A-to-Z Journaling

Reviews of all things journal from a journaling lover, working on her own guided journal soon to be published! :) 

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Start Where You Are Guided Journal Review

Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration Meera Lee Patel

What is it?

The subtitle says it - a journal for self-exploration. But, aren’t they all? What it doesn’t tell you is how appealing and soothing it looks inside. Like many guided journals, this one aims at helping you better understand yourself and process your thoughts, wishes, feelings, and fears in a mindful way. Each page on the left has a water-color art quote from famous thinkers that is somehow related to the writing prompt on the right. This is a really good combination! You just enjoy flipping the pages and moving through the journal. As for the prompts, some are quick and easy, and on some, you need to stay longer or even sleep on it. My impression is that if you’re really eager, inspired and in the mood for journaling, you can finish it in a day or two. But on average, you can play with it for a couple of weeks. And if you’re like me, not much time and attention to give dedicate, it can last you long. The overall tone is really optimistic and empowering but in a non-aggressive way. It lets you glide through pages smoothly while enjoying Meera Lee Patel’s works of art. It might even inspire you to grab colorful pens and start doodling and customizing - like I did. I like how unpretentious yet effective this journal is! A true bestseller. 

What does it look like?

Mine is a paperback edition, in dimensions 143 x 191 x 11mm, 128 pages. It is pretty compact and light. The paper is white matte. However, darker colors can be seen through another page. That tells me some of the stronger, darker pens might bleed through. That’s why for this journal I opted for Pilot Precision V5 pens that are ultra-fine. Now, back to the journal! I already mentioned how pretty the watercolor illustrations are. They truly are one of the best and most unique things about this journal! Meera Lee Patel is responsible for them too, so the authorship is completely hers, which I applaud. 

Who is it for?

- A great gift to almost anyone that’s into journaling, even a little bit - Both journaling veterans and beginners - Bohemian souls, mindfulness practitioners, and yogis - Litterature aficionados will appreciate the quotes 

Find it here. 

[atozjournaling]

The Daily Stoic Journal - First Impressions

The Daily Stoic Journal Author: Ryan Holiday with Stephen Hanselman

What is it?

My friend who has a PhD in Phylosophy told me she bought this interesting Stoic journal. Recently she told me she’s been writing in it and loving it. It’s a real deal, she said. I instantly liked the idea while being pleasantly surprised that in the sea of journals about motivation, productivity, business, beauty, planning, there is one inspired by the Ancient Greek philosophy. Truth to be told, the Stoics philosophy has gained in popularity lately because it goes well with the contemporary belief of modern entrepreneurship in self-mastery, resilience, rationality and being purpose-driven. Although the goal of this journal is similar to most of the other guided journals - helping you become the best version of yourself - for a change, the advice comes from the Ancient Greeks and not some self-appointed guru (although the author of the journal is an entrepreneur himself know for his books such as “Ego Is The Enemy”). For those who want to know more about Stoicism and the Daily Stoic movement, here’s the link. I didn’t try this journal yet but I plan to because my first impressions from leafing through it are very good and I like the idea behind it. And perhaps, a hidden gift this book might give you would be a newly found interest to explore more of the Ancient Greek philosophy?

What does it look like?

This hardback, 138 x 205 x 26mm and 384-page journal will get you covered for all 366 days of the (leap) year. Each chapter comes with a description of what part of the Stoic philosophy you need to focus on in the week to follow. You will learn about Stoicism in easily digestible chunks and try to make yourself more reflective, rational, logical and resilient. The dimensions of this book allow you to carry it around, but I feel it’s best if you keep it on your desk as a reminder to reflect daily. The design and the font are very pleasant, elegant and toned-down. Just like the Stoics would have liked.

Who is it for?

- Philosophy lovers: from experts to those who are just dipping their toes in the big pool of Greek Philosophy (and people buying gifts for them).

- Entrepreneurs who’d like to hear some Millenniums-old advice.

- Journaling lovers who are interested in a guided journal that has time-proven ideas and not just some new-age stuff in it.

Get it here. 

[atozjournaling]

My Stabilo point 88 collection is growing! 

What’s your favorite color?

[atozjournaling]

Lego Notebook With Pen - review

LEGO Notebook With LEGO Gel Pen

What is it? OMG, Lego has a stationery collection and I am learning about that just now? This is one of their notebooks that come with a cute lego pen that attaches to the small building plate on the cover. It is a simple yet cute journal that will serve you well for keeping a diary or as a planner. With this one under your arm, you will be the coolest (and geekiest) person in a business meeting. As for me, this was a gift from friends who know exactly what I like and it came just in time when my current diary is coming to an end and I started thinking about what kind of a notebook I want next. I don’t need to search anymore - this notebook found me!

