Those who follow along in my monthly #PlanWithMe sessions will know that I now have a rather cavalier approach to my journal. I’m happy to experiment with different spreads, colour, and generally just make it up as I go along! After all, it’s just paper!
That doesn’t mean I’m not affected by the desire for my journal to be perfect. This desire tends to kick into gear when I’m setting up a new journal and as I progress through the pages I get a lot more relaxed with how my pages look and the mistakes that I inevitably make!
So what’s the solution? Well it’s easy to say, “just get over it, it’s only paper,” but this doesn’t help if the feeling that you’ve created your pages in the wrong order is spoiling your enjoyment of the hobby, or you have created a stinker of a page that bugs you EVERY time you open your journal.
If this all sounds familiar, maybe a ring-bound journal system might be for you!
Keep reading to to find out 5 reasons why I think a ring-bound journal is perfect for perfectionists!
1. You are not stuck with the journal spreads you hate
In all the years I have spent in the journaling community (which is a LOT), the desire for a perfection is an obstacle I see, time and time again. This often prevents people from enjoying their new hobby to the fullest and, in some cases, stops it in its tracks completely!
With a ring-bound system, if you create a page you absolutely hate you can just remove it! There are no concerns that you will weaken the spine of your journal, simply remove the page and start again!
Benefits:
- No need for a failed page to haunt your planner.
- Be free to experiment without worrying that you will ruin your journal.
Drawbacks:
- By removing all the pages that you aren’t quite happy with you will fail to see progression in your journaling style.
2. You can change the order of your journal so that it works for you
One of the most annoying things when you set up a new journal is after spending hours creating all of your pages, you then discover you have forgotten to include a journal spread you KNOW that you really need.
Now, you could just add this spread into the next blank page (there is absolutely nothing wrong with this approach) however, if you know that this will cause annoyance every time you open your journal then using a ring-bound journal may be for you!
Benefits:
- You can experiment with page order to see what works best for you.
- Page dividers can be used to separate out your journal spreads into defined sections.
Drawbacks:
- You may spend more time rearranging your planner than actually using it!
3. When time is scarce you can use ready-made journal lay-outs
A quick Google search will help you find a wealth of ready-made journal layouts, for pretty much every scenario you will ever need! These are often available as both pre-printed inserts and digital downloads so can work for you regardless of whether you have a printer at home or not.
Benefits:
- Quick and Easy
- Wide variety of designs available
- Great when you are busy – This is often when your journal gets forgotten but is ironically when it is the most useful!
- You can add colour and decoration with stickers/Washi tape/coloured pens and pencils
Drawbacks:
- Layout is created by someone else so may not be exactly tailored to your needs.
4. You can add dot-grid journal pages when you want to be creative
For times when you feel like getting creative, or want a journal spread that is perfect for your specific needs, you can add blank dot-grid pages and create spreads as if you were using a traditional bound journal.
You can also add brightly coloured or even black dot-grid pages and experiment with the blackout or rainbow style journals without committing to an entire journal!
Benefits:
- Journal exactly as you would in a bound journal.
- Only limited by your creativity.
- Wide variation of inserts available – paper types, colours, dotted/plain/lined.
Drawbacks:
- None that I can think of!
5. You don’t have to start your journal again if you make a mistake!
Hands up if you have wanted to start all over again because of a stupid mistake you have made in your layout or set-up?
If you have ever done this, it may be time to consider experimenting with a different style of journal!
Benefits:
- Save money by not needing to replace your journal when you make a mistake.
- Save time by not feeling the need to “start again”.
- Removes barriers to your journal actually being useful!
Drawbacks:
- In years to come you may enjoy looking back at your “failed” pages.
- You will only have evidence of your good journal spreads, which fails to show progression.
Conclusion
As you can see, ring-bound journaling offers a lot of benefits to the perfectionist journaler.
There are many great ring-bound systems available. If you would like to take a closer look at the options we have here at Oops a Daisy take a look at our Hybrid Planner.
For me, the best thing about journaling is the ability to tailor the system to my needs at any given time. Sometimes it is about being creative, sometimes being productive and all of the time it helps my mental health!
However you decide to journal, the most important thing is that it works for you. 💜
I’d love to know what you this of this system, drop us a comment below!
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