Journaling is my personal favorite form of memory keeping. Whether it’s a junk journal page from a special occasion or an entry from a memorable day, I believe journaling is an amazing way to keep a physical archive of your daily life.
As an avid journaler, I’ve tried tons of notebooks, writing systems, and stationery to find my staple journal rotation. After much trial and error, I’ve found my perfect journal ecosystem.Â
- Stream-of-Consciousness NotebookÂ
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Beginning with my favorite and most important notebook, a stream-of-consciousness notebook is exactly what it sounds like. I like to use a lined notebook for this one. When I start a new page, I just list the date and time at the top of the page and write any thought that comes to my mind.Â
The most important thing is writing everything that comes to mind, focusing less on organization and perfect order. I use these pages to write out my daily or weekly schedule, reminisce on old memories, mull over a situation with a friend, or anything else that crosses my mind.Â
- Monthly Calendar and TrackersÂ
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For my second notebook, I handwrite my monthly trackers and calendar. While many people use a dotted notebook for this, I prefer a graph or grid notebook to keep the lines on my trackers straight. At the start of each month, I hand-draw a monthly calendar and list all my upcoming important dates.
I like making my own calendar because, unlike pre-made monthly calendars, it’s fully customizable. You can add affirmations, manifestations, goals, important dates, or anything else you’d like while still having a clear view of your whole month.Â
Following my monthly calendar, I also enjoy making personal trackers. I write trackers monthly, but the possibilities are endless for whatever works best for you. For example, after I wrote out my last calendar, I decorated the following page with a personal tracker of the books I finished reading that month.
Following my book tracker, I made a list of significant moments throughout the month that made me smile. While my trackers tend to be more lighthearted and fun, I love looking back on past months and seeing how I fostered my hobbies and positively interacted with others.Â
- Second Brain JournalÂ
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Similar to the stream-of-consciousness journal, the second-brain journal is straightforward. Whenever I think of an idea, a list, an important date, a quote, or really anything else I want to remember, I write it in my second brain journal.
I use this journal to have a physical copy of anything I may need. For my second brain journal, I prefer a lined notebook that’s small enough to take with me everywhere.Â
This journal is really useful for me because it allows me to take some stress out of my overloaded brain by writing it down. As a student with due dates, meetings, class, and extracurriculars on top of balancing my personal life outside of school, I jump at the chance to give my brain some much-needed reprieve.Â
- Game Book (Word Search, Sudoku, Crossword, etc.)Â
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Last but arguably one of the most entertaining of the collection, I throw a fun game book into the mix. My personal favorite is a word search, but you can really include any sort of game book or collection you’d like!
notebook organization
When it comes to organization, there’s no shortage of TikTok DIY videos on how to make your own “Louise Carmen-inspired” notebook covers. These notebook covers, also commonly known as Traveler’s Notebooks, consist of a leather cover with strings inside that can hold multiple notebooks at once.
The strings inside allow you to change out notebooks if you finish one or want to swap it out for something new. As someone who uses my journal ecosystem daily, this is perfect for keeping my notebooks organized and easily accessible anywhere.Â
Whether you’re new to journaling or you’re an expert, there’s always the opportunity to start a new journal in the collection. Journaling is a beautiful way to look back on your memories — don’t let social media be your only archive!
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