What does it look like?

It is an A5 notebook with 96 lined sheets, with a cute Lego illustration in a corner of every page. The cover is a pattern of illustrated Lego bricks and other shapes. It is hardcover with a shiny finish - actually, the lines of the illustrations are with a shiny finish, the cover itself is matte, which is a nice combination and it feels good under your fingertips. It has a 4x4 red building plate meant to hold the medium point Lego gel pen. It’s worth mentioning that you can buy these pens separately (hello, new stationery collectibles!) and stuck up to four of them (or more if you’re creative, but that will be impractical). The pen is square-shaped, thin, and not the most comfortable one to write with because of the angles. Lastly, it has a nice red ribbon on the cover and red bookmark ribbon inside. Because pages are ruled, I’d say this journal is not the best for creative journalers who like to keep their bujo full of illustrations, write and draw with heavy pens and colors - it might bleed through. But if you want to use this as a diary or take around with you to write down things daily, it is great. The design is very pleasing, simple and Lego. No mistakes there.

Who is it for?

- Lego fans, of course! They too need to write things down from time to time, so this is a good, practical gift for your adult friends that you know like Lego.

- Journaling addicts who are also Lego fans.

Get it here.

[atozjournaling]

Do you draw or write with these multi-color pencils? I find the effect really pleasing! :)

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Focus by Seth Godin - Guided Journal Review

FOCUS, A Ship It Journal  Author: Seth Godin

What is it?

People in the startup & marketing world know Seth Godin as one of the most inspirational figures. He writes a successful and influential blog that turned into 18 books and countless speeches he gave. He work as a consultant. People swear by him. And now, we finally got a guided journal, a playbook, a guideline from him, for those who dream of making their big (or small) idea come true, but don’t do much about it. This book, with its wit and wisdom, will push you to -focus. Start where you are, work with what you have and - ship it! The book opens with a great example of Dürer's Rhinoceros as a metaphor of what our mind and imaginations are capable of. Seth urges us not to chase for perfection when trying to make our business happen or our idea come to life because that imagined perfection that we can’t even put our finger on will only slow us down, if not entirely prevent us from making things at all. Instead of that, just start. Think about what is your product/idea/business, who is it for, why it is unique. Then, dive deeper and envision fears and biases that prevent you from actually doing it. Then go and do it. Come up with a prototype. And SHIP IT! With a combination of inspirational quotes, suitable metaphors, Seth’s famous purple cow example and actual writing assignments the book will help you dig deep into your motivations, ideas and accompanying annoying fears. Focus is an excellent tool. 

What does it look like?

The dimensions of the book are 20,6 x 13,5 cm, which is a pretty good size if you ask me - good for carrying around, or for keeping at home. It’s a hardcover, with good quality, silky paper inside (although a bit see-through so it might bleed if you use a heavy black pen). There are some pages with different paper, but I don’t need to spoil every little detail in this post. The design, color scheme, fonts, and illustrations are appealing. Well, I didn’t expect less from a marketing genius. The color palette he used is light purple and soft yellow. Very pleasing but also bold, high contrast combination. The part that really stands out is the spine - it is detached. On purpose. Everything in this book is made intentionally and it serves to the overall message. 

Who is it for?

- Anyone who has an idea, big or small, and doesn’t quite know how to make it come to life. Be it a product, starting a business, an app, maybe just starting your blog - any idea will do. 

- Anyone who wants to wake up their entrepreneurial spirit and start shipping their work. Entrepreneurs and business people who need an extra nudge, some structure and motivation to keep going, or to elevate their business.

- Seth Godin’s fans, obviously.

- Collectors of guided journals (like myself). This one will get you to focus on your business. 

[atozjournaling]

Staples wide ruled 1-subject notebook in vivid colors and Pilot G-2 07 pens mean I’m in New York and doing my 9-to-5 for the next couple of weeks. :) I work remotely most of my time, in my home country, but when I visit the team in NYC it is all about the office, meetings, and gallons of filter coffee. ☕😊📓 . Do you work remotely or at the office?

