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Home » journal prompts

10 Things You Can Learn from a Blank Notebook

December 14, 2021 Leave a Comment

10 things to learn from a blank notebook - practical life advice | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #motivation #inspiration

10 Things You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook

Hint: These 10 things you can learn from a blank notebook isn’t just about journaling. There’s a lot of good life advice in here, too.

Starting a new notebook feels so refreshing. The smell and feel of the paper. The crackle of the spine as you crack open the notebook for the first time. Thumbing through the book, the feeling of the crisp pages calling for attention. Ahhh, it feels so good to start fresh. I opened a new notebook today, which made me think about how these pages apply to our lives. So I’d like to share 10 things you can learn from a blank notebook.

Table of contents

  • 10 Things You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook
  • Tip #1: The First Thing You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook: Your Past Notebooks Don’t Make Your New Notebook
  • #2: You Have Limitless Possibilities
  • The Inevitable Thing to Learn When Starting a Blank Notebook – Tip #3: You Will Make Mistakes. Accept Them or Fix Them.
  • #4: Turn The Page. Really. Just Turn the Page.
  • #5: Starting Fresh is OK, Too. Move On If You Have No Other Choice.
  • #6 – Share It!
  • #7: Things You Can Learn from a Blank Notebook:You Don’t Have to Share Everything
  • Tip #8: Things You Can Learn from a Blank Notebook: Focus on the Good
  • #9: Carry Through With Your Plans
  • #10: Finally, the Last Tip You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook – Take Time to Reflect & Learn
  • Which of These Tips Did You Need the Most?
  • Journaling Question:
  • Start Planning – Find More Bullet Journaling & Planning Resources

Tip #1: The First Thing You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook:
Your Past Notebooks Don’t Make Your New Notebook

Your Past Doesn't Determine Your Future - Advice From a Blank Notebook Tip #1 | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #blanknotebook #bulletjournal

No matter what you’ve written (or done) in the past, this notebook can be different.

Your past notebooks do not determine what you can do with your new book. Learn from the past, decide what you want to do, and go confidently in that direction. I’m sure you can see many parallels between this suggestion about a notebook and your life. I’ll leave it at that.

#2: You Have Limitless Possibilities

10 Things to Learn from a Blank Notebook: You Have Limitless Possibilities | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #possibilties #motivation

You have limitless possibilities. And you have full control of all your choices in life. Just like the pages in your notebook, what you record in the journal of your life is up to you. Try lots of new things and then practice, practice, practice. Don’t get discouraged if it’s not perfect the first, second, or hundredth time. Keep going.

The Inevitable Thing to Learn When Starting a Blank Notebook – Tip #3:
You Will Make Mistakes. Accept Them or Fix Them.

Life advice from a blank notebook: you will make mistakes. Fix them or move on.  | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #blanknotebook #potential #bulletjournal

You’ll make mistakes. But it’s usually how you handle the errors that make the most significant difference in the future. Sometimes starting over is the answer. But most of the time, a mistake is minor, and you can whiteout over it or move on.

I only started genuinely benefitting from writing in a notebook or journal when I allowed myself to make mistakes. Big mistakes will happen, as well. But most of the time, even big blunders can be fixed by just turning the page.

See #5 if you feel like you can’t fix it by turning the page.

#4: Turn The Page. Really. Just Turn the Page.

Life advice - Turn the page. | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #bulletjournal #moveon

The mistakes you make won’t seem as significant after you’ve turned a few pages. Other people won’t remember your mistakes as you do. In fact, most people are so worried about themselves that they won’t remember your mistakes. Forgive yourself and learn from them.

#5: Starting Fresh is OK, Too. Move On If You Have No Other Choice.

Starting fresh is ok, if there is no other option. | ChocolateMusings.com - Things you can learn from a blank notebook #bulletjournal #bujo #startover

If you feel you ruined the whole notebook, get a new journal, and start fresh. In all reality, if you spilled coffee all over the book and don’t feel like you can salvage any of it, here’s the thing: you can start over. I’m giving you permission.

When you decide to move on, take a deep breath, go to Target, Walmart, or Amazon, and get yourself a new notebook. Or create your own book. Start fresh. And most importantly, MOVE ON.

#6 – Share It!

Things you can learn from a blank notebook: Share it! Share the things that are most important to you | ChocolateMusings.com #shareit #share #bulletjournal

Share what you’re most proud of. Go ahead, and celebrate your successes. However, Choose the right crowd to share with and who will lift you instead of being jealous of your happiness or accomplishments.

I know that my little planner has grown and evolved with me. It’s also helped me grow in my talents. Find a group that shares your excitement and share your progress.

#7: Things You Can Learn from a Blank Notebook:
You Don’t Have to Share Everything

Life advice from a Blank Notebook - Don't Share Everything | ChocolateMusings.com #journaling #journal #bulletjournal

In contrast to the last tip, you don’t have to post everything online. Some pages belong solely to you, and you don’t have to broadcast them. It is perfectly fine to use your notebook for personal development. You’re the one who will benefit most from it. Use your new blank notebook to your benefit. This goes for your personal life as well. Share with those you trust if you need help but don’t feel obligated to share everything.

