If you’ve taken some time to think about WHY, WHEN and HOW you want to journal, and decided what journal fundamentals you need to include in your setup, it’s now time to create your perfect layout!
1. Brainstorm what pages you need/want to include
Start with a blank piece of paper and note down all the pages you want to include in your journal. It’s a good idea to think about why you want to journal and what your journal focus will be when you do this or the list could end up very long!
If you are stuck at this step, you might like to download our “Perfect Journal Plan” which walks you through new journal planning and gives a bunch of examples for pages you might want to include!
TOP TIP – The printable is £3.50, but is included free of charge if you take part in our “Journal With Oops a Daisy” programme.
2. Experiment with the page order
Once you have a list of pages you want to include, it’s time to bust out the sticky notes!
Write each page title on an individual sticky note and then place the sticky notes in your journal in the order you want to include them. Using the sticky notes allows you to switch around the page order easily until you are happy with the layout.
3. Put pen (or pencil) to paper
Once you have your page order it’s time to put pen to paper. I would suggest, at least for the very beginning pages, sketching out your page in pencil before committing to pen. Fear of the blank page can take hold at this stage and it is often a good idea to skip the very first page and do another set-up first.
4. Don’t get too far ahead!
This is especially important when you are just starting out! Rather than setting up a whole year ahead, perhaps just set up your initial pages and the first monthly/weekly spreads. Give yourself time to use your journal and the ability to change and tweak your pages if they aren’t working for you.
Join us to set up your next journal!
Check out “Journal With Oops a Daisy” a 6 week programme to support you through journal set-up and beyond!
The programme is totally free to join with a small donation* to our chosen charity: St Clare Hospice, Hastingwood via our Just Giving page.
*No minimum, give what you can afford. Access to the resources is granted for 12 weeks after sign up.
How do I get to the JWO printable/worksheets please?
You’ll find a link in the main weekly blog post (JWO – Week 1) and you can also access via our printables section in the shop – the discount will automatically be applied as long as you have an active JWO membership and are logged into your account 🙂