[atozjournaling]

Practice You Guided Journal Review

Practice You Author: Elena Brower

What is it? A beautiful, robust book that will help you connect with who you are, at your own pace. It almost feels like meditation by writing. The author Elena Brower, being a meditation teacher and yoga luminary, knows exactly how to give you perfect cues for looking into yourself in a mindful way. She asks questions for self-reflection while reminding you to sit straight and breathe deeply. Working with this guided journal every day for at least a couple of minutes will give you momentum with finding what is your substance and practicing it as the title suggests. But, keep that momentum! The book works best that way. However, the book is not pushing you to write fast or a lot. There aren’t strict timelines. You can always return to some pages, write more, and compare with what you wrote before. There are some challenging cues that will prompt you to think hard, go back in time and remember some things about your life. There are numerous writing prompts that are highly motivational and encouraging. Because this book promises to help you not only to practice you but to love and accept yourself. 

What does it look like?

As mentioned above, it is a robust book, with more than 150 pages to fill out. The paperback cover is made of a nice, toothy, matte, canvas-like paper, with the watercolor style illustrations in beautifl shades of purple, to radiate serenity. Dimensions of the book are 184 x 241 x 15.24mm. It is definitely something you want to keep at home, keep to yourself, and work with when you have time and enough mind space. It’s not something that you’d want to bring with you or to travel with. And that’s a good thing. It will become your private ritual. The pages inside are also canvas-like - the pattern was made to seem like they are matte, but they are not. I must say I’d prefer if they were, but this is also fine. They do not bleed through which is always a plus! There almost isn’t a page without some illustration or ornament on it, all in aquarelle and watercolor style. It is very appealing. All chapters have their own colors, all in very serene, pleasant tones of purples, reds, yellows, greens, and blues. 

Who is it for? - People who like to meditate. They may be beginners or long-time practitioners, but this book will appeal to all of them equally. - Great birthday or Christmas present for your bohemian friend. - Those who need some discrete assistance for looking into themselves.

Get it here.

[atozjournaling]

Throwback: study notebooks

The other day I stumbled upon my old study notebooks from college. I remember having a lot of Disney-themed notebooks - some with Disney princesses, some with Winnie Pooh, and these cute Tinkerbell ones. This is all I can find for now, the other notebooks are probably stashed somewhere or lost. What a blast from the past! I enjoyed the college days, studying was never hard. 🤓

[atozjournaling]

Soul Journal review

Soul Journal Author: Zana Poliakov

What is it? One of the first journals of this kind I saw in Serbia from a Serbian author. Zana Poliakov is a life coach who published several self-help bestsellers in Serbia. She probably recognized, together with the publisher, that there is an empty space for the guided journals and books that can help people practice self-reflection, wishful thinking and mindfulness. Soul Journal is one such book. It was published back in 2013 when the entire self-improvement movement was starting to blossom in the world. It guides you through almost 250 pages with questions, writing assignments and empty pages to fill out. It checks all the boxes for this type of book - motivational intro, the first page is for personalization - to whom this book belongs to, then you need to ‘sign a contract’ with yourself and promise to start working on creating your happiness from then on. I appreciate the effort, but to me it seems that some of the magic is lost by deciding to publish a book on such low quality paper that kinda degrades it. I like the concept, although it’s a bit too new age-y for my taste. Anyway, kudos for the pioneer effort in this part of the world and such a small market. 

What does it look like? It’s a hardcover 145x205mm book with a flowery cover design, cheesy but appropriate for this genre. Looks promissing. However, the interior was disappointing because it’s printed on the worst quality yellow paper that bleeds through when you try to write with a nice pen. However, that allowed the price to be fairly low and book to be affordable for its 200+ pages. I did start populating the book, but it didn’t hold me for long, maybe because of the design and the sense that this is not the book worth keeping and returning to - again, because of the execution. The best practice for this type of books is to have great design and ultra high-quality paper.

Who is it for? - People who want to do some soul searching through writing - People who are looking to bu a present for their bohemian friend - Journaling newbies who want to test the waters with the innexpensive guided journal

[atozjournaling]

Designing Your Life Review

Designing Your Life

Authors: Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

What is it? Published in 2016 by two legit Stanford professors, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, this book quickly earned #1 New York Times Bestseller. It’s not exactly a guided journal but it can help you start your own bullet journal or a written project where you can set goals and track them. The authors wanted to help their students find their path and create their own happiness. The course was so successful that they decided to turn it into a book and make it available to everyone who wants to live life by design and not by chance. The premise is that all of us can design our lives to what makes us happy. The book is optimistic, stating that it is never too late to discover and then follow your dreams. There are techniques that can help you do that. These techniques are explained in the book, followed by self-assessment tests, charts, homework to do in a course of a couple of months, and trackers for the results. The book has diagrams and charts to help you with that. You can print them out, but my suggestion to bujo addicts is to start a journal for designing your life. It will give you weeks of writing and doodling, and it could improve your life in the end. The book is filled with anecdotes that are easy to read. Their purpose is to explain the philosophy of the book and to inspire the reader to move forward with the project. I found the reading a bit boring, but in general, I love the book and the idea! I’m yet to start doing the assignments and will report my experience when I finish.