Tip #8: Things You Can Learn from a Blank Notebook: Focus on the Good

Things to learn from a blank notebook: Focus on the good in your life and you will find more good. | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #blanknotebook #bulletjournal

Focus on the good. Dedicate pages or areas of your book so you can log the good things that happen. Life isn’t just about schedules or what you checked off your list for the day. Life is about stopping to smell those gorgeous blooming roses on your evening walk with your beloved. It’s about that sunset with all those colors that melted your heart. It’s about seeing your children play together (and not fight!).

Sometimes it’s the little things like ordering a ceramic painting palette on Amazon and admiring how careful they were to package it. And the fragile piece arrives perfectly on your doorstep, so you can immediately start painting. Record the happy moments, even if they seem small or insignificant.

From my experience, if you seek out the negative in your life, you will find it. Controversially, if you look for the good, you will see it, and if you continue to look for the good, you will more easily find it. If you write it down in your notebook, you have a chance to look back at the good and remember it.

#9: Carry Through With Your Plans

Things to learn from a blank notebook: Carry Through With Your Plans | ChocolateMusings.com #lifemotivation #motivation #deepthoughts

Carry through with your plans. I’m guilty of intending to do many things but never carrying through. I have so many dreams and ambitions, but I let fear stop me. Or I make a schedule and then ignore it.

Make the plans, then write the first step to start your journey if you’re having trouble doing them. Do the first thing, then check it off. Then proceed to the next step.

#10: Finally, the Last Tip You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook – Take Time to Reflect & Learn

Notebook before and after - Tip #10 from things to learn from a blank notebook - reflect & learn from yourself. Go through your notebooks and review what you wrote - then learn from it. | ChocolateMusings.com #reflect #learn #bulletjournal

Look back on your life. When you finish a notebook, take a moment to reflect. Enjoy the things you recorded, and use the memories of the events that bring a smile to your face to increase your joy. Share the things that matter with the people that matter to you.

I find so much insight and inspiration throughout my completed notebooks. Ideas, thoughts, quotes, joy, sadness, and all the experiences combine to create my past and shape my future.

I love looking back through the pages and am always glad I have a record of my life.

Which of These Tips Did You Need the Most?

Which of these tips did you need to hear the most? For me it was #3, #7 & #8. Sometimes I focus so much on making my notebook perfect to share that it’s not as functional as it could be. I also always need a reminder about accepting mistakes. And I can always use a reminder to focus on the good things in life.

Journaling Question:

Here are some journaling questions in the spirit of things you can learn from a new notebook. What Things Do You Love About a New Notebook? What Have you learned from a new journal?

What do you love about a new notebook? Here are 10 things that a blank notebook taught me | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #inspiration #blanknotebook

Start Planning – Find More Bullet Journaling & Planning Resources

Click here to get started planning & find more ideas for your bullet journal.

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

Find more plan with me ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #ideas
Favorite Beginner Bullet Journal Supplies + Why | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #supplies #favoritesupplies

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Filed Under: Blog, featured, Find Your Happy, Get Inspired, Get Organized & Start Planning, Journal Prompts & Ideas, My Muses (My Favorites & Inspiration), Start Planning Here Tagged: blank notebook, journal prompts, journaling, life advice, start planning

Journal Prompts to Help You Try New Things

January 14, 2021 Leave a Comment

Journal Prompts to Help You Decide to Try New Things - Reflections of the past & looking forward | ChocolateMusings.com

Do you like to try new things? Or are you like me and decide that you don’t like something (before giving it a fair chance)? Here is some journal prompts to help you explore your experiences with trying new things.

I am all about connecting ideas. Listing commonalities between multiple items, finding differences, or general list making all fall into my ‘enjoy’ category. Have you ever tried something new you swore you would never try (and liked it)?

{Timidly raises hand} <– That’s me.

What event, person, or circumstance changed your mind?

Table of contents

  • Why Don’t We Like To Try New Things?
  • A Shortlist of the Things I Vowed I’d Never Try
  • Examples of the ‘New’ Things I Tried:
    • The Tale of Sour Cream:
  • Watercoloring – What’s Not to Like?Another Example of Trying New Things (and Liking Them):
  • Gain New Experiences & Add New Stories to Your Life When You Try New Things
  • Journal Prompts:
  • More Inspiration
WHY Don't You Try New Things?

Why Don’t We Like To Try New Things?

It’s incredible how hard-headed I can be about doing or trying new things, but once I do, I like them (and sometimes a lot).

Two reasons why I won’t try new things:

  1. I’m stuck in my old habits.
  2. I’m rebellious or contrary to someone who wants me to try the new thing.

Do you have a list of things you vowed you’d never try?

