Journaling in 2023: Use It or Lose It

There’s one final New Year’s goal that I haven’t yet started on: Picking a personal daily journal and making time for at least 30 minutes of personal writing every day. This should be easy, right? It’s not as though I suffer from a lack of options around here, with dozens of different notebooks awaiting review, not to mention a retail store where I can “shop” pretty much any time. Regardless, I still struggle with putting pen to paper and actually getting words on the page, and I’ve found myself in a journaling rut for several months now.

How I Plan to Kickstart a Journaling Habit in 2023

When I look to add a good habit (or break a bad one), my main technique is to set an arbitrary goal for myself and start stringing as many successful days together as possible. For example, while I was planning out this post last night, I looked around and grabbed the first five half-finished or just-started notebooks and journals that I could find sitting on or near my desk.

The five notebooks off my shelves, from bottom: Write Notepads Classic Hardcover Notebook, Paper Mind Passepied Notebook (which I’m extremely excited to use since I love this paper), a Letts of London hardcover I was sent for review, a Write Notepads Paper Notebook/Journal, and my Theme System Journal. The last two are half-full and what I plan to finish first.

“At least 30 minutes a day until these five notebooks are full.” Until then, no new notebook purchases for me. It sounds trite, but these sort of mental games keep me on track. What I’ve found more difficult is actually snagging 30 minutes a day to write. I still have a full-time day-job, which for the time being has to take priority over anything else and occupies the overwhelming majority of my time. T.G.S. is my “morning project,” which I work on during the quiet hours before anyone else is awake in the house. When I get home at night, I spend time with my family, eat dinner, and read, often too tired to do much of anything else other than possibly pack a few orders before going to bed. It’s not particularly difficult to find time to jot a few lines in my Midori 5-Year Journal, but I enjoy writing, and I’d like to do more.

Savor the small victories: So far I’ve only screwed up the date on two of my three 2023 5-year journal entries!

So how do I work in a bit of journaling? The obvious answer is to do my daily personal writing during my lunch break - and to actually take a lunch break - as opposed to continuing to work, surf the internet, browse social media, or whatever other bad habits I’ve fallen into. Taking a brief 15-30 minutes to write a few “morning” pages, process what I’ve been reading in my commonplace book, or simply reflect on whatever’s going on in my life is certainly a healthier way to decompress, if only briefly, and break up the work day.

Journaling technique is a topic that I plan to explore further in 2023, both personally and here on the blog. Do you have any favorite journaling techniques that you’d like to share, or tips and tricks for making time to write? If so I’d love to hear about them. Feel free to share them via the “Contact” link above or in the comments.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Check out yesterday’s post for more details about what Patreon membership entails! This post does not contain third-party advertising or affiliate links.

Sunday Reading for January 1, 2022: Happy New Year Edition!

1. No-Buy December: Year in Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). Today’s post will be year-end recap-heavy, I’m going for a modified no-buy 2023, limiting purchases to certain circumstances.

2. Thoughts Heading into 2023 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I agree with Kimberly that this year definitely felt like a whirlwind. We share many overlapping goals for 2023.

3. New Year’s Resolutions 2023 (via Well-Appointed Desk). “Use more of what I have” and “record more of my daily life” resonate with me.

4. My Favorite Five Pen and Ink Combinations from 2022 (via mnmlscholar). Here’s a shout-out to mid-toned grey inks!

5. Year in Review - 2022 Pens and 2022 Top Tens (via Rachel’s Reflections). There are some gorgeous pens featured here in the top ten, including several from companies with which I was not familiar.

6. Greatest of All Time (GOAT) 2022 Fountain Pens (via SBRE Brown). I’m sure many of you have been waiting for this one!

7. 2022: Some of My Fountain Pen Highlights (via Fountain Pen Blog). I love seeing what others picked up, and the directions they are taking with their collections as they evolve.

8. My Fountain Pen Drawings in 2022 (via Inkredible Colours). Speaking of what people do with their pens, this is incredible!

9. My Journey on the Path of Writing Instrument Enlightenment (via KraftyCats). Congratulations to Chloé on the profile in the PCA Pennant magazine!

10. Parker Vacumatic Shadow Wave and How I Look at Vintage Pens (via Writing at Large). This article captures the charming side of vintage pens. Sure, there are frustrations, and they can be high-maintenance, but the character of certain models is irreplaceable.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I finished my 2022 Year-End Review process and started looking forward to 2023, with a post on my personal reflections and goals for the coming year, as well as a post discussing my personal notebook and planner setup to enter the new year.