How does it look like? It’s 272-page hardback, with a nice teal-colored book jacket, dimensions 155 x 216 x 28mm. I like the book cover design, and complementary teal fonts and details in the book. The book looks nice as a gift, because it’s not paperback, and it also sits nicely on the shelf or a table. The font is big and readable. The format is not large, but the book is not the best to carry around with you. It’s more for keeping at home, on your desk, to remind you of the project you need to do.

Who is it for? - People who’d like to start a bullet journal, but don’t know how, or need a project/inspiration. - People who feel stuck in their life and would like to do something about it. This book might help!

Get it here. 

[atozjournaling]

Dot Grid Notebook No. 06 by Designworks Ink - review

Notebook No. 06

By: Designworks Ink

What is it?

Pretty standard, non-guided journal by Designworks Ink, with several cute details that will separate it from a regular notebook. It simplistic, but not simple, with attention to details and functionality that you might not think of, but you’re glad it’s there. Suitable for all sorts of journaling and scrapbooking if you’re not looking for guided journals.

How does it look like?

This one is in soft pink ombre. They have a blue one also. It is a thick 144-page book, with exposed spine binding, which I find pretty appealing. One of the first pleasant surprises that show attention to detail is that the dotted pages are also in ombre pink. The color is soft and light so it won’t interrupt your writing, without being boringly whiteish or yellowish. When you start examining closer, you find nice details in the beginning and at the end of the notebook, similar to what the old-fashioned notebooks would have: personal information, time zones, and world map, then metric system converter (useful), then in the end list of the biggest religious, national and international holiday dates for the next five years, and also some space to record your important dates. For even more technical details, visit their page. To me, this is a stay-at-home book, and not a carry-around book, because it’s robust. It’s perfect for your secret journal sitting in the drawer.

Who is it for?

- Those who like to journal in a traditional way (write down a lot of things, and maybe doodle a little), but are looking for a good-quality notebook with a twist, so it’s not plain and boring.

- Those with a preference for dotted pages

- Pink color lovers, obviously. This is pretty close to Millennial pink, so I see mature Millenials going for it first.  

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Notebooks I Abandoned Last Year

Idea Notebook No. 1: Discovered in late December with two ideas and one inspirational quote jotted down.

How relatable on a scale of 1 to 10 is this? :)

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WTF Is A Bullet Journal And Why Should You Start One? An Explainer

I'm low-key obsessed.

BuJo in a nutshell.

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Poll: Which paper you prefer for your journal?

When it comes to your journaling notebooks, what kind of paper do you prefer: dots, squares, lines or blank? 

Share your answers! :)

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Stan Lee, you will be missed. :(

As a huge comic-book fan, the fact I’ve chosen this notebook to keep my diary it is not unusual. Today, I want to be one of many honoring this great artist, storyteller and the biggest hero of them all, Stan Lee. 

[atozjournaling]

This Is Not a Book - review

This Is Not a Book Author: Keri Smith

What is it?

I know you see some strange language on the cover (Serbian, btw) but I assure you THIS IS This Is Not a Book book by Keri Smith. One more in the series of her creative guided journals, following a tremendously successful Wreck This Journal, this book shares the same design, style, and philosophy of its predecessor, but will less ‘violence’. Also, it gives you more space to express verbally, unlike the more visually inclined Wreck This Journal. All in all, one more in the series of Keri’s books you will enjoy.

What does it look like?

The same format, style, typography, and design as the Wreck This Journal. It is not black and white, has some more color to it. The edition I have has fancier paper than Wreck This Journal. 

Who is it for?

- Creative types who need some guidance on how to channel or exercise their creativity. For those whose creativity tends to be a bit more verbal than visual (although all types of artistic expression are encouraged).

- People who are searching for a convenient gift if they are not entirely sure what to give to someone

- Keri Smith fans and collectors of her guided journals

Do you own any other books by Keri?

Get it here.