Buying endless stationery. Spending more time planning than doing. Jealously looking through other’s bullet journal blogs. This is the dilemma I, and other, journal perfectionists face. We spend so much time worried about what our finished project will be that we are too tentative to actually do it. The fact is that progress hates perfectionists.
Now this isn’t to say that mastering initial skills isn’t important, but in this particular endeavor perhaps we need to reevaluate our priorities. If our goal is to achieve the perfect instagram picture then focusing all of our energy on the monthly spread is a fine use of energy. However we need to ask ourselves what we want out of journaling in the first place.
If you want a record of your life and work on your emotional wellbeing it might be a good idea to come to terms with an ugly notebook. If you want an aesthetically pleasing personalized planner then carry on my friends, more power to you. My only advice is to not get bogged down in comparisons.
If you are a journal-er on a tight time budget but aren’t satisfied with the visuals of your notebook I have some small changes that will go a long way for you.
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Get stationery that looks good on your desk or in your bag. Who cares if the interior is a perfect representation of your scatterbrain? A pretty journal will lighten your mood before you even open it. I use a small floral journal for my Russian studies and even when I’m discouraged I still keep it on me and in use because it is so cute!
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Handwriting. This is something I can’t commit to but maybe you’ll have better luck. Try slowing down, writing in cursive, or using different pens until your handwriting is legible and satisfactory.
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Stickers! If you lack artistic skills you don’t need to despair- plenty of artists sell cute stickers that work perfectly in a bujo or diary.
My final note for this entry is something that it took me a long time to learn: You don’t have to be perfect- or even good- at something to enjoy it.
I love journaling – I’m a big fan of the art of handwriting. I love the idea of using stickers, I’m not very artistic 🙂
These are great tips! I don’t BuJo yet but I totally relate to the comparison game. Using stickers if you’re not super arty is such a great tip.
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
Some great tips! I love stickers! That would be my go to 🙂
I agree with you when it comes to comparison. We’re all our own selves and we can customize our notebooks to the way we like it. Sometimes, we fall in love with something that doesn’t seem that great in a few months (guilty). Oh man, I am a sucker for stickers! They make a big difference between night and day. As far as handwriting goes, we need to avoid rushing things because sloppy handwriting doesn’t go far at all @__@. Thanks for sharing these tips!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me