Today is National Notebook Day and I am absolutely here for it!

I think my love of notebooks/journals began when I was a kid. I’ve always been a list maker—of things to do, places to go, and books to read.

As I got older and those lists began to encompass more and more topics, it was only natural to corral them into journals and notebooks.

I don’t use notebooks just for future plans. I also use them to document my daily activities. Doing so is my way of being able to get up from my desk at the end of the day and have tangible proof of my accomplishments—that I actually did stuff—and that’s important to me.

So in addition to keeping a daily log of activities associated with my writing, I also use notebooks to:

• Track healthy habits, like my daily walks, exercise routines, and hydration.
• List places I want to visit on my next trip to England (BTW, I would have to take up residence in England for the next three years to visit all the places on my list!).
• Jot story ideas and brainstorms, with notes about plots, characters I think would be interesting to write about, book titles, etc.
• Reading journals for favorite authors or book series.

• “Punch lists” for my new house. I moved last year, and because of COVID I put off making any improvements or changes to the new place because I didn’t want strangers/tradespeople in my house. So for the last year I’ve been entering tasks in a notebook, with a new page for each room. Now that we’re getting close to lifting restrictions, I can use the notebook as a checklist for all the painting, electrical upgrades, window-cleaning, kitchen remodeling, etc. that needs to be done.
• Budgeting and financial goals

Right now I have about 45 notebooks on my shelf, ready to be placed in service whenever I get a bright idea I want to write down; and the truth is, I’m always on the lookout for journals.  Hardbacks, paperbacks, spiral bound, 3-ring, and disk-bound—all are equally desirable because it’s typically the cover that speaks to me when I’m deciding whether or not I want to buy a journal.

Do I have a notebook hoarding problem? Absolutely not! I just prefer to celebrate National Notebook Day every day of the year.

And if you love using notebooks and journals, too, I raise my ribbon bookmark to you!

Related Post: New Journal Find