A Shortlist of the Things I Vowed I’d Never Try

Here’s a shortlist of the things I vowed I’d never try (I’m sure there’s more out there). Okay, ‘vow’ is a strong word, but there were reasons behind each of them (or so I tell myself). But now that I did try these ‘new’ things I think differently.

  • Sour cream
  • Brussell Sprouts
  • Chromebook
  • Watercolor painting
  • Making my bed habitually (it couldn’t make that much difference, could it?)
  • Mangos (how do you get into those things?!)
  • Morning Routine
  • Apple Products
  • Brain Dumps
Williams Shakespeare Quote - It's not in the stars that hold our destiny, but in ourselves - Watercolor Bullet Journal Quote | ChocoalteMusings.com

Examples of the ‘New’ Things I Tried:

As a kid, I was a VERY picky eater. I would only eat cantaloupe when I was three. (Sidenote: As the mother of a very picky eater, I have no idea of how my parents were so patient with me.) Once I left for college, I tried many new foods and loved them.

All of these examples seem very small, but they’ve made a huge impact on my life. If only I would have tried these ‘new things’ earlier. What would be different?

The Tale of Sour Cream:

At an overnight girl’s camp when I was 12 or 13, we had fire-baked potatoes. Those potatoes smelled so good. Along with the baked potatoes were many toppings and one of the toppings was sour cream. Dolloping that creamy goodness onto my steaming potato and piling high other delicious toppings, I dug into my meal without thinking twice.

I don’t know if it was that I was not around my parents and didn’t feel the need to be so rebellious or if I was famished from a day of hiking in the heat and was slightly delirious, not knowing what I was stuffing into my mouth. Still, I tried sour cream (without realizing what it was), and surprisingly, it was good!

Shocked by my change of opinion, I begged the leaders not to tell my parents that I tried sour cream, which, I’m sure they thought was an odd request. They probably told my parents simply because it was strange for me to make a big deal about trying sour cream.

What in life have you finally tried after years of avoiding it? What was the outcome?

  • Shiny, Sparkly Space Watercolor Bookmarks
  • Watercolor Paint Brushes

Watercoloring – What’s Not to Like?Another Example of Trying New Things (and Liking Them):

Watercoloring is another example of things I wouldn’t try (but should have) earlier. For the longest time, I thought the color range for watercolor ranged from light pink to pastel blue and seafoam green. Now, there’s nothing wrong with pastel colors, but I am drawn to bright colors.

Mistakenly, I thought there were no bright colors in watercolor. I thought shadows and color depth came from acrylics or other opaque mediums. Admittedly, I don’t know where this idea originated! Perhaps, someone, I knew painted watercolors using only pastel tones.

Oh, how wrong I was! If only I would have tried this ‘new’ thing earlier!

On a whim, I tried watercoloring about two years ago. I hate to say it, but I think I missed out on a lifetime of using this fantastic medium. Despite my earlier assessment, it’s my favorite way to paint, now. I even figured out how to ‘paint with markers’ like watercolor in my planners. I now have to keep myself from buying new watercolors all the time.

New Experiences Await You

Gain New Experiences & Add New Stories to Your Life When You Try New Things

As you can tell, there’s a story behind each ‘new things I won’t try but did anyway’. Though that list for me is not comprehensive by any means, as a keeper of lists, I’ll add it to my journal and then add a short story of the experience that changed my mind.

What would you call this list of things you thought you’d never try, but then did?

Journal Prompts Header

Journal Prompts:

Here are a list of journal prompts related to trying new things:

  • What things have you tried (even though you said you wouldn’t)? And what changed your mind?
  • What new things did you like, and what new things did you try and dislike?
  • Why do you think you won’t try new things?
  • What are you gaining/losing by not trying this new thing?
  • Who influenced you to finally try the new thing? Was it a group of friends, or were you peer pressured into doing it? Or were you entirely alone when you tried it?
  • Why was being alone (or with others) the catalyst to get you to try the new thing?
  • What would be different if you would have tried it sooner?
More Inspiration
  • Your Past is Not Your Future
  • Are Your Goals a Priority?
  • William Shakespeare Quotes
  • Gratitude Quotes for Your Planner

More Inspiration

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

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Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Journal Prompts & Ideas Tagged: journal prompts, journaling, writing

End of Year Journal Questions 2020 – A Year in Review

December 31, 2020 Leave a Comment

End of Year Positive Journal Prompts for a Great Start to a New Year | ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

  • What questions do you like to ask yourself at the end of a year? Here are a few of my favorite (and the most effective) end-of-year journal questions.
    • Write it Down So You Don’t Repeat Past Mistakes
  • End of Year Journal Questions to Ask Yourself: What Are You Proud Of?
  • Best Creations
  • End of Year Journal Question: What Motivated You?
  • What Books Did You Read?
    • Several of my favorite (completed or mostly completed) books this year were:
  • What Traditions Did you Start & Which Did You Let Go?
  • End of Year Journal Question: Important Lessons You Learned
  • More End of Year Journal Questions to Ask Yourself:
  • More Posts to Check Out:

What questions do you like to ask yourself at the end of a year? Here are a few of my favorite (and the most effective) end-of-year journal questions.

