My 2022 Notebooks, Journals, and Planners

One of my 2020 blog posts The Journals That I'm Currently Using often reminded me of how many different journals I used to maintain before my marriage. I missed that phase of being an avid journaler for quite a part of 2021 since our wedding was in early December 2020.

When I came to his home, I brought only two journals with me–my 5 year QnA a day journal and a blank A5 size journal which I planned on using as my commonplace journal.

I had thought that I'd hardly ever get the time to write in my new life.

I didn't know my new family well enough but soon, I realised how loving, caring, and supportive they all are.

I soon converted my commonplace journal to Letters To God journal and wrote whatever I felt like writing in it.

A few weeks more passed and I began missing my morning pages practice.

So, I took out a new journal (by that time, I had brought many of my blank journals from mom-dad's home to my now home). I titled that journal 'daily pages'.

I wrote a paragraph or two or a few lines each day. This habit once again developed over time and I was back to writing morning pages. Know more about it here.

You see, I cannot stay sane without journaling. Journaling is my NEED. It's no longer just a want.

And just like that, I got into my former habit of keeping multiple journals once again.

So, let's take a look at my current journals.

DAILY JOURNALS

1. Morning Pages Journal

My favourite type of journaling practice, next to gratitude journaling. Morning pages are absolutely magical.

I could not stop writing them once I got into the habit of writing morning pages daily for a year and a half straight.

I am on my third morning pages journal post-marriage and I am using Amazon Basics A5 ruled journal for now. I am loving it just so much!

2. Gratitude Journal:

2021 was the only year since 2015 when I did not keep a gratitude journal. But that doesn't mean I didn't practice gratitude writing. How do you let go of such a long habit in such a short time? A habit that changed your life?

So, I incorporated gratitude in my morning pages for the year 2021. But for this year, I kept a small pocket-sized planner to use as my gratitude journal and it will last a whole year since it's a dated planner.

3. Neorah Planner

I am seriously not a planner person, I have been a bullet journal person though. I use planners mainly for tracking.

But when Neorah sent me their Accomplish planner box set, I wanted to use it as my 2022 planner.

I use it to mark important dates using the metallic stickers, to make to-do lists but I don't make them daily, and to make my monthly goals and plans.

I also use it for tracking books I have read or want to read and the courses that I am taking.

You may check out the entire range of Neorah journals and planners here and grab discounts sitewide using code 'SHILPAGOEL'.

4. Q & A a Day Journal

It's a five-year journal with 366 questions that you answer every day for five years straight. It is one of my favourites!

I started mine in 2018 and 2022 is the fifth and final year in this journal.

I was planning to get a new one for the next year but my friend Daksha Watts already sent me an even more beautiful one as my pre-birthday gift! It's Q&A a Day for Soul. There couldn't be a better gift.

5. Blog Journal

I use my blog journal almost daily and hence put it under daily journals. I use a blog journal to write blog ideas and draft blog posts because I am a pen and paper person. My mind works better on paper as compared to the screen.

I already filled my previous blog journal, which was from Navneet's Youva brand, and currently using an A4 size spiral-bound notebook with 400 pages I bought from a local shop. It is huge!

6. Affirmations Journal

I started maintaining a separate journal for affirmations only recently since I used to write my affirmations in morning pages.

I love affirmations and easily they reshape my subconscious mind. I am using a PaperClub A4 size notebook for affirmations.

OTHER JOURNALS

1. Mindbrush Journal

The self-care journal from Mindbrush Journal is a great tool for improving mental health and promotes gratitude and joy. 

I don’t write regularly in it because of a busy schedule but so far, I am loving it and highly recommend it, especially if you are a beginner and want to get into the habit of journaling.

Use code SHILPA10 to get 10% off on mindbrush.co

2. Online Courses Journal

I love taking online courses. Not for certification or anything, but solely for the sake of learning.

I am a learner for life. Learning is my healthy addiction. I am always looking out for books and courses I can learn something new from or deepen my current understanding of different topics.

Hence, I maintain a spiral-bound notebook from Doodle Collection to make my notes.

3. Poetry Journal

Earlier I used to write poems in my commonplace journal but since 2020, I made a separate journal to write poetry.

Though I mostly write short poems on my notes app on the phone since they always come to my mind randomly, I use a poetry journal to practice poetry prompts.

Currently, I write poems based on prompts from my book of Infinite Writing Prompts.

I am using Neorah’s ruled journal as my poetry journal for now.

4. Commonplace Journal

Since 2018, 2021 is the only year when I did not maintain a commonplace journal, partly because my 2022 commonplace journal wasn’t filled yet.

In 2018 and 2019, I filled my journal from beginning to end.

This year, I have made a new commonplace journal, the one from Neorah’s classic journals. Mine is square-grid.

I have no aim of filling it by the 2022 end but I wanted a neat and clean journal for this purpose.

For now, I only have written a few quotes in it that keep me going through tough times in life.

5. Letters To God Journal

It hurts to say that I am no longer consistent in writing letters to God each day. But I do write letters to God as and when I feel like it.

Even though I am not writing to God regularly, our connection is still the same.

I am using my most cherished journal for this purpose and it was sent to me by Notebook Therapy.

6. Writing Notebook

I made writing a book inspired by Natalie Goldberg’s book Writing Down The Bones.

I use it for writing random short stories and I also drafted my entire new book Trusting God in it. It’s a spiral notebook from Youva.

It always feels so good to talk about notebooks, journals, and planners.

Which journals do you maintain on a regular basis?

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