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This Week in the Curated Shop

Today is the last day for our Year-End/New Year’s Clearance Sale! Take 10% off most items in the shop using the coupon code “LOYAL10.” See this post here for full details on the promotion, and if you’re in the market for a planner/journal (dated or undated) we have you covered! Yesterday we received a massive restock of Lochby products, including the full range of A5 refills for the Field Journal, which features 68gsm Tomoe River paper (at least while it lasts)! We are also fully restocked on the Lochby Field Journals and Lochby Tool Rolls in all colors!

TWSBI

Caran d'Ache

Maruman Mnemosyne

Field Notes

Consider Joining T.G.S. Patreon for 2023!

Yesterday I posted what I consider the first post of the New Year for T.G.S. Patreon: a personal reflection on the current state of my pen collection and how I hope to further refine it in a way that ensures everything gets used - something that’s extremely important to me. This is just a start. One of my personal business-related goals for 2023 is to build out the Patreon program, which currently consists of a core group of my most dedicated supporters, into something that provides more benefits in the way of additional content that differs slightly from what you’ll find on the public blog. To start, I plan to bring back periodic “Digital Divide” content, which I enjoyed writing but for which I previously struggled to find an appropriate platform. Honestly, upon perusing the Digital Divide archive, several of the articles are dated and need to be refreshed, which gives me an excellent starting point. Patreon support levels begin at $3 and $5 per month, priced to allow as many people as possible to enjoy the community while providing me with adequate financial support for the site. A 10% discount applies to annual pledges. In addition to the exclusive content, Patrons receive early access to periodic gently used sales and access to monthly meetups.

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Finally, please note that I appreciate all of my readers, customers, and supporters, regardless of whether you decide to become Patreon members. There will be no change to the frequency or nature of the main T.G.S. content. Patreon’s just intended to be an extra. Best wishes for 2023!

My Personal Notebooks and Planners to Enter 2023

I use the week between Christmas and New Year’s as a “catch up and close out” week, where in addition to cleaning out my office and starting to take down all the holiday decorations, I also revisit my notebooks and planners. During this process, I look at what worked for me, what didn’t, and adjust accordingly based on how things worked out for me during the prior year. Without further ado, here’s The Gentleman Stationer’s 2023 notebook and planner lineup!

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Plotter A5 and Plotter Mini-5. (You can probably figure out which is which.)

“Everyday” Notebooks

By “Everyday Notebooks,” I mean notebooks that stay with me at all times, either at my desk or in my bag. In terms of what I physically carry around with me, the first four on this list pretty much go everywhere, with the Midori 5-year journal living full-time on my desk at home but seeing daily use.

• William Hannah UK A5 Ring-bound Notebook. I’ve teased this one but haven’t reviewed it yet, since I only started using it around November. To start, I plan to use the William Hannah as my “work planner” and general-purpose notebook for my day job, since I like their undated calendar refills that come in both weekly and monthly formats. Since the paper is excellent and comes in a versatile array of layouts (including a theme-style journal format), this notebook’s role may expand once I buy some dividers and other accessories.

• Plotter A5. My Plotter A5 contains most of my T.G.S.-related notes and drafts that I’m working on at the moment. In terms of paper and accessories, in this notebook I use the Plotter refills (which contain excellent paper), as well as Midori MD Cotton A5 paper from the standard writing pad that I’ve hole-punched. I archive notes that I’m not currently using in an older Filofax A5 binder, since Plotter refills are not proprietary and fit most standard 6-ring binder layouts.

• Plotter Mini-5. What can I say, I operate in extremes. My largest and smallest Plotters are the two that I use the most. My Mini-5 contains a wallet/card insert, so the Plotter pulls double duty as my wallet and pocket notebook. The Plotter Mini-5 has been surprisingly polarizing, with people labeling it “overpriced” and “too small to use.” Honestly, I mostly write this up to clickbait/social media trolling and people missing the point of the product. Yes, the Plotter Mini-5 is an upscale leather pocket notebook, but it still starts at less than $100 for the cover - last I checked, comparable to many Field Notes custom leather covers - and while it’s small, it’s a pocket notebook. You’re not supposed to be writing a novel in it. The fact that it doubles as a wallet and allows me to consolidate my daily carry is a huge plus. I guess I just don’t see how spending $100-150 on something that pulls double/triple duty as a wallet, pen holder, and leather notebook is overly expensive….