These are positive questions to ask yourself for a personal year-end review. To help recognize the joyous moments in your life and inspire then motivate you to keep moving forward. These are my reflections on the year 2020 in review.

I think we all acknowledge that 2020 changed us—some changes we may not recognize or know. After being stuck at home for so long, I know I decided I don’t want opportunities to pass me by. Because who knows when we will again get the chance to do them. Here are some reflections and a review of 2020.

Write it Down So You Don’t Repeat Past Mistakes

I hope you will take a few minutes to do a review of the year 2020. This is a year I know most of us would like to forget. But as we’ve heard before: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana. And of course, this infamous quote from Winston Churchill, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to learn as much as I can from 2020, so I don’t have to repeat my personal struggles throughout the year. As a society, I hope we can grow and not repeat all the things we’ve gone through this year by making things better, of course.

End of Year Journal Questions to Ask Yourself: What Are You Proud Of?

What are you proud of? Give yourself credit where credit is due. List your accomplishments big or small. | ChocolateMusings.com Journal Prompts


What did you do this year that you are proud of? Dig deep. Give yourself credit where credit is due!

I thought that I hadn’t done anything worthwhile. But then, when I sat down to think about it, I successfully supported my family despite my husband losing his job early in the year.

I also created four handlettering workbooks – something I’d been thinking about for ages. I continued to work on my Etsy shop and website shop.

  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Modern Calligraphy Guide Booklet | ChocoalteMusings.com #handletteirng #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Guide - Basic Strokes for SMALL Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #brushlettering
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Large Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Small Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart

Despite the constant turmoil in my head and surrounding us as a society, there were shining moments in my life. This question prompted me to make a spread in my new collections notebook called “Give Credit Where Credit is Due.” It’s a page to summarize and celebrate all the wins, large and small, in my life for the next year. If you struggle with giving yourself credit for the good things you accomplish, consider keeping a page like this in your bullet journal.

Best Creations

What were your best creations? Recall the the best things you made and why. | ChocolateMusings.com Journal Prompts

One month in my bullet journal, I painted a little red truck as part of a theme. That painting in my notebook created a whole series of prints, cards, and stickers. I finally allowed myself to paint using the ‘good’ watercolor paints that I had kept sealed in a drawer and use the cotton watercolor paper I saved for ‘only the best’ projects.

Let me tell you, there is no better time to use your best supplies than now. Just like grandma’s china hidden in the cabinet waiting for a special occasion. Why not use it now?

  • Little Red Truck and Beach Gear Greeting Card | ChocolateMusings.com
    Red Truck Going to the Beach Greeting/Note Card {Multi Card Order}
    Select options
  • Vintage red watercolor truck with pumpkins - fall/autumn greeting card | ChocolateMusings.com
    Red Truck and Pumpkins Greeting/Note Card {Multi Card Order}
    Select options
  • Little Red Truck with Flowers and "Spread Happiness" text Greeting Card 5.5x4.25 Top Fold Note Card | ChocolateMusings.com
    Red Truck and Flowers Greeting/Note Card – Spread Happiness {Multi Card Order}
    Select options
  • Little Red Truck with Christmas Tree in the Back Greeting Card 5.5x4.25 Top Fold Christmas Card | ChocolateMusings.com
    Red Truck with Christmas Tree Card {Multi Card Order}
    Select options

Use the Best Stuff Now – Don’t Save It For Later

I learned that I should not wait to use the ‘best stuff’ for special projects or occasions. Why not use it every day? Because time has a way of egging by, and before you know it, all those ‘precious’ things we store up for the right moment will gather dust and never find their purpose.

Why wait for a special occasion? Get out the good china for a fun dinner with your family and make some memories! While you’re at it, use the expensive paints on that paper you bought. There is no better time than now.

Share Things You Love

One of my other favorite creations this past year was a painting I did for my husband on our anniversary. I asked him what his favorite skyline was. He loved working in Buckhead, Georgia, and had fond memories of the people and companies he worked for down there. I’ve never painted anything so significant. I’ve also never painted a skyline.

It now hangs in our living room and I love how it turned out.

I regret that I hadn’t shared it – except with a few people who came to our house before the quarantine started. I filmed the whole painting process, now I need to just share it already!

Buckhead Skyline Watercolor Painting - One of my favorite projects from the year | ChocolateMusings.com
Little Red Truck Watercolor Painting - a Favorite Creation from 2020 | ChocolateMusings.com

End of Year Journal Question: What Motivated You?

What Motivated You this year? Journal Questions for a fresh start | ChocolateMusings.com Journal Prompts

The odd thing that I realized motivated me was not a specific goal, but the fact that I made goals. Goals have a powerful effect on the brain. At least they do in mine anyway.

