For the Love of Journaling
For me, there is something calming about putting (colored) pen to paper and writing or drawing about whatever is going on in my life. I have two journals. One is to track my training and the other is to keep track of my schedule, daily habits, to do lists, goals, etc. Both are an integral part of my day and help me keep my life more organized. For training, I use a Believe I Am training journal and for my personal life I use a Bullet Journal. People have been going crazy over the tool I use called a habit tracker. I'll tell you all about both my journals and show you how to make your own habit tracker below...
My Training Journal
I like to keep my training log separate from my regular journal. The best one I have found is the Believe I Am journal. It is created by a sister in sport, Lauren Fleshman.
Beyond simply writing how many miles I ran or how long I swam, I try to make notes about how I felt during each day's training as well, both mentally and physically. Then I can see if a nagging pain is hanging around for too long and needs to be more seriously addressed.
My favorite part is the "Intention" section at the top of every week. I like to set an intention and check back in during the week to see how I'm applying that in my workouts.
My Bullet Journal
Organizer
My sister (an artist and dancer) got me into bullet journaling last year and I've been hooked ever since! I use colored pens to create beautiful and functional designs that help me organize my life and stay on track with my tasks and goals.
I create a calendar page every month where I write down appointments, birthdays, events, holidays, etc.
Habit Tracker
My favorite tool in my bullet journal is something I call a "habit tracker." This is where I keep track of good habits I am trying to form and make note of every time I do them so as to keep myself accountable. Every evening I take a minute to fill it out and as the days go by I can visually see how I'm doing with my habits.
How it works: At the top I write all the habits I want to form. The habits I am tracking right now are: take iron, meditate, stretch, do rehab exercises, no sweets, no alcohol, read, sleep 8+ hours , write down a gratitude, and work on my newsletter/website. They all have their own color.
Then each row going down the side is a date. Every day that I do that activity, I get to fill in the corresponding square. Beware- habit tracking is addicting! Once you get a good streak going, you won't want to stop, which is pretty much the point.
I created a template which you can download and print (or use electronically, it’s up to you) to get a feel for it as a tool. Of course you can also create your own and get right into it! Click the link below to see my template.
Creative Outlet
I love to keep track of all my appointments, birthdays, to do lists, and other obligations with the planner section of my bullet journal, but equally as important are my doodle pages.
Sometimes I write down words that describe my mood or things I am grateful for that day or week. Sometimes I just get on Pinterest and use other people's creativity as inspiration for my own doodles.
These pages feed my creative side and give me an excuse to take a few minutes to sip some tea and draw penguins. 🐧 💕
Do you share my love for journaling? Let me know!
I'd love to see your habit trackers or doodles. Make sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations.