Fall sometimes makes me want to feel renewed with all of the change that is taking place. My Daily Journal system consisted of setting up all of my layouts at the beginning of the notebook and then using the rest of the notebook for my daily pages, journaling, and notes for meetings. The main problem I kept running into was that I was spending all of this time creating the notebook I wanted, and then I only had about 75 pages or so to last for journaling and note-taking.

Does anyone else get nervous when their notebook runs out of pages?

I do. As someone who values a planner that doubles as a notebook, the Sterling Ink B6 Undated Common Planner has become a staple in my planning routine. I have always been a person that has been a fan of a few brands that have truly amazing products, but for this, I wanted to try something new. This includes also trying the Moterm B6+ Planner Cover.

Here's a closer look at what makes each of these products work for me.

I started Writing Mindset in 2017 as a place to talk about my experiences in the classroom. Now, I get to talk about teaching, and I also get to write about different aspects of my life like journaling and motherhood. By nature, I am a pantser when it comes to writing (Read more about plotters vs pantsers here) I tend to write from the heart, and I am committed to writing about my passions and interests. While I love writing, this type of whimsy doesn’t always result in a consistent posting routine.

Enter the Passion Planner to help me start being consistent with all of my content here on the blog.

If you have followed the blog for some time, you know I love Passion Planner as a business and as a product. If you are in the market for a standard planner for scheduling, this is the one you reach for when life feels chaotic or busy. However, Passion Planners can also be used for a variety of other journaling ideas. In this blog post, I am going to give an overview of how I am using a Passion Planner to track business ideas, manage expenses, monitor income streams, and organize all blog content. With this plan for consistency, I hope to reach some goals that I have had since early on in my blogging journey. A Passion Planner isn't just a scheduling aid; it becomes a strategic partner in manifesting your aspirations. Join me in discovering how this purposeful planner can not only enhance productivity but also serve as a compass for navigating the exciting journey of blogging or running a business.

Chic Sparrow is a leather goods company that started out making journal covers on Etsy and now creates various lines of journal covers, purses, and other journaling accessories. There are many notebook covers out there available at a wide range of prices. Their brand is definitely on the higher end, but my covers are absolutely beautiful. These covers are genuine leather that gets better over time as they age. They also offer second-chance sales and have a clearance section as well. You can find a cover that you love in the size that you want. The appeal of a journal cover is customization. Traditionally, traveler’s notebook covers feature strings where you can put inserts or small journals on each band. You can also add traditional journals or notebooks on the strings and change them out. The idea is to keep the cover consistent and have the ability to change out the inside. I have covers in sizes A5, Traveler’s Notebook, and B6. These covers fit my Archer & Olive notebooks perfectly, and they have held up well with everyday wear and tear. This post features all three sizes, but it will speak directly to the product of journal covers as a whole.

I often get the Sunday scaries during the school year. Sometimes, I even get summertime Sunday scaries just because my system-body and mind-have become accustomed to expecting what the coming week will hold. One strategy that always helps whatever level of scaries I am dealing with is the organization and planning of my upcoming week. I have planned my weeks for a long time now on Sundays. It has become a Sunday morning tradition where I will look to the week ahead as a fresh start, a way to get ahead, or just a way to find some time to relax. This post contains a quick Youtube tutorial that shows you 3 different examples on how to plan your week. You will also find some more weekly layout examples in this blog post and detailed directions on how to use any notebook or journal to plan your best week.

At first glance, the Passion Planner system is one that does not look like it could adapt to different types of planning and journaling. It comes with a printed layout, and using the weekly planner I have, the times are already filled in. However, after looking at some creative posts on social media, finding some awesome stickers, and using markers in new ways, I have been appreciative of how easily the Passion Planner can adapt to my needs. I just recently stopped tracking all things baby. We have a full blown TABY (toddler-baby) and her schedule is far easier to predict at this point. I have entered a season in life where I am declaring boundaries on work, and then looking at how I am taking care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. This post outlines how I am focusing on using my Passion Planner to become a health journal. My health journal will include a daily focus, routines, steps, exercise goals, water intake, self-love statements, and more. This post will also give lots of inspiration for creating your own health journal.

I first started using the Passion Planner system in 2017, but abandoned it when I discovered bullet journaling and creating my own layouts. With bullet journaling, I loved the freedom of a blank page, and I had the time and energy to create layouts and spreads that worked for me. Fast forward to the recent process of pregnancy and motherhood, and everything got busy. I really felt like I could benefit from the focus that comes from using the Passion Planning system and planners not only because I didn’t have as much time to create layouts, but I also wanted to refocus on the dreams and goals I had before pregnancy and motherhood. Passion Planners have now turned into the ultimate tool when it comes to planning, goal-setting, and also tracking my schedule and baby’s schedule.

It started with virtual teaching in the fall of 2020 when I had to take things day-by-day. I started the 2020-2021 school year almost 5 months pregnant, and I was facing a crazy year of teaching without being in front of kids. I literally took things in the transition to that school year day-by-day. I loved the Daily Passion Planner because it was undated, and I could really focus on a few months at a time. In comparison, I tried the Weekly Academic Passion Planner for the 2021-2022 back-to-school year season because it gave me a chance to plan out my year as a new mom. This post goes into detail about my experiences in two Passion Planners, why I chose the new Passion Planner I did, and what I love and don’t love about each planner. I talk sizes, layouts, and different spreads that are included and what works for me now.