The fact that I had written goals and intentions for the year was why I kept trying throughout the year. Like most of us, I shifted my mindset through the year and focused on surviving another day. But I kept going as you did. It wasn’t a specific goal or a particular endpoint that kept me going. It’s the fact that I set goals that made me keep trying. Even though giving up this would have been acceptable.

Look Back for the Memories, But Keep Going

If you put one foot in front of the other and kept walking throughout 2020, stop and look back. Be proud of those footsteps and that you kept going. It’s ok that you didn’t run the year like a marathon.

I am all for being more gentle with myself when reviewing the year—especially when reviewing the year 2020. Unexpected and unprecedented are words we begrudgingly added to our regular vocabulary. I admit there are many things that I didn’t do this last year that I wanted to do. Partially because of the pandemic and somewhat because I lost my motivation to continue. Despite struggling to get it back full blast, I managed only a trickle from the motivation spout.

After the year we all had, I’ll gladly take whatever I can get and pat myself on the back for it. And you should, too.

What Books Did You Read?

What books did you read (or start) this year? Make a list of your favorites and why. What motivation did they bring? | ChocolateMusings.com Journal Prompts

This end of the year journal question should actually ask: “What books did you complete?” My kindle library is filled with half-read books. Though I finished a few, I definitely want to finish more next year.

If you love to read, and I can’t say enough good things about my Kindle Paperwhite. The pages look good no matter if I’m reading in the direct sunlight while the kids played in the sprinklers or at night. It’s one of my favorite devices ever. Paperwhite plus Amazon Unlimited Subscription and I could spend years happily curled up in a cozy armchair with a cup of hot cocoa.

Several of my favorite (completed or mostly completed) books this year were:

  • Do It Scared – Ruth Soukup (ruthsoukup.com)
  • The Happiness Project – Gretchen Rubin (gretchenrubin.com)
  • Blink – Malcolm Gladwell
  • Juliet’s School of Possibilities – Laura Vanderkam (lauravanderkam.com)
  • 365 Daily Do Its: Organizing Tips and Challenges – Christina Scalise
  • Martha Stewart Organizing

I also started recording my life in lists – Listography Your Life in Lists by Lisa Nola (listography.com) a fun way to chronicle your life experiences by grouping them in common lists. Detailing your guilty pleasures, your favorite books, or list professions you’d like to try are a few examples from the book. If you struggle with writing in a journal but love making lists, this book makes recording your life experiences a little easier.

Here are some books I’ve read on organizing, decluttering, and habits. I’d love a recommendation and add it to my list. Let me know if you have more to add in the comments below.  

 

What Traditions Did you Start & Which Did You Let Go?

Journal Prompt: What Traditions did you start (or let go) this year? What were the most important things you did as a family? | ChocolateMusings.com

Some traditions are meaningless rituals that we do for the sake of doing. When reviewing this year, I realized that it allowed us to pivot in our lives and continue only the things that truly benefit our lives and our families.

We started watching Food Network or silly movies with my kids on Sunday Evenings has been one of the best things we started. I’m not much of a TV watcher anymore. It’s something I stopped doing a few years ago (I never knew I had so much extra time!). But adding a show where we watch and comment as a family adds something special to family time. If we don’t watch a show, we will play a short game now that two of my kids are old enough to sit through an entire game without getting bored.

I stopped trying to make elaborate meals every day. Ok, they weren’t really elaborate, but they took me longer than I’d like simply because I felt unappreciated when It came to meal preparation.

I don’t know why it took me so long to finally decide that adding chicken nuggets and fries to the regular menu was ok. Since adding an air fryer to our kitchen, the nuggets are even better, and the kids gobble them up instead of pushing them around their plates, then returning 10 minutes after dinner asking for a snack.

End of Year Journal Question: Important Lessons You Learned

What Important Lessons did you learn this year? What do you want to repeat? What do you NOT want to repeat? Learn from the past to improve the future | ChocolateMusings.com Journal Prompts

This year showed me that saving for a rainy day isn’t just having a full savings account (what does ‘full’ mean to you?). It means knowing how to budget and following a budget before the tragedy hits.

Budgeting saved us. I use YNAB (youneedabudget.com) to keep our finances in check. Our budget quickly became a household focus after my husband was laid off at the beginning of the pandemic.

‘Rainy Day’ doesn’t apply only to money management. Most of us went through some pretty low times this year, so having a personal well of positive resources you can draw from when times get low or depressing became almost as important as having a savings account to draw from.

Realizing that some days didn’t need to be filled with achievements. Some days were merely about surviving and having the self-compassion to allow me to have a bad day and hope for a better one tomorrow.

If I learned anything from 2020 in my review, I realized that self-compassion is a little known but essential skill that can help you survive.

More End of Year Journal Questions to Ask Yourself:

End of the Year Journal Questions for your planner | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Which of your friends were there for you when you truly needed them?
  • What significant events did you celebrate this year? How were they the same/different from previous celebrations?
  • What brought you joy and happiness?
  • How can you simplify your day-to-day?
  • What do you want to do more of in the next year?
  • What do you want to do less of in the next year?
  • Of all the things that you couldn’t do last year, what did you miss the most?

