Those who know me really well are already aware of the fact that I am  “planner freak” by nature. I love collecting notepads with cute colors and prints( I have so many with me and I do not know what to use it for, yet :P) I really love planning my week ahead so I stay focused and I know whats on priority for me and whats not.  To-do Lists, Ootw lists, Problems I’m facing and their solutions “list”, thoughts in my head that are annoying me ‘list’-  I write it all down in my Journal. This helps me keep a sane and clear mind.

Many of us are intimidated by the Idea of maintaining a journal or writing stuff down- but trust me on this one – once you see in words all that is in your head, it gives you a clear idea of how to deal with things.In this post I’m gonna share my top tips for starting/maintaining/ helping you use a journal I have inserted some pictures of my own journal to give you a fair idea. Lets get started!

1. Notepad/journal with a cover that attracts you– You don’t have to go and buy a expensive journal. Start with what you have at hand and cover it yourself- get creative and make it look attractive. The better it looks-the more you are drawn towards writing in it. Use a plain paper cover and stick on some pictures, printed out articles, colorful images, etc. Let your journal speak to you:P

2.The first page-  When you open up your journal, the first page should motivate you. Mine has Disney quotes stuck on it. One of them says-“All you need is faith, trust and a little pixie dust”- This makes me smile. You could doodle on your first page or write something that means a lot to you- any saying, quote, life goal!

3. Don’t Clutter- When you write stuff down make sure its in the appropriate place. If not-you’ll be wasting your time trying to keep track of what you have accomplished and what is left to do. In my journal,I reserve one page for the name of the month and doodle something related to that month (like for July my theme was “lights will take you home”) then after that page I plan Weekly so it doesn’t make much clutter. My mind dumps, thoughts, problems I face and solutions, to-do lists etc are never on the same page as my weekly plan.  I try not to shift my focus from my weekly plan to something else on that page.

 4.Get creative– I am a sticky note fanatic:P  You’ll see my weekly plans written on different colored sticky notes(of all shapes and sizes). Use glitter pens, colored pens, paper pins, stickers, paints, charms -whatever screams creative to you! Because as I said- the more attractive, the more prone you are to organizing

5. Cute notes– Lastly, Don’t forget to leave cute notes for yourself between pages. It could be anything- A quote maybe or just “you are awesome!”Something that reminds you that no matter how hectic your schedule for the day- you have and will always manage it well.

Bonus! – Thanks for sticking till the end   Here is the printable I used on my first page!

I simply printed it out on a A-4 size sheet and stuck them on Hope you have found this article helpful. All my socials are linked down below. Do get in touch!

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