A Message to Returning Notebookers & New Notebookers

Welcome BACK! I am so happy that you've made the decision to return to our community. This morning, I read an important question in the Facebook group and I decided to take a few minutes and answer it here. The question was this, "I tried last year and was unsuccessful. Any tips on how to start?"

1. The first step to starting over is to forgive yourself if you feel like you failed last year. If you showed up at all, there's no failure in my mind! Give yourself grace and move forward. 

2. Set a specific goal for yourself. Why are you notebooking? What do you want to achieve? Jot it on an index card and post it somewhere you can see it. One hundred days is a long journey, but it's achieved with tiny steps. 

3. Participate in the Facebook group. Ask for support and help. That group is a JUDGEMENT FREE ZONE, I promise. We all have days when we don't want to write or we don't know what to write. Pop into the group and leave a post asking for help or inspiration. 

4. Revise the rules. You decide how much you want to notebook every day. It doesn't have to be pages and pages. Jotting a few lines is a good start. You can always do more. Give yourself a break and ease into this new journey.  

5. Create a notebooking ritual. Pick a time of day that will be sacred. Find a spot where you will feel inspired and the interruptions will be kept to a minimum. Invite family members to join you. Get a photo or a book that will inspire you and a cup of whatever will help your process. 

6. When you miss a day, FORGIVE yourself, and come back! It's not about doing this perfectly. It's about what happens when you miss a day and how you respond. Grace and forgiveness are important in this journey. 

7. Invite a friend to join you. Post something on social media or text a friend. Invite them to come along. You will be surprised who says yes. Maybe they are waiting for your invitation. 

8. DO NOT (this is my only "DO NOT"!!!) compare your notebook with that of someone else's notebook. This is about your notebook, your journey, your story. Other people may create artistic pages and that works for them. The notebook is a place to take risks and to fail. Most importantly, it's a place where you show up to be authentically YOU.

9. Share pages in the Facebook group- or don't. I struggle with sharing pages because I"m used to my notebook being only for me. On those days, I share my process in the group. Sometimes I'll share a page and blur out my words to keep them private. The sharing is for supporting your journey AND for inspiring others with new ideas.

10. The most important thing about #100daysofnotebooking is to show up.