Looking forward, I know I want to revisit several past goals including my health journey, running monthly Instagram Challenges, and focus on productivity.

More Posts to Check Out:

200+ Word of the year ideas to inspire and motivate you | ChocolateMusings.com #wordoftheyear #wty #words #motivation

Which of these end-of-the-year questions were your favorite or inspired you? As you can tell, I’m not for beating myself up – especially after a year like 2020. But I would like to learn from it and move on. I hope these end-of-the-year journal questions will help you do the same.

Positive Journal Question for Motivation to Start Fresh | ChocolateMusings.com Journal Prompts

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Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Get Inspired, Journal Prompts & Ideas, My Muses (My Favorites & Inspiration) Tagged: 2020, journal prompts, journal questions, musings, year-end review

What to Do if Bullet Journaling Feels Overwhelming?

November 12, 2020 Leave a Comment

What to do if you love bullet journaling but it feels overwhelming? 3 Tips to Try Right Now | ChocolateMusings.com


Post Contents

  • What to do if Bullet Journaling starts feeling overwhelming?
  • Recognize the Problem
  • What Creates Overwhelm for You? Tip #1 – Determine What You Need
    • Ask yourself:
  • Tip # 2 Manage the Overwhelm, Take a Vacation from your Bullet Journal!
  • Habit-Making Recommendations
  • Tip #3 Create Only the Minimum Amount Required
    • Eliminate Overwhelm: Pare Down to Only What You Absolutely Need In Your Bullet Journal
  • Let Your Bullet Journal Adapt to Your Life
  • Inspiration to Keep Going

What to do if Bullet Journaling starts feeling overwhelming?

3 Tips to Try Right Now to OVercome Bullet Journal Overwhelm | ChocoalteMusings.com

Do you feel overwhelmed with bullet journaling? Did this process previously work for you, but now it feels like a burden? Do you avoid your bullet journal? Have you returned to your old method of trying to remember everything or sticky notes and long to go back to when your bullet journal worked for you and when it contained the details of your life, so you didn’t feel so ragged?

Yup. Me too. A couple of months ago, it all just felt like too much. And I stopped doing anything that helped me feel put together, organized, or productive. I didn’t stop these things intentionally. It just happened because, at the time, everything felt overwhelming.

Recognize the Problem

Going through this pandemic and the trials associated with it have genuinely increased the overwhelm in my life. My husband lost his job early on during the year, and it’s been challenging to cope with all the other changes. The tipping point I think for me was when our cat of 18 years died suddenly, followed almost immediately by my husband losing out on an opportunity that we both wanted very badly.

I decided to take a little break from everything I could in my life. Social media, bullet journaling, and even art took a backseat to the menial day-to-day tasks as I worked through my grief on many levels. In the past, I’d use my bullet journal to write and help organize my thoughts and art to create a safe place for my mind. I couldn’t do the norm this time around, and that was ok. I knew I’d be back.

Sometimes to find happiness, you have to experience sorrow. Sometimes to know how to rebuild the calm in your life, you have to experience the chaos. I knew that’s what I was doing. I knew that the method I was doing wasn’t working throughout the pandemic and beyond, so I needed to figure out what needed to change.

What Creates Overwhelm for You? Tip #1 – Determine What You Need

3 Tips to Overcome Bullet Journal Overwhelm and how to Overcome it - Tip #1 - What do you really need from your bullet journal? | ChocolateMusings.com

Stop and take a minute, here. What’s creating overwhelm in your life? Why did you decide to read this article?

Ask yourself:

What do you need from your bullet journal?

What are you trying to do with your bullet journal that isn’t working?

There are times where I need intricately drawn or painted spreads and times I need minimal layouts. If you’re overwhelmed with your bullet journal, it’s a signal to change it up.

Listen to yourself. Don’t force yourself to keep doing something just because you’ve always done it.

Tip # 2 Manage the Overwhelm, Take a Vacation from your Bullet Journal!

Tip #2 - Take a Vacation from Your Bullet Journal - But have a return ticket scheduled | ChocolateMusings.com

Do you need a break from bullet journaling but don’t want to stop forever?

Here’s a tip: don’t break the habit and think you can come back to it whenever you want, you need to prepare the way to return. I know that’s how I break most of my good habits (see the posts in my health journey adventure).

Instead, call it a vacation. That’s how I take time away from a habit but mentally knowing that I’ll return to it. If you call it a vacation it helps your mind feel like it’s returning from a break rather than ‘falling off the wagon’.

It’s ok to give yourself a vacation. I promise. If you’re not using it anyway, and your bullet journal is overwhelming you, take a break, but set up a return date and an expectation when you return.

For instance, I will give myself a week (or a month) from my bullet journal and jot down the ‘vacation dates’ on a sticky note and post it on the front of my bullet journal. Writing down the commitment is especially important. And if you end up taking more time than you intended, call it an extended vacation.

