What I Missed About Journaling After A Week Without My Notebook

I felt lost without my journal for a whole week recently when I accidentally left my bag in my best friend’s car after her wedding (I didn’t want to bother the newlyweds - what can I say?). 

During that week, there were so many instances I was aching to get my thoughts onto paper but couldn’t. 

Now that I’m reunited with my precious notebook and have been using any spare moment to write page after page, I realized why I felt out of sync when I didn’t have my trusted companion on hand.

Here’s What I Missed About Journaling After A Week Without My Notebook:

Handwriting my daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists in one organized location

While I made use of scrap paper and the notes app on my phone to write my to-do lists when I didn’t have my journal around, it lacked the organization and routine of using my notebook.

Using morning pages as a productive first task of the day

I’m usually sluggish and unmotivated in the morning, but the idea of making a cup of coffee and snuggling up in my armchair with my cats and my journal makes me excited to get out of bed.

Gaining a sense of accomplishment as I get closer to completing a journal

There is no satisfaction quite like starting an empty journal and watching the pages fill up over time. My notebook collection is an archive of my life and one of my prized possessions.

Connecting with my most authentic self as I do something I love

Writing in journals is something I have loved to do my whole life, so every time I am deep in the routine of putting my thoughts on paper, I feel like I am aligned with my true purpose.

Feeling fulfilled as I take time to reflect, brainstorm, and plan

As someone who is naturally overly curious about what other people are doing to the point where I almost neglect my own goals (enneagram type 9, anyone?), journaling is an excellent strategy to help me realign my focus inwardly.

I journal for many different reasons, but largely because it is a practice that makes me feel like myself. 

If you’re looking to make some change in your life, take this as your sign to break out an empty notebook you have lying around and introduce a journaling practice into your life today!