Photo Courtesy of Monk Manual
A good journal can be an excellent tool for helping us to live with a strong sense of purpose. A journal can be a place to dream, to empty our minds, to lay down our worries, track progress toward a goal, plan meals, make a list, think and feel deeply. A journal contains the field notes of a life.
I have been a collector of notebooks and journals since approximately forever. I go crazy over pretty covers and thick paper. I love the way a crisp new notebook practically begs you to mark it up with felt tip pens. Now, more than any other time of year, my Instagram feed is full of ads for journals of all kinds. Maybe it’s the back-to-school season, maybe it’s a clever marketing ploy when so many of us are dying for something, anything, to help us feel a little more in control of our lives. The reason doesn’t matter. What matters is that there are more journals on the market than anyone could possibly need or want or use with any consistency. I’ve done the research and the results are in. These are three of the best, most intentionally designed journals on the market.
Monk Manual
The Monk Manual is a 90 day planner focused on finding and living in the sweet spot of being and doing. The system is based on principles from psychology, productivity and spiritual growth. It’s monthly, weekly, and daily pages are designed to help you prepare, act, and reflect in order to cultivate a more joyful life.
Founder Steve Lawson says this about what makes the Monk Manual unique:
“You cannot be truly intentional by just mapping out a to-do list for the day. A to-do list focuses on the urgent. But the important is almost never urgent. To get to the important we have to work towards that.”
I’m on the last few pages of my first Monk Manual and it has made a massive impact on my life. I’m more intentional with my time by carving out space for what matters to me and developing habits that bring me closer to the joyful, connected way of living I strive for.
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Every sacred sunday mass journal
Every Sacred Sunday was created by two friends, Christie and Kassie, whose mission “is to invite each person into deeper relationship with Christ by creating spiritual resources inspired by the beauty of the Catholic Church.” Talk about two women on a mission!
The Every Sacred Sunday Mass Journal has been a favorite of mine since it’s inception in 2017. Not only have I been using the ESS journal since the beginning, I’ve saved every single one of the beautiful, hardcover journals so that I can return to them for inspiration and encouragement on my spiritual journey. I like to read the readings before mass, highlighting and underlining as I go. And then at mass, I use it to make notes during the homily. It’s been really special to track my spiritual life through newlywed life, pregnancy, and motherhood and witness the unique ways the Lord was speaking to me in those seasons.
Moleskine hardcover notebooks
The Moleskine hardcover notebooks have won me over as best notebook. The open flat to make for easy note taking and bullet journaling. The dot grid layout helps me not feel confined by one format, namely the traditional bullet list. It’s easy to just let my thoughts fall on the page at random and then organize them later on another page.
Photo Courtesy of Inphinite Photography
It’s not fancy, and I don’t need it to be. I need it to be small enough to fit in my bag and durable enough to hold up to months and months of ideas and coffee stains.
Do you have a favorite journal? What tools do you find helpful in the pursuit of living well? Share below in the comments!