Guided journals, Endless goals and the promise of transformation

Planner season is upon us rising up out of the winter darkness like Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You. There is no escaping planner ads or that song.

I love a blank journal. An abundance of possibilities tucked neatly between two covers. A place to vomit out the vegetable soup of my brain and sort it into real words. Space to play with color. Practice art and be human. Pure magic.

As someone who creates and sells guided journals and things, I realize I’m also adding to the noise.

Journals and planners can be useful tools. They can also be little paper cages keeping us stuck in between pages and getting no where.

I’m a big fan of hand writing things out. Wonderful things happen in your brain when you hand write, draw or craft. I think that is one of the reasons that planners and journals are so popular.

All planners and journals are not created equal. They are not one size fits all. Which means there can be an expensive amount to sort through. Or you find one that you love, that is sold by one company and thanks to tariffs it’s suddenly $75

When it comes to planners and journals, I think the most important thing is that it works for you. If you don’t use it (at least part time), give up on it, or it stresses you out and makes you feel bad about yourself, It’s not working.

The art journal I love has doubled in price and is currently sold out. Luckily I bought one during their pre-order earlier this year. If I don't journal everyday it will last all year. If I try to do better with my art journaling, it won't. There are alternatives, but I don’t like them as art journals as much as the one I’ve been using.

I do memory keeping + art journaling in one journal. I do light planning + journaling/brain dumping in a different journal. I’m currently using TN sized journals so they both fit in my cover.

I have tried using TN watercolor paper inserts for art journaling and just didn’t really vibe with it. I like everything bound up in a nice hardcover journal.

I have tried digital journaling/planning. Which I found easy to do, but also easy to forget whatever I had put in it. But I might try again. I love the idea of being able to use my photos in layouts without worrying about printing them.

For digital planning I do use iPad Pro 12 inch size. I have the large size because for many years it was my main computer. I think if I was thinking of buying a iPad or tablet now that I have a laptop, I’d get one of the smaller sizes. The big one feels too bulky sitting on your lap for doing planning spreads.

I have created several of my own digital planners because pre-made ones don’t really fit my needs. I like that they can easy be changed or altered to work with whatever it is you're doing.

I have also tried Bullet Journaling. I love that it can be as basic or as fancy as you want to make it. It’s super flexible. Which is cool if you don’t have a set schedule for anything.

How to we find journal joy? That elusive unicorn of a journal/planner/ life saver?

I don’t know. But here are some things that might help.

Ditch the ‘rules’.

Your journal/planner doesn’t have to be pretty or color coordinated or aesthetic.

Every day doesn’t need to be filled out.

Tear out pages. Glue pages together. Set it on fire and try again.

Try out digital planning.

Say no to stickers and washi tape.

Be ok with ‘ruining’ pages.

Journals and planners to help relieve us of the stress of daily life, not add to it.