August always feels far away, and then all of the sudden it is here. It has to be one the fastest moving months throughout the year. Back-to-school advertisements and sales are everywhere. All of the teachers I know (including myself) are struggling with how the fall will look for students, teachers, and families as we return to teaching during a pandemic. How quickly will burnout set in? Will everything be okay? The new dynamic of being a mom will also be on my plate as I enter the upcoming school year. Managing family schedules, daycare, and finding time to fit in what really matters is going to be an added challenge. I have loved bullet journaling for the past 4 years, but I have also used a Passion Planner occasionally when I need to get myself back on track in terms of organization and goals. This post outlines how I plan to use BOTH a Passion Planner and a bullet journal to keep myself on track in terms of goals and tasks, but also dreams, family time, and trying to fit in a certain amount of self-care to avoid burnout.

This summer marks my first summer as a mom. The school year ended abruptly with virtual teaching coming to a close. School ended by saying goodbye to kids over the internet. Little circles with initials on a Google Meet screen. Many of whom I have never seen their face throughout the whole year. Most of my students were relieved that online school was over, but there was also a handful of them that didn’t want to log off on that last day. It was hard in many ways. I was ready to be done because I was ready to start summer with our new baby. The last day of reporting for duty all teachers were emailed our assignments for the fall. This email brought up uncertain ideas, assumptions, and predictions about what it would be like to return full-time in-person.

I have no idea what the fall will hold.

I am going to be taking our baby to daycare for the first time, we will return in-person to school in masks and go back into my classroom, and we are going to navigate what school looks like after being online for over a year. I miss my classroom more than I can tell you. I miss the way kids would browse books in my classroom library. August comes with so many uncertainties. I am planning on keeping my bullet journal for regular journaling and ideas as I enter the new year, but I am looking to move back into a Passion Planner for August to get myself organized for the school year. This post outlines how I am approaching the middle month of summer as a teacher and new mama, and it shows some key pages that are keeping me organized and motivated. In the past, I have used the month of July for a mid-year check-in. This year, I am taking it one month at a time to learn how to adjust to motherhood.

December 2020 is upon us! No matter how you have felt about the past year with everything that has happened, December is always a mood. It is a distinct vibe. Perhaps you run to set up holiday decorations or maybe you are a person who might be feeling some ease because this year the same holiday gatherings-at work or at home-may or may not be happening. It is definitely an odd time. I like December because it brings about this idea of reflection, and I also love the idea of deciding here in Michigan to cozy up for the winter. In this post, you will see my December planning pages as well as some of the things I am doing to make December more enjoyable with cozy accents and decorations. You will also see my mood meter as I make sure to check-in with myself as to how I am feeling each day.

It’s officially November! Last month, I wrote about my new journey with a traveler’s notebook. In a traveler’s notebook, there is a cover, notebook inserts, and an elastic band system to hold those notebooks. I got a chance to play around with my new system, and I tried out using four different inserts for the different parts of my life. I am keeping the traveler’s notebook system for the month of November, but I am adding in a different notebook insert that resembles more of the bullet journaling I have done in the past. This post shows you all of the different parts of my November planning, a review of my new Archer & Olive notebook insert, and some of the ways I am planning for big goals using project planners.

So, I understand now that there are these things called traveler’s notebooks that everyone seems to love. I have been obsessed with my Leuchtturm 1917 bullet journal for over a year and a half now. When I first discovered bullet journaling, I couldn’t stop looking things up on Pinterest, checking out YouTube videos, and seeing how other people were doing layouts. It helped me discover a love of drawing I never knew I had as a teen or even as an adult. Who would have thought that a woman in her 30’s would discover a love of doodling? I think that is one of the main reasons why I love all things journaling and keep talking about writing and journaling here on the blog. Now, when I wasn’t in my bullet journal, I was working in my Undated Lush Green Passion Planner. Passion Planners are amazing. They serve a specific purpose because they help you figure out routine when everything feels like chaos, and there is a layout for everyone. Journals seem to have different purposes for different parts of life. Cue the traveler’s notebook.

What a time to be a teacher! I finally got a chance to relax a bit in July, and then August snuck right on up to say hello. It’s August. Officially. What this normally means in my mind is that I need to start getting around for Back-to-School. Like an alarm that went off in my mind, I woke up early on August 1st ready to start thinking about school. I even walked outside to let out our dog, Laker, and saw that the bush that turns fire-engine red in the fall indeed had three new red leaves. It was crisp in the air. Fall decided it was going to show up early. Like other teachers this summer, I never really shut my brain down long enough to feel like it was summer. Earlier in June, I participated in moving an in-person writing camp to an online format, and I finished up an online summer book club with The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson for all middle schoolers in my district. Summer flew by. It always does. I went from being eager and anxious about my district announcing the Return-to-Learn plan on August 3rd, and then I spent some time this week processing what it would mean for me for the upcoming year.

