I’m slightly addicted to notebooks. I have three in my current rotation: a yellow one and a blue one, both Leuchtturm 1917s with dot-grid paper, and a hardcover spiral with lined paper from Target. I have a few others stashed away for later.

Here’s how I use them:

• The spiral notebook holds lists and notes that can be transferred to digital, scratched through, checked off, or discarded.
• The yellow one is the size of a composition notebook, and it’s where I sketch out my rough drafts for this newsletter, my blog, and social media.
• The blue one is my favorite. It’s for big ideas. Goals, aspirations and plans. Options when the path feels unclear or uncertain. Challenges I’m working through, unanswered questions that I’m carrying, and decisions I need to make.

I used to keep a journal, and I believe that journaling can serve a great purpose. But the words in the blue notebook are more like notes, outlines, questions, simple sentences, and quotes. It’s where I jot down short affirmations and words of encouragement. The blue notebook feels light and manageable, not as emotionally heavy as a journal can be sometimes.

Looking back through my notes from spring and summer, I’ve discovered that many questions have been answered; ideas have manifested. Some things are no longer relevant.

I can’t prove that writing it down made an impact, but I suspect that it did. Writing it down makes what is subconscious, conscious, and it gets the energy moving in the direction of sorting things out.

Writing it down—and looking back later—reminds me that I’m not stagnant, I’m learning, growing, and evolving. I’m making external—and internal—progress.

Do you write things down? If you feel inspired to give it a try, or are also obsessed with notebooks, here are some that I like:

The notebooks I use:

Leuchtturm 1917 soft cover composition book (yellow, dot-grid paper)

Leuchtturm 1917 medium sized hardcover (light blue, dot-grid paper)

Greenroom hardcover notebook. Right now I have the cream one with rainbows, but I can always find these at Target and just grab something from their current selection.

Some other recommendations:

The Next Right Thing Guided Journal

The Power of Writing It Down by Allison Fallon

New on Instagram:

It’s not just notebooks. I also need a stockpile of reading glasses. Peepers are my new faves.

New on the Blog:

I finally wrote the post that I’ve been turning over in my mind for months.
It’s for the parents who are counting summers too.

Thanks for reading Hello Friday! If you enjoy this weekly newsletter, please spread the word.

xo

 

Hello Friday is a free weekly newsletter by Angie Mizzell with stories + life tips to help you create a life that feels like home. You can read past issues here.