A question for you guys today… Do you journal? And if so, how? I am truly curious because, like so many other wellness practices, we are hearing more and more about the benefits that writing on the daily can bring. But if you Google it, there are about as many ways to go about journaling as there are people on this planet.

I was never the girl who kept a diary when I was younger. And with a younger brother at home, maybe that was a good thing! But something I always did when I was feeling particularly angry, frustrated, or sad was writing. I would bust out some notebook paper (hey, I grew up before the advent of the pocket robot, don’t judge) and it seemed that everything I was thinking or feeling would just come pouring out of me. And man, would I feel better. I can’t recall a single instance of actually showing someone what I had written, but just the simple act of getting my thoughts and feelings out of my head and on paper was super helpful.

All through high school, college, grad school, and my early “adulting” years this was a sort of pattern. Bottle everything up until the bottle was too full and then write and write and write until it all came out. And then it struck me that since I always felt better, why couldn’t I flip the scenario? Why not write a few sentences every night about what I was grateful for that day? Or something I was proud to accomplish or be a part of? Basically, I thought if getting the negative energy out could help me feel so much better, why couldn’t re-reading positive things help keep me from going down the bad mood spiral?

So I got me a little pocket notebook to keep on my nightstand and started a gratitude journal. Every night I would write down two or three things that I was thankful for or appreciative of that day. Some days were easy and I even wrote more than just a few items. Some days were certainly more difficult, but just the act of trying to find the proverbial silver lining of my day, each and every day was helpful. It became habit so quickly that I was actually surprised.

Then last year I was checking some things out on YouTube and one of the suggested videos was a bullet journal flip through. I remember thinking how gorgeous the art was, so I clicked on the link and fell right down that rabbit hole.

And my hyperorganized heart skipped about six beats. A place where I could keep track of basically everything? And I could indulge my crafty side, too? Sold.

Because I am crazy structured (think Monica from Friends), I knew that a traditional bullet journal style was probably not the way to go for me. Too much flipping back and forth and searching for what you need. But I thought a traveler’s notebook would probably fit the bill perfectly. I bought a cheap-o set from Target right before the new year. It came with two calendar inserts (one for each half of the year) that have monthly planning pages, monthly layouts, and weekly layouts. I also added two blank inserts that I handmade with standard printer paper and some nice cardstock.

One of the blank inserts I use for blog planning and jotting down ideas. What can I say, I usually write more clearly and consistently when I work from an outline (I warned you I was hyperorganized).

The other blank insert I use to keep track of the random bits of my life. Books I have read, shows and movies I have watched, my bucket list, travel goals, cleaning checklists, you get the idea.

But those calendar pages… Since I am the keeper of the schedule at home, the hubs and I use Google calendar to coordinate because things change too fast for a paper and pencil set up. Which leaves those calendar layouts just waiting to be filled. I use the monthly layouts as my trackers, complete with an awesome multicolor pen. Because I can.

The weekly layouts I use to plan my general to-do list and family meals. There is also a notes section which I use as my brain dump. And every day has a designated spot just big enough to keep my gratitude notes.

I have enjoyed this system so much, that I actually am going to upgrade a bit for next year. I bought a new cover, mostly because my current one is very bland and is an odd size to find the correct inserts for. And instead of using pre-done calendar inserts, I am going to take the best of my old pages and transfer it over while leaving the rest. Like the monthly planning pages that I never used. And hopefully the extra space will encourage me to use my creativity a bit more. I’m sure I won’t have a spread that looks amazingly Pinterest-worthy, but I’m okay with that.

So, do you journal? How does it work best for you? Tell me about it in the comments!