Finding a Journal that fits your personality

Keeping a journal is more than just jotting down notes on a scrap of paper. It is a practice that can enhance our experiences and help us to create a blueprint to plan how we wish our lives to be.

However, choosing the right journal for you is like selecting a new pair of shoes. If like me, shoes are a passion, then choosing your journal will be just as exciting.

We all have a different taste in shoes, it could be said that we choose our shoes based on where we are going , what we are doing or even on our mood. We each have our own style and perhaps even our own favourite designer. Shoes make us feel special. We can't explain that excitement and feeling of passion when we find the perfect pair.

Just as that feeling of ecstacy fills your heart on choosing the perfect pair for you, your journal will be the same. I have gone through many phases of life and I have had different journals to match the situation, each time a new journal like a road sign on the journey. I have had huge A4 sized notepads right down to little A5 diaries. I've had leather bound filo fax, and beautiful handmade leather bound journals, I have loved each one at each different time in my life.

Just as you choose the right shoes for the right occasion, you also must choose your journal for the right space in time. You need to decide why you are about to embark on this journey with your journal. What is the purpose for you? Is it note taking ? A glorified to do list ? A daily diary or perhaps a document of a special occasion like a pending marriage or birth of your child.

Whatever your reason, be mindful of your personality and your life. You are about to begin a relationship with a book and pen, it needs to fit in to your lifestyle or you will not give the habit a chance to bloom.

There is no sense in having a huge A4 notebook if you are a busy mum constantly on the go because you will have no time or space to carry that size of journal, your journal needs to fit in with your plans, something that fits in your bag at first will be excellent.

You should begin the habit of carrying your journal everywhere with you. You never know the moment when your next big idea will pop into your head or when you will be waiting somewhere thinking about how something made you feel , or a reminder of a conversation you had with an important client that you would like to record for your next meeting.

Choose a journal that fits your personality. A bland notebook from the dollar store may fit your budget but if it's bland and lacks personality , will you be enticed to make an effort to write in it ? You are a beautiful person, you are about to begin documenting the most wonderful story ever told, the story is unique and there will never be another like it because the story is your life experience, don't you think that deserves to be documented somewhere special.

I am not suggesting that you go out and spend a fortune on stationary to journal, simply advising that you choose something that represents you, something that you will find a joy to fill with incredible memories and chapters of a life well lived.

If this is a new experience for you, you want to feel that this is something you love to do, not a chore. If it feels like a chore you are less likely to create the daily habit for yourself. Think of your favourite thing in the world to do , multiply it by 10, hold that feeling, that is how you want to feel about journaling . When you feel that good you will find it easier to fill your journal with beautiful inspired thoughts.

Enjoy the journey.

xx Lei

JOURNAL - FITTING YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO RULED LINES - Terri Guillemets