Advices for developping the habit of Journaling/planners ✍
I always loved to write and wanted to finally get a planner for myself ! I was looking at “planner decorating” vidéos and everything. Only, I had a problem .. Ever since elementary school where we did get free planners, I wasn’t using them, like ever. I’ll write a few things here and there for a few weeks and then spend the rest of the year not writing anything .. 😓
But I haven’t got that let me down and I succesfully used my planner for 5months consecutively, now!! and there’s not a week page left empty at all, it was kinda empty at first – only 3/4 days had something written on it, barely- and now my pages are almost completely full !
That being said, i’m sure somes of you out there is probably like me, and today I wanted to give you some tips of what worked for me in hopes it can maybe help you aswell !
*In case you were curious, here’s my equipment. A 18months pre-made planner from Michaels, a pen pouch of my sun sign, and I usually need two fountain pens (one black, one red), a basic black pen, aswell as some colors – purple, pink, blue and green*
Now onto the advices ;
- Do not pressure yourself into making everything looking perfect from the first time. It’s okay to not do some things or change them a little over the weeks. It’s also okay that you may need to white-out something out or it doesn’t quite look as good as you would thought. Your planner is not made to be perfect.
- However, adding to the first point, it doesn’t need to be all plain either! If you wanna accesorize it by adding drawings, pictures, washi tapes, etc. please do so ! Also if, like me, you need to color code the things you write in it, do as you please. This needs to be pleasant and useful to you and only you. However, just don’t feel any obligations on that to continue or always do the same.
- If you are like me and doesn’t get too many appointments over the weeks, do not only focus on “important stuff” ! You may put when you work, yes, but also when you buy some things so you can see how many time it pass by since you need to buy more (coffee, medicine & dog food for me); I also track when I bathe my dogs, when I go for walks, when I finish books so I can see how fast i’m reading ..
- You wanna find something to write inside every day, or mostly every day. And it’s also good to keep it open to the right page somewhere on a table in your room; so you get more reminders to fill it – atleast until you do get the habit and it becomes automatic. It can be little things that happened at work, a checklist of what you need to do during the day, a quote you found appealing or relatable on that day, your mood, a blessing … anything !
- Don’t forget to take notes or bring it with you ! As we go from the point where you are not used to do it, you wanna have it close or atleast write some bits on a piece of paper and put it in your pockets so you can insert that information or tape it to the planner/journal later – because let’s be honest, you might forget it before it reach it. You can also do the same when you get dates of exams, tests, meeting with a friend.. so you know you have to “reserve” that day for that particular event.
- Among everything, please do not discourage yourself and keep trying! even if a week goes by and you didn’t wrote a thing, pick it back up the week after and try something else. You can even ask friends or parents for some ideas of more things you can write in it !
Are thoses advices helpful for you ? Do you have any more advices you can share with us – please leave it in the comments bellow ! ♥