Habit-Making Recommendations

Here are some books I’ve read on organizing, decluttering, and habits. I’d love a recommendation and add it to my list. Let me know if you have more to add in the comments below.  

 

Tip #3 Create Only the Minimum Amount Required

Tip # 3 Return to the Minimum Required in your Bullet Journal - Eliminate all unnecessary lists, to dos, records, allow yourself to breathe and realize what is really important to you | ChocolateMusings.com

If you’re struggling with motivation and overwhelm in your bullet journal, return to the minimum amount you can do. For instance, I decided to create a simple welcome page, a vertical calendar page to track events and day-specific to-dos, and a habit tracker page. To focus on being thankful, I added a one-line gratitude journal as well. It was the perfect mix of keeping track of life with a little whimsy.

  • November Thankful welcome page in my bullet journal - heart wreath with watercolor | ChocolateMusings.com
    Welcome Page
  • November vertical calendar log - minimal bullet journal spreads | ChocolateMusings.com
    Monthly Log
  • November Habits & Thankful Line Per day - Minimal Bullet Journal Use | ChocolateMusings.com
    One Line Per Day & Habit Tracker

A comparison from the typical spreads I created in my bullet journal vs. when I pared it down this month:

Typical Month:

  • 2 -Page Welcome Spread in Watercolor
  • 2-Page Monthly Calendar
  • Monthly To-Dos
  • Habit Tracker
  • 2-Page Spreads for Each Week
  • Brain Dump
  • One-Line Per Day
  • Productivity Tracker
  • Journal Page

Pared Down Month:

  • Welcome Spread (simple)
  • Monthly Log
  • One Line Per Day
  • Habit Tracker

** I could have eliminated the welcome spread, one line per day & habit tracker and kept only the monthly calendar, but they made me happy and I decided could keep up with them.

Eliminate Overwhelm: Pare Down to Only What You Absolutely Need In Your Bullet Journal

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, choose what you absolutely need and use that for a month. Hint: after the first week of the month, if you’re craving a missing part of your bullet journal, absolutely add it back in! There is nothing that says that you have to continue doing (or not doing) what you start the month doing.

Going back to the basics is the best way to see how my bullet journal needs to evolve for the next season of my life. If you let your bullet journal grow with your seasons of life, you’ll find the value of your bullet journal amplifies. This is one reason why I’ve stuck with bullet journaling for so long.

Here’s a post on how you can create a one-line per day spread. (And how to use it!)

Let Your Bullet Journal Adapt to Your Life

Stop the overwhelm and adapt your bullet journal to work with you instead of work against your current season of life. I feel the most overwhelmed is when I’m not using the tools in my life, and I insist that I have to use them the way I’ve always done.

Allow yourself to make a shift in the way you plan and carry out your tasks when you get them done. We’ve all gone through a significant change in the last few months. Adaptation is critical, and it certainly is necessary to eliminate overwhelm.

So if something in your bullet journal feels overwhelming, that’s a clue to change what you’re doing. Make a change. It’s ok, I promise. The system is not rigid. It was never designed to be rigid.

Inspiration to Keep Going

I hope you found some inspiration to adapt your bullet journal to your current season in life. I think you’ll find more peace and eliminate more overwhelm in your bullet journal if you give yourself a temporary vacation, reset to the minimum, and let your bullet journal adapt to your life. Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Make this tool work for you.

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

3 Tips to Overcome Bullet Journal Overwhelm | ChocoalteMusings.com

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Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Find Your Happy, Get Inspired, Get Organized & Start Planning, Habits, Journal Prompts & Ideas, My Muses (My Favorites & Inspiration), Start Planning Here Tagged: Bullet Journal, bullet journaling, habit tracking, habits, journal prompts, starting your bullet journal

How to Create (and Use) One Line Per Day in Your Bullet Journal

September 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

Have you ever looked at the One Line Per Day Bullet Journal Spreads and wondered why (or how) to use this journaling page? I’ll show you how to create a One Line Per Day spread, how to create the habit of using it. I’ll also give you some ideas if you’re not sure what to write.

For me, the One Line Per Day is a stepping-stone habit. Meaning I start with something small to get to a bigger habit. In this case, writing in a journal every day.

How to Create (and Why to Use) a One-Line Per Day Journal in your Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #onelineperday #oneline #journal

When you want to create a habit of daily journaling, it’s hard to develop the practice. I usually end up with a bookshelf full of books with one page filled. Even Monica from Friends made fun of Rachel quoting from Rachel’s journal, saying she was going to write in her diary every day, but every page was blank after the first entry. If you’re with me (and Rachel), starting with a ‘One Line Per Day’ method might help change the empty notebook syndrome.

How to Create a One Line Per Day Page

I’m a sucker for fancy headers. If a page has a fancy header, I’m more likely to use it. In this case, I lettered the title using a brush marker. Simple yet fancy.

