Journal Cheats

Tuesdays are for journaling—aka putting pen to paper and seeing what surprises show up. I’ve filled more journals than I can count, turned the practice into a book and course, and had the joy of watching others discover just how life-giving it can be. Come play with me on the page with me.

“Let the page hold what your heart cannot.”

Next Journaling Course begins April 6.

It’s always a challenge working around holidays, so I’ve set the date for Easter Monday, April 6.

1 hour a week for 4 weeks with lots of great interactive discussion. (Online)

You purchase the manual - “Journaling for Personal Growth - A Place to Begin” - ahead of time for a 20% discount on the $100 course.

Message if you are interested, and I’ll send details.

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You may have heard me say before that I love being artisitic but then I don’t. The whole idea of bullet journaling is intriguing to me, but despite all my wishes to have a lovely-looking piece of art for a journal, I don’t have the patience or stamina to keep it up. Happily there are some options which make it a little easier.

While I was doing one of those stupid scrolls through an Oriental shopping page last week, I found something I hadn’t seen before. (It’s a little bit of fun to window shop.) They are “cheater stencils” (my name for them) for a bullet journal. They are perfect for me. Especially the ones that help produce trackers.

These stencils are made specifically for bullet journals, but could easily be adapted to lined pages or just plain pages in a sketchbook-type journal.

The ones I would be most likely to use are the habit tracker and the mood tracker. Habit trackers can keep a record of daily tasks you want to be accountable for, like doing the dishes and making the bed. The mood tracker, for me, provides a bit of a wake-up call if I’m struggling. Those of us who live with depression are often unaware of our own downward spirals and a tracker can help to show trends we might not notice without a little extra help. It also helps me on a day-to-day basis to make changes in my routine, which might support boosting my mood.

These stencils may also support parents with children at home to create worksheets and checklists for tasks that need to be done. The meal planner may help a busy household with advanced planning and grocery shopping. The daily planner may be a good way to plan the week for family activities. The family may even be able to help with the cretion of a calendar with the aid of stencils.

Those who create scrapbooks may already be familiar with some of the other sorts of stencils. Flower designs, border and corner designs, birds, emojis, and even animal skin prints. Sprinkling those around my journal might be fun and a little inspiring.

Creating a bullet journal can be a big task, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. I have bullet pages in my daily planner, which could be used for simple things like mood trackers and recording books and movies. Bullet journals are easy to find in a bookstore or online, and just creating a small one for the year could be a helpful record. With some coloured markers and pens, you can even make it work in a regular lined journal. The colours help your eyes move away from the lines.

Notes and Resources

Some bullet journal ideas on my Pinterest Page

If you want to see a video about how to create a bullet journal try these ones.

Starting Your First Bullet Journal - Simple and points out you can start any month.

How to Start a Bullet Journal (designs for women and girls).

Mixed bullet journal kit on Amazon

Daily Life Tracking Stencils on Amazon

Bullet or Dot Journals are available in all sorts - this is one example.