• Traveler’s Notebook Standard Size. My standard-size Traveler’s Notebook will likely become my long-form journal and repository for morning pages and random scribblings. I also use the PVC pouch, sticky-note holder, and kraft folder accessories to hold things such as clips, stickies, Book Darts, receipts, and washi tape.

• Midori 5-Year Journal. The layout on the Midori multi-year journals features 365 pages, one for every day of the year, divided into five boxes, allowing you to write just a few lines on each day and reflect back on the prior years. (Three and ten-year versions are also available.) While the idea of keeping a journal for five years might seem intimidating, when you only have a few lines to write the momentum takes over.

Note: You’re going to see the Plotter system featured heavily in this post. To read more about Plotter and how it works, check out this prior article.

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From left, Plotter Narrow, Plotter Bible (5th Anniversary Cover), and Nanami Paper Cafe Note (B6 Slim)

Notebooks Used Less Frequently, But still regularly

Most of these notebooks don’t travel with me unless I’m working on the specific project to which they’re dedicated. They have a narrower focus, or are used more as archives/binders to hold notes for future reference. However, they still get used on a weekly basis.

• Plotter Bible-Size. I’ve been using my Plotter 5th Anniversary Bible-size notebook as my commonplace book, and I love having the ability to organize and reorganize by topic and move pages around - my main complaint about my prior commonplace book setup. (I need to revisit my commonplace book articles soon.)

• Plotter Narrow. I love making lists. Practically speaking, I should probably do it electronically, particularly for lists I want to keep long-term like books to read, products to review, etc., but I’ve always done it by hand and there’s something incredibly soothing about it. When I’m recapping my monthly finances I also like to do the math manually, as again, there’s a methodical aspect to it that I find relaxing. All of these lists live in the Plotter Narrow, whose paper format perfectly fits these projects.

• Levenger Circa Notebooks and Filofax Spiral Notebooks. If I take notes on A4 or letter-size writing pads, I typically either shred them, scan them to my computer at work for secure archiving, or file them away in project-specific notebooks or binders. The Levenger Circa and Filofax notebooks have long been my binders/notebooks of choice for this type of storage. I have 4-5 of them in use at any given time. I highly recommend investing in a hole punch (which will also work well enough with the William Hannah notebooks). The Circa is a classic disc-bound system, while the Filofax uses a spiral binding that works the same way by allowing you to move pages around.

• Lochby Field Journal. My Field Journal holds a Nanami Paper Seven Seas Writer that contains drafts of longer-term writing projects I’ve been working on. I don’t use the notebook every day, but the sturdy Field Journal works very well for when I want to dedicate a day to working on one of my creative or “fun” projects and I can just take it with me and go.

• Nanami Paper Cafe Note. My traditional pen show/pen club meetup notebook that I use to test pens and play with inks. I also use it as a scratch pad and for writing samples in connection with T.G.S. reviews. The B6 Slim size is excellent for travel.

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Disc-bound notebook systems like the Levenger Circa are great ways to store large volumes of paper notes.

I use a lot of different notebooks - more than most people, even in this community - but they all have a specific purpose and they all get used. I’ve found that I focus much better when I compartmentalize different projects, whether that be my day job, the blog, personal writing done for fun, etc. The physical shift from one notebook to another helps me concentrate on the specific task at hand. For years I’ve been meaning to write more about my workflow and notetaking strategies, and I only now feel comfortable starting that process, maybe as a continuation of the “Notebook Systems” series. Stay tuned!

This post does not contain affiliate links or paid advertising. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely via purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Don’t miss our annual year-end inventory reduction and clearance - take 10% off shop orders through 11:59pm on January 1, 2023 using the code “LOYAL10” at checkout!

Need a Flexible, No-Pressure Planner for 2023? Try Undated.

Many of us (myself included) are hesitant to commit to a traditional “dated” planner for various reasons. Personally, I don’t need to use a planner every day, so for the past few years I’ve taken a pass on things like Hobonichi or Jibun Techo because I feel bad about purchasing an expensive bulky notebook or journal that I won’t use as intended. Instead, I’ve opted for undated, or “open” planning tools that allow me a bit more flexibility to use them during the months and weeks I need more structure, and skip weeks or months when I don’t. The best part? You don’t need to purchase and commit to your planner in October or November when many dated planners are released, because you can start anytime! Personally, I’m spending this “dead week” between Christmas and New Years closing out my notebooks and planners from 2022 and setting up what I plan to use in 2023. I’ll do a full-length post on this topic next week. For now, if you’re in the market for an undated planner to kick off the New Year, we have several options available in our shop (and a couple of dated options too, if you prefer that format)!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. Don’t forget that through January 1 at 11:59pm CT, you can take 10% off most brands in the shop using the coupon code “LOYAL10” at checkout! Year-end inventory count starts in two days so all of your purchases help us make it easier to close out 2022!

