Hi everyone, Alexx here. Today I want to talk about the 3 notebooks you need to be successful in your goals, no matter what that goal is!
Like most people, I’m not always where I want to be in terms of my goals and happiness. However, when I’m using these 3 types of notebooks in my daily routines, I find myself much more motivated, inspired, and successful!
The 3 notebooks you need can be tailored to suit your path and I want you to understand that if you’re not a pencil to paper person, you can opt for digital notebooks or even voice notes.
You can start using these notebooks at any time even if your goals are not solidified! I’ll link my favorite items throughout this post.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Some links on this page may be affiliate links which means I can earn a commission if they’re used for purchases. The decision to use these links is entirely up to the reader.
3 Notebooks You Need
A Planner
Being organized is a key part of success. Even if you think you can do it in your head, I recommend that you use a planner for organizing your time, setting and tracking your goals, while monitoring progress.
What your goals and plans are will dictate what kind of planner you use.
My recommendation is to have a planner that has month, weekly, and daily spreads that allow you to write notes, goals, and to-do lists. It is for your benefit to write everything down as you think of it and has the ability to look at short-term and long-term schedules to optimize your time.
Using a planner can also help you keep track of your progress and learn what kind of timelines you need for particular tasks.
And please schedule breaks!
Clever Fox
I use a clever fox daily planner. Mine is a 6-month planner with daily, weekly, and monthly spreads.
They have a lot of colors to choose from and their page layouts match my goals and how my brain works the best!
Passion Planner
I used to have a passion planner and I would definitely recommend them! I stopped using a Passion Planner during the start of quarantine just because of the stress of productivity during a pandemic. I moved to a clever fox planner just to try something new!
Always try more than one option!
Passion planners are great and give you goal mapping, daily, weekly, and monthly spreads.
Bullet Journal
If you’re creative, enjoy drawing or designing, and have the time and desire to create your own layouts then I recommend creating a bullet journal using a dotted notebook.
The issue with a bullet journal is the time and you would have to create a lot of initial spreads in order to plan on a long-term basis.
There are other options such as:
- Buying or Making Desired Page Templates
- Online Calendars
- Desk Calendars / Whiteboards
Find what suits you, sometimes it is a combination of these options. You need to tailor your planner to be your aide and not something that stresses you out.
Idea Notebook
Having an idea notebook will change your life.
An idea notebook is a notebook that is small enough to carry around with you everywhere. Keep it by your bed, in your pocket, and by your side.
No matter what the idea, question, or thought is that comes to your mind, write it down.
This is the one notebook I recommend you make sure is paper. You can use digital or audio notes, but I find it most convenient when it is a paper notebook because in my experience you’re more likely to actually refer back to this.
Everyone is a creative and a problem-solver, help yourself by recording your thoughts. A thought you had two months ago that may have seemed insignificant may be the answer to your current question.
Journal
I personally struggle with using a journal because I can never think of what to put there or make it aesthetically pleasing.
There are, however, a million reasons why using a journal is a key to success. Journaling is a way to express yourself, start an idea, or even therapy.
You can keep as many journals as you want if you’re someone who can use them routinely and want to separate your journals by use.
For people who like me, struggle with committing to a journal. Try getting a nice journal and make it part of your daily routine to write, draw, or doodle something.
You do not need to pressure yourself to write something that isn’t there but take the time to reflect, plan, create, or just doodle. It can be productive or a form of meditation.
My recommendation comes from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron who suggests writing a few pages every morning. If the morning doesn’t work for you, schedule when a good time is, or just make the commitment to pick up your journal at some point in the day and write.
Like the other notebooks, you can also approach this journal digitally, using voice memos, or even a scrapbook!
A journal is an outlet for your expressions and ideas. An idea notebook is for your quick thoughts while a journal is for diving deeper and answering those questions.
