decided that I needed to keep an Excel spreadsheet to log my running miles so that I would know when it was time to buy a new pair of shoes. Over time, it has morphed, and is still a spreadsheet, in fact, still the same spreadsheet, but for years now I have recorded all sorts of things I've done each day, in addition to where I am. I record hikes, bike rides, doctor appointments, visits with friends, dinners out, meetings, rehearsals, concerts attended, movies viewed, exercise and yoga classes - all kinds of things. I've also used it to track my sleep patterns off and on (you may identify with that, Lenora, as a fellow insomniac) and the spreadsheet is now at line 5592. I've tried other forms of journaling and was never able to stick with them, but this spreadsheet is quick and easy and is a habit. I can't tell you how often I turn to it to remember when something or another happened or the last time I did fill-in-the-blank. And, by the way, I quit running 8 years ago, so no longer need to to track running miles, but the spreadsheet continues on.
Fascinating! It sounds quite similar to what Austin Kleon puts in what he calls his “logbook,” only in spreadsheet form. (And yes, I relate to wanting to track sleep patterns, at times. I’ve been wearing a smart ring for over a year, mostly for this reason, and find it very useful.) I really like this idea, Sallie. It could also be used for noting symptoms during illness or injury and recovery. Thanks so much for sharing it!
For years, I have enjoyed an on-and-off daily meditation practice. My experience is that I am calmer when I include meditation in my day, yet painfully inconsistent in the practice. The Insight Timer app that I use includes a prompt after each meditation to make notes about that day's practice. I have started using that simple moment to summarize my feelings that day, rather than commenting on the just-completed meditation session. These brief notes have proven to be more valuable than I could have imagined. It encourages me, in a moment when I'm the calmest I will be all day, to reflect on my feelings. These brief comments are proving to be meaningful, simple, and satisfying.
I’ve written morning pages for over 30 years. I began writing in composition notebooks, but some years ago I discovered Eccolo World Traveler journals. I love the soft covers, the paper quality, and the size of these journals. I used to find them at TJ Maxx for around $5. I usually have a more generic notebook dedicated to everyday things — current tasks, notes of things I need to do. I’ve been using this notebook less the past year or so; my phone holds notes and reminders, both in memos and photos.
Thanks so much for sharing, Peggy! I’m going to watch for the Eccolo journals you mentioned. They sound quite nice, and I’d like to go back to something smaller than 8.5 x 11 for journaling. (I wonder if they might still have some at TJ Maxx… I haven’t been in one of those stores in years.) It sounds like you have a system that works well for you!
My "journaling," if you could call it that, came about in a more serendipitous way. On January 1, 2013, I decided that I needed to keep an Excel spreadsheet to log my running miles so that I would know when it was time to buy a new pair of shoes. Over time, it has morphed, and is still a spreadsheet, in fact, still the same spreadsheet, but for years now I have recorded all sorts of things I've done each day, in addition to where I am. I record hikes, bike rides, doctor appointments, visits with friends, dinners out, meetings, rehearsals, concerts attended, movies viewed, exercise and yoga classes - all kinds of things. I've also used it to track my sleep patterns off and on (you may identify with that, Lenora, as a fellow insomniac) and the spreadsheet is now at line 5592. I've tried other forms of journaling and was never able to stick with them, but this spreadsheet is quick and easy and is a habit. I can't tell you how often I turn to it to remember when something or another happened or the last time I did fill-in-the-blank. And, by the way, I quit running 8 years ago, so no longer need to to track running miles, but the spreadsheet continues on.
Fascinating! It sounds quite similar to what Austin Kleon puts in what he calls his “logbook,” only in spreadsheet form. (And yes, I relate to wanting to track sleep patterns, at times. I’ve been wearing a smart ring for over a year, mostly for this reason, and find it very useful.) I really like this idea, Sallie. It could also be used for noting symptoms during illness or injury and recovery. Thanks so much for sharing it!
For years, I have enjoyed an on-and-off daily meditation practice. My experience is that I am calmer when I include meditation in my day, yet painfully inconsistent in the practice. The Insight Timer app that I use includes a prompt after each meditation to make notes about that day's practice. I have started using that simple moment to summarize my feelings that day, rather than commenting on the just-completed meditation session. These brief notes have proven to be more valuable than I could have imagined. It encourages me, in a moment when I'm the calmest I will be all day, to reflect on my feelings. These brief comments are proving to be meaningful, simple, and satisfying.