1. Traveler’s Notebook Diary Refills. We have dated and undated Traveler’s Notebook diary/planner refills in both the Standard and Passport sizes. My personal favorite is the Traveler’s Weekly + Memo layout, which uses a week-to-two-pages format with a weekly calendar layout on the left and space for notes on the right. (And if you’re looking for a versatile modular notebook system, we have Traveler’s Notebook covers in both sizes available.)

2. Write Notepads Weekly Planner. This landscape-style wirebound notebook is a favorite for intermittent planning on a weekly basis. Write Notepads makes excellent fountain pen-friendly paper, and the landscape orientation makes it easy to sit this underneath your keyboard while you’re working.

3. WMS & Co. Calendar Pads. Similar to the Write Notepads Weekly Planner, WMS & Co. makes tear-off calendar pads in both full-page and slimmer “keyboard” size. Whether you use them for planning or for daily list-making and notetaking, these pads are versatile tools that come with different color gilded edges.

4. Midori MD “Codex” Day-to-a-Page Notebook. One of the most popular Midori products in our shop is the MD “Codex” notebook, a 360+ page bound journal that comes in a dot grid or blank paper layout and allows you a full A5 page for each day of the year. Use it as a journal, or combine with the Midori MD Diary Stickers to add planner functionality to a Bullet Journal.

5. Midori MD Calendar Stickers. These diary/calendar stickers are made from fountain-pen-friendly Midori MD Paper and can add monthly calendar functionality to any notebook or journal. Since these are undated, you can use them every month or just when you need them.

6. Midori MD Multi-Year Journals. For those who enjoy “micro-journaling” (my personal term for jotting just a few sentences about each day), these Midori MD hardbound books are a joy to use, in either three, five, or ten (?!?) year formats. Each day of the year has a separate page, allowing you to compare that specific date to prior years as you write, but the years themselves are undated, so if you decide to take a year off you can easily pick back up again.

7. Lochby A5 Planner Refills. While intended to pair with the excellent Lochby Field Journal, these slim A5 refills feature 68gsm Tomoe River Paper and since they are standard A5 size, can fit different notebook covers. They use a monthly + weekly undated layout that is quite versatile.

8. Soumkine “Agenda” Planners. While unfortunately Soumkine is stepping away from the business of making analog tools, we still have some remaining stock of their hardcover slim “Agenda” undated planners (which can also be used as a slim notebook). The paper is excellent.

For an option outside the T.G.S. Curated Shop, fans of disc-bound systems may want to consider William Hannah UK, which I’ve been test-driving for the past couple of months. I plan to post a full review, but I’m impressed both with the paper quality, the disc system, and the cover itself. The system is no inexpensive, but you do get what you pay for. Happy shopping!

Intentions for 2023: Personal Reflections and Goals Looking Forward

Last year I kicked off the New Year with a post titled “Five Intentions for 2022: What I Want to See from Myself,” where I took five not-quite-resolutions and discussed how I wanted to change things up over the coming year, both personally and for The Gentleman Stationer. As with most “New Years Resolutions,” I forgot about the specifics of these intentions after a few months, which is exactly why I left them as a rather vague set of “guiding principles” as opposed to specific, concrete goals. As we stare down 2023 (seriously!?!), I’m going to spend today’s post checking in, recapping my progress on the intentions from 2022, and talking about my general themes for 2023. In short, I plan to continue with most of these same goals, adding in a couple of new ones that are more tweaks as opposed to new “resolutions.”

Revisiting Goals from 2022

Write More Fulfilling Content. For 2022, I wanted to move T.G.S. away from being a pure “product review” site, and publish more pieces that help people discover the appropriate tools that they can use to get “real work” done in their life, whether that be personal writing or journaling, creative work, or planning. There’s a tension in stationery between acquisition for use and acquisition for its own sake, and between finding a good pen that you can use everyday and spending endless amounts of time and money searching for the “perfect” pen, ink, notebook, etc. The latter can be fun, and while there’s nothing wrong with collecting and exploring all of the various stationery rabbit holes as a hobby, it’s easy to lose sight of why many of us got started in the first place. Of the five 2022 intentions, I’m most happy with how this one turned out: I wrote more series and “editorial”-style pieces in 2022 than I ever have before. Given the traffic, comments, and reader reactions to these particular articles, I plan to keep them as a major part of T.G.S.

