Another post, mostly because it got so great of an itch and I really need to jot this down here.

I have been dabbling in journaling for quite some time (Journaling: How to?), but for the life of me, I can’t seem to find a method that sticks with me. I tried bullet journaling, buying myself Hobonichi Techo, and the likes, and somehow, it feels like things are adding up instead of helping. I wonder if I have been approaching things with a wrong mindset.

You know how things usually are: It’s the end of the year, and folks got so excited. Prepare for new notebook(s)! Get the shiniest pen! Get those washi tapes! I have so many plans for next year and I am so gonna crush it! Watch all Tiktok videos!

It’s the same with me. I was so excited at first, too. Heck, I even drew on it. Then, just in a matter of weeks, things fizzled out. I would blame it on my health that suddenly dropped at the beginning of the year, but you know, excuses excuses.

Honestly, it hurts. Not only because Hobonichi is quite pricey and I hate if it goes to waste, but more so on me looking at myself and asking, “why aren’t you able to keep things up? Isn’t this supposed to be easy as this is essentially a part of self-care, too?”

I finally took a step back and did some brainstorming with myself on what I actually need to manage my life better, especially as a housewife. So, yeah, with my usual dramatic flair, I hereby announce that I decided to stop using Hobonichi and journaling in general. However, I am keeping myself on track by:

• This blog for record-keeping including TILs, bookmarks, Good-To-Knows, and the likes. I’m planning to use this blog for my book-reading tracking, too.
• A notebook for weekly menu at home (cooking and grocery list).
• A notebook for notetaking of any Islamic lessons/courses (I’m subscribing to BayyinahTV).
• I already have my Garmin for tracking my exercise.
• Google Calendar for events and appointments.
• MoneyLover app for financial tracking and bill payment.

This might seem overwhelming for some, considering how things seemed “spread out”, but I found that this is the best method for me right now. I don’t think I could ever have a One for All notebook, as it ended up making me feel overwhelmed. Having things scattered in different places with different purposes did help me, though. Let’s see how it goes. I’m planning to revisit this post after 3 months.