I was sent this journal for review purposes and all thoughts are my own. This post also features an affiliate link
Another year older, another year wiser? Maybe… I’ve certainly learned a lot about myself this year. Not least that I’d been suffering with anxiety and depression for a while and had been attributing physical symptoms to other problems. Oops! But, thanks to daily journaling, a loving and supportive partner (I don’t get mushy all that often but give credit where it’s due), and a fantastic GP service, I’m ending the year a lot better than when I started it.
Experience has taught me that you can’t have all key areas of your life go well at the same time (relationships, career, health, finances, etc) and these have certainly ebbed and flowed for me in 2019. But over the last few months I’ve used various journaling techniques to prioritise what’s important to me.
At the start of the year, my priorities were to feel creative, challenged, productive, rested, and organised. I wanted to work on my work/life balance and feel that I had enough time to do the things I enjoyed outside of my life as a working mum (trips to the cinema, long baths, learning to letter).
It turns out that trying to have it all is pretty flipping exhausting, so I re-evaluated my goals somewhat six months in. Through a combination of trackers and daily reflection in my bullet journal, and using the Forward Thinking Journal, I refocused my priorities, focusing on my own wellbeing, happiness and fulfilment:
- get outside every day
- have fun with Jenson
- eat better/be more active
- work on personal and professional development
- continue to journal daily, focusing on the positives
I’d noticed how much my mood improved when I spent quality time outside, and I wanted to ease the mum guilt and spend more time playing with Jenson rather than saying no most of the time. I also knew that my mental health could be improved by working on my diet and exercise (not dieting as such but making small positive changes) and I wanted to work on my personal and professional development, having felt a bit ‘stuck’ since my return to work nearly four years ago.
And I did it. Somewhat. I’ve been learning to find new ways to enjoy being outside in the colder months, I’ve completed a course in Understanding Autism and signed up to a sign language course, and I’ve referred myself to a local mental health organisation to see what I can do to improve my mental wellbeing away from my medication.
Journaling has become an important part of my life. I don’t just write something down and forget about it – I go back and review what I’ve written at the end of each month, identifying trends, and I’ve learned a lot about myself. As well as my gratitude spread, I have one to note things I’m proud of, as a way to boost my confidence and self-esteem, and to remind myself that I’m capable when I’m feeling anything but.
I’ve decided not to write traditional goals for the new year, as I quite like the recent trend of choosing a word to focus on (Elizabeth Dhokia is great at this).
My word for 2020 is: proactive. I spent so much time this year having to react when something has become out of control and I’ve learned that I need to practise a bit of self-preservation. I’m going to be more preventative, prioritising my own wellbeing, giving myself regular breaks to avoid burnout, and reminding myself that it’s ok to say (fuck) no.
Of course, there are things I’d like to do and achieve too, but I think I’d benefit from spending some time, not achieving and succeeding in the traditional sense, but improving my own sense of wellbeing, happiness and fulfilment. Unapologetically selfishly.
What are your areas of focus for 2020?
The journal pictured in this post is ‘Best Year Yet: A Journal for Becoming Your Best Self‘. It’s a beautiful guided journal which I’ll be using throughout 2020. It’s undated, so you can start it at any time, and suggests priorities and goals for each month.
I love that the areas of focus are things that I’ve aleady identified as important to me (prioritise ‘me time’, learn something new, get outside, find joy, practise gratitude) and each month has six suggested activities, focusing on the following themes: indulge/self-love, socialise, move, give, experiment, and reflect, with activities including host a cosy movie night, read a classic book, enjoy a solo date, and clear your mental clutter.
I’ve struggled to keep up with some guided journals before, as they expect you to write something every day, and when I’ve missed a few I tend to abandon it. This one is perfect because it gives you space to reflect at the end of each month, and a notes space for the recommended activities, so you can update it as and when.