Travel More and Reconnect Post-Pandemic: It’s Finally Over! (Or Is It?). While 2021 was marked by fits and starts in terms of trying to get the pen show circuit going again, 2022 plowed ahead, with most shows occurring as scheduled and seeing relatively robust attendance. I attended five pen shows: Baltimore, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, and had positive experiences at most of them. I think the biggest takeaway is that, like me, many people are looking at these post-pandemic pen shows as opportunities to connect with other users and members of the community, and not solely as two or three-day shopping binges. If the shows respond with more thoughtful alternative offerings such as additional courses and workshops along the lines of what was available in San Francisco, I believe they will continue to grow. I plan to attend several shows in 2023, though I’m still finalizing specifics as I work through my family calendar. I’ll update shortly!

Minimize/Stash Reduction. I’ve sold off a LOT of pens over the past year, and while I’ve added some, acquisitions have been more intentional. For the first time in however many years, I’ve not had to add a new pen case for storage purposes, have actually sold off some pen cases, and have slots open in those that remain. (I know, unheard of, right?!) I plan to continue this trend, with Patreon members seeing the first round of reductions via a “Gently Used” sale coming at them this weekend in advance of the New Year.

Growing a Sense of Community around TGS. I’m consolidating the last two points from my 2022 Intentions because they’re related. Despite the inconveniences of not being able to travel much in 2020 and 2021, one positive aspect of the Pandemic, at least for me, was getting comfortable maintaining connections via e-mail, social media, and, yes, even Zoom, and I feel that I’ve stayed in better touch with friends and colleagues between those occasions I get to see them in person. I’ve truly enjoyed getting to know many of you through Patreon, and hope to grow that community online and participate more in-person at shows as things continue to normalize.

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In terms of new acquisitions, I’d definitely be happy to see 2023 limited to a handful of custom/small batch pens.

Are There Any New Intentions for 2023?

Not necessarily. The four topics discussed above remain a pretty good barometer of where things stand and the direction I want to take things. However, I’m probably going to add two complementary, more concrete personal goals to the list.

Set Better Boundaries Between “Work” and “Play”. I’m not talking about the day-job here, I’m talking about T.G.S. While I’ve operated the site as a formal business for tax purposes, etc. for a few years now, every so often I’ve had to take a step back and make sure that the business aspects of T.G.S. don’t take over what I enjoy about stationery. Honestly, I even briefly considered giving it up entirely around mid-year, but quickly discovered that I could never do that. It’s a fundamental part of who I am, and the work I’ve done here and the community I’ve grown are a far more personally fulfilling contribution to the world than most of what I’ve accomplished on in my day job. Still, I need to remember to read and write for my own enjoyment and personal growth, not just for the site, in order to maintain personal balance. I may write more on how I intend to do that as the year goes on.

Further Limiting New Acquisitions for my Personal Collection. I’ve never had a “hard cap” on the number of pens in my collection, but maybe it’s time to set a more concrete restriction on how I accumulate stuff. Does that mean purchasing pens only at shows, or restricting personal purchases this year to unique pieces from independent makers? Maybe. Honestly, I already have pretty much one of every “mainstream pen” out there due to more than a decade of collecting, and running the site/shop gives me the opportunity to sample and test new releases without having to add yet more pens to my personal collection. It’s a situation that’s somewhat unique to me, but it’s been nice to start drawing boundaries around what’s a “TGS Pen” purely for review and testing, and what pens form part of my core personal collection. In terms of pens I’ve purchased for review, I need to be better about reviewing them and promptly selling them off or giving them away. Not all of them can stick around, as there’s a limit to how many pens one can actually use in a year, even if you’re rotating frequently.

So, as with last year, these are my personal reflections and goals. I’ll continue the year-end review/New Year’s planning content for the next week, reflecting on how I think the community is involving, what I’d like to see more or less of, and of course, planning my stationery kit for 2023!

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Setting Up Your Own 2023 Analogue Tool Kit? Take Advantage of Our Year-End Promotion

As you prepare for the new year, including setting up your notebooks and planners and other analogue work tools, take advantage of a 10% discount on most items from the T.G.S. Curated Shop using the coupon code “LOYAL10” at checkout. See yesterday’s post for full details, including any exclusions, though most of the 2022 Top Sellers are discount-eligible.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program, and does not utilize advertising or third-party affiliate links.