  • Using a fancy title makes the page more appealing to use & easier to find as you flip through your bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #bulletjournal
  • One Line Per Day Handlettering | ChocolateMusings.com #oneline #handlettering #moderncalligraphy

Check out this post if you want more ideas to creating fancy headers (and no, they don’t all require brush markers. BUT if you are interested in learning how to do modern calligraphy, check out my books.)

My goal is to use one line per day and stick to only one line.  That’s a challenge in and of itself (at least for me). So I used 1-31 stickers, so I didn’t have to number the page (because I cannot number in a straight line no matter how hard I try!). If you have the talent to write numbers in a straight line, number away.  Or you can use a ruler to the side so your column doesn’t drift back and forth as mine would.

You could leave the page like this or, for an added detail, highlight every other line with a highlighter, Mildliner, or even a Crayola marker. I recommend using a ruler to highlight. 

Highlight every other line on your page with a marker or highlighter | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #collections #journalingpage

Once you’ve created the page, now it’s time to make sure that you write in it every day. Don’t stress yourself out. Write a word, a mood, or a short quote for the day. 

Supplies I Used to Creat My One Line Per Day Insert

Crayola Marker Bouquet - Color Combination for August's Theme | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Tumbitri Meri A5 Dot-Grid Journal | Blog Post Review | YouTube Review Video
  • Pentel Sign Brush Pens
  • Archer & Olive Paper Pads 
  • Crayola Super Tip Markers
  • Scotch Washi Tape (for taping the page to the book – you can also use clear tape)

What If You Use a Pre-Printed Planner or Have no Room for Another Page?

If your planner is pre-printed, insert a page, or attach it to your regular planner with a paperclip. Don’t anticipate picking up a journal every night before going to bed. I guarantee you’ll start skipping days.

I love the idea of removable pages. Because if you successfully create this habit and do it for a straight year, what a great memento for the year! Oh, now I want to do it just for that reason.

What If You Forget to Fill Out Your One Line Per Day?

Completed one line per day journal entry page in my bullet journal. It feels so good to see all those lines filled out! | ChocolateMusings.com one line per day, journal entry, journaling, bullet journal

Here is my completed one line per day. Do you want to know a secret? I missed a day more than 30% of the time. But I went back and completed the lines. In a year or two, when I’m rereading this, honestly, I won’t care that it wasn’t done every day at 9 pm.

So, if you forget to fill it out, think about a time in the day when you pull out your planner. Then at the time when you open your notebook, quickly write your one line for the day.

If you use your planner for work, once you arrive at your desk and start flipping through the pages, take a moment to write down your one line per day. 

If you find yourself looking at a few blank lines on your One Line Per Day, fill it out! I find that if I work backward (start with yesterday, then move to the day before). I can remember more details than if I were to begin with “what happened two weeks ago?” You can always look back at your calendar to jog your memory as well.

Other Ways To Use Your One Line Per Day Journal Page

Who says one line has to sum up the day? It could be a motivating thought for the day or a goal to accomplish. You could fill it out for the previous day in a moment of reflection. Whatever you do, you’re trying to create a habit of everyday use, so make it easy to fill out your one line every day. 

One Line Per Day Journal Ideas - don't know what to write? Here are some ideas for short one-line entries in your bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #journaling #onelineperday

Ideas to Record

  • Short Journal about the Day
  • One word describing your mood or day
  • Motivational words for the coming day
  • A goal you want to accomplish
  • Inspiring Quote
  • Statistics from a day (it’s still writing, isn’t it?)
  • Names to Pray For
  • Something you Observed
  • A shortlist of things you did
  • Reminders
  • Good things about yourself (this is hard to do sometimes, but Is very beneficial when trying to combat any negative self-talk)
  • Something your children did (funny, sweet, etc.)
  • Favorite item of the day
  • Shows you watched
  • Books you read & how many pages
  • What you did to work towards a goal
  • How many times you (add something you’re tracking)
  • Things you love in your life
  • Things you want to try
  • Podcasts you listened to
  • Today I learned
  • Happy moment of the day
  • Dinner Conversations
  • Guilt-Free Moment
  • What I did for self-care
  • Accomplishments
  • What to do Better

You could use one idea or any combination of these ideas. What other ideas would you like to record daily?

One Line Per Day – A Great Starting Point

If you’d like to start journaling, but it feels overwhelming, try starting with one line per day. Make sure to designate a time (for example, before you turn out the lights before bed or as you’re having a cup of coffee in the morning to write your one line. Then strive to do it every day. If you miss a day, complete it the following day. No big deal.

Check out this post for two things I do every night before I go to bed that just might help you create the habit of writing in a one-line per day journal. These small things changed my life. (It seems dramatic, but it’s not – it’s true!)

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Filed Under: 5 Minute Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Collections, Find Your Happy, Get Organized & Start Planning, Journal Prompts & Ideas, Planner Spreads, Simple Planner Spreads, Tutorials & How To Tagged: bujo, Bullet Journal, journal prompts, journaling, one line per day

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About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

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