Stationery porn: Leuchtturm 1917 Change Journal

[Ad – review. I was sent a copy of this journal for review purposes and all nerdy thoughts are my own]

You may recall that one of my highlights of Stationery Show London 2019 was getting a sneak preview of the English language copy of Leuchtturm 1917’s Change Journal. It was the only copy in the UK at the time and, as an uber stationery nerd, it was a privilege to be able to flip through it. It was so top secret that I could only share a photo of the cover. Well, now I can show you the whole flippin’ thing!

Available in Berry and Anthracite, and boasting a whopping 294 pages, this beauty really is something which needs to be seen to be believed.

Many newbie bullet journalers struggle with setting up initial spreads or defining their journal’s purpose. Or they may have a plan but are not sure how to execute it. This journal, from the wonderful mind of businessman Tim Jaudszims, features 24 ideas to get you started. Each chapter begins with an easy-to-digest overview of the theory and why it could prove beneficial. So, let’s get started.

Each section features seven daily templates, so you have a whole week to figure out if that style of journaling works for you. For consistency, regardless of what theme you’re working through that week, each day features a water tracker, daily rating scale, sections for highlights and lowlights, plus space to consider what you can change. And it only takes a few minutes to complete a page at the end of each day. The daily quotes are genuinely inspiring too.

There’s also a review at the end of the week to reflect on how that style works for you in practice. Didn’t find it useful? No worries, it was only a week. Found it beneficial? Get downloading and printing the template online or build it in to your next bullet journal.

There are so many fantastic templates to help you increase your productivity, set and reflect on goals, boost your self-confidence, and better organise your life. And you don’t need to work through it in chronological order. Have a flip through, see what takes your fancy and get started.

I started at the beginning as it just so happened to focus on gratitude, something which I currently incorporate in my own bullet journal. I feature a line a day focusing on something positive in amongst all of my rants, and I found it useful to dig a little bit deeper and think about how these things enrich my life.

There are loads of other templates I can’t wait to get stuck into, particularly when it comes to tracking my productivity, learning to say no, personal and professional development, pitching myself, acknowledging my strengths and what makes me awesome, and, of course, the book tracker.

Want to see more? There’s a video flip through at the end of this post. I haven’t covered every single section because it’s nice to have some of it as a surprise when you buy your own copy (£28.50 really is such a bargain for all of this content!). Plus, y’know, it’s nearly 300 pages!

Don’t be scared of writing in this sexy AF journal – it’s what it was born for! There’s a dot grid section at the back, so do the ol’ pen test to see which of your treasures will work best. I tried the pastel Staedtler fineliners (affiliate link) I was gifted at the Stationery Show and the orange is the only one I’d risk using throughout. Most of the colours, and my trust Stabilo Sensors, ghosted more than I’d like (the third photo below doesn’t convey this as well as I’d like), so I’ve decided to use a mechanical pencil while completing this. If you’re a biro fan, you might find those work ok. Not gonna lie, I’m a bit of a pen snob. The paper thickness is the one thing which almost lets it down for me but the positives far outweigh the one negative.

This is the perfect time to pick up a copy of the Change Journal as you can work your way through a section a week for the rest of the year and start 2020 as you mean to go on with a template structure that works for you.

Here’s a closer look at some more spreads. This is my first time featuring video on the blog; I plan to up my game in the future, perhaps even with voiceover, and include more flip throughs in future posts. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Features:

• 100 g/sqm
• 145x210mm
• Copper logo embossing on cover
• Elastic closure
• Two page ribbons
• Internal back pocket
• Stickers for labelling
• 294 pages

I really can’t recommend this stunner of a journal enough and I’m looking forward to sharing a reflective post at the end of the year, detailing what tips and tricks I’ll be taking forward into 2020.

Happy journaling!