Finding Joy In My Notebook System

Welcome to the Finding Joy series! Here I will be sharing activities that help me to find joy in my life despite whatever my current situation may be. My hope is that you can also find joy in your life. Whether it be through any of these activities I share, or hobbies and experiences that you love.

As I mentioned in the promo video for Plan Week 2020, I could spend hours in a notebook section of the store. With so many options to choose from, my indecisive brain feels wonderfully overwhelmed deciding on which notebook to get. Sometimes I even have to argue with myself to not buy a notebook everytime I see one.

Why I Love Notebooks

Well really what’s not to love? There are so many different designs, sizes, paper quality, etc. The content you could put in them is endless. They could be the place you have all your grocery lists, your deepest thoughts, gratitude lists, I could go on and on. The writer in me loves empty notebooks just waiting to be filled. You don’t have to be a writer to appreciate/have a notebook though. 

What Makes A Great Notebook

Everyone is going to have different tastes in notebooks, but here are some basic requirements I believe that every notebook you pick out should have.

• It needs to be something you’ll want to pick up and write in (fitting to your aesthetic). I personally love bright colors and sparkly notebooks, but you may just like a solid colored simple notebook. We are all different, which is why there are so many notebooks out there
• It needs to be a size that fits you needs. If you tend to write a lot for one entry, you’ll want a bigger notebook. If you need something to quickly write notes in at work, a pocket size notebook may be all you need.
• The paper weight needs to be considered. All pages are not the same. If you are writing with a simple everyday pen. Or pencil, you don’t really need to worry about this. However, if you like to write with fineliners and markers, you’ll want a notebook with thicker paper so it doesn’t bleed through
• What features do you like? Are you a fan of blank pages, or do they need to be lined? Do you like journal prompts, if you are using it for a journal? What about the cover? Do you like quotes or pictures on it, or is a solid`color your go-to. These are some things to consider when you are buying a notebook, especially if you are comparing a few different ones.

My Notebook System

I have at least five notebooks that I have to have each year, besides my planner and bullet journal. It may be excessive, but it works for me. Here they are, in case you need some ideas.

• Personal Development:This is where I’ll put any notes I have from books I read, podcasts I listen to, or courses i take.
• Start Today Journal: This is by The Hollis Co. It’s basically a gratitude and dream manifestation journal.
• Bible Study Notebook: This is a mix of sermon notes, bible studies, and a prayer journal
• Journal: This is where I write down journal prompts, counseling homework, etc., but it’s mainly a place I go to to empty my mind and process my feelings.
• A Random Notebook:This is a notebook everyone usually has. It’s basically a place to store anything you need to write down in the moment to come back to later.

I know this can seem obsessive for some. There has to be people out there that join me in this obsession. If that’s you, comment below to say hi! Tomorrow we are wrapping up Plan Week. I’ll be sharing how we can start off 2021 hopeful, despite the year we have had this year.