I do know August 3rd still has not provided a ton of answers. My district is offering two main options for students: 1.) A tiered return approach and 2.) A fully virtual option. The tiered approach will work by trimester or every 12 weeks. The first twelve weeks will be online, the second twelve weeks will be a hybrid model of online and in-person learning, and the last twelve weeks will be fully in-person five days a week. This is all contingent on the phase or status of COVID-19 here in Michigan. I wanted to spend the first week of August figuring out how I am handling my own morale and motivation considering returning to the classroom, and I wanted to focus on the items in my routine that are favorite things to use. This post is an August products favorites haul of sorts and inside peeks into the day-by-day schedule that I am using with my new Daily Passion Planner.

On Monday this past week, I walked outside to let the dog out and stretch and was met with the following scene: the clearest blue sky, bright sunbeams, fresh morning air at the just-right temperature, birds chirping, and leaves fluttering. The grass beneath my feet was almost glowing. It was the kind of morning that makes you feel alive and ready to face the day. And what a time right now to need to feel alive. I have found myself looking for the “blue skies” in everything right now. Seeking positivity in the people and places around me.

With the murder of George Floyd on May 25, and the protests following the outcry in response to his murder, Breonna Taylor’s murder on March 13, Ahmaud Arbery’s murder on February 23, and countless others, the days of the first week of June have blurred together. The time has been spent watching the news, talking to friends and colleagues, and seeking answers within myself and the world around me. Black lives matter. As an educator, the fight within our classrooms to hold discussions, talk about books and resources, secure funding for materials, and to help facilitate conversations on the district-level have always been a continual journey. The journey continues. I am hoping with relentless action and voice, teachers can help make the changes needed in our country and classrooms.

In the month of June, I am holding on to blue skies to ground me where I am in the present moment. The here and now. This post contains all of my layouts-include monthly and weekly spreads-for the month of June.

As I sat down to plan the coming month, this little phrase kept repeating in my mind. I am hoping it is true. Because April seemed like “showers” was the theme. It almost feels like April didn’t happen. I experienced the move to distance learning, got my items from my classroom, and digested that this academic school year was officially over in terms of going into a school building. The learning isn’t over, but it definitely does not feel the same. I sometimes feel that the season we are in right now is all too appropriate. Spring is in the middle. An in-between. It is not hot and not cold. Quarantine is not productive and not lazy. Social-distancing is hard for some and easier for an introvert like me. We are all trying to figure out the middle. I took this picture while I was outside this past week walking around the yard. It captures the moment before the leaves on this little bush are fully sprouting out to say hello to the world. My goal and theme for May is to honor the middle ground that is spring and look for the moments of growth that are about to happen. This post outlines my bullet journal plan with me for the month of May, as well as some new materials I am using to keep things full of color.

April 1st means it is officially poetry month! I woke up this morning to an email letter from Jennifer Benka, executive director of The Academy of American Poets or Poets.Org. In her email, she stated, “More and more people are turning to poetry at this moment, because amid fear and uncertainty, poetry can help bring needed strength. At a time of anxiety and alarm, poetry can help bring tranquility. Poetry has the power to bring us together.” Poetry is powerful. I have to admit that over the course of the past week or so, I had started reading a little less. I had tried to keep up with my journaling, I was writing away on the blog, but my reading was something that sort of fell off. On a day I was feeling particularly funky, I remembered a line from The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney where the main character asked, “What else is possible?” in response to not assuming the worst outcome right away. The poem stuck in my brain as being so important right now. There is always something that goes awry. Stubbed your toe? Slow down. Dishwasher broke? You have an opportunity to learn how to fix something. Unexpected school closures in the last third of the school year due to a pandemic virus? Perhaps there is a reason.

I repeat, perhaps there is a reason.

I immediately started to round up the poetry books and novels-in-verse that were in my house and on my bookshelf. I am making a plan for my reading this month focusing on novels-in-verse and poetry. I was scared I had left a ton at school. I had. However, I had more access to poetry and books than I realized. I made a giant stack, and then I spent the rest of the day making a plan for my journal around poetry. I got excited about collecting poems, making lists, and trying to find the right words. Then, I paused when I came across Sarah Kay’s Poem “The Paradox.”

When I was 8 or 9, one of my favorite books was a light blue field guide of North American birds. I would browse through this book for hours. I loved owls and hummingbirds, robins and blue jays. The sight of birds always makes me smile. I have the same feeling about the month of March, specifically when I can feel spring is coming. The moment when the snow starts to melt and the wet grass is exposed to fresh air after a while. March is right before Spring Break. If you are anyone in the teaching world you know that Spring Break signifies a major benchmark in the school year. You can feel like you have accomplished so much…or you might have a long way to go. You may be gearing up for the testing season, or you may be trying to wrap your mind around the last 14 weeks of a school year and how to tackle each day with sanity.

Wherever you seem to be, my hope is that you find some moments to notice things like birds in the trees, find some moments of reading, and enjoy early morning journaling. Small things. Things that matter. March means we are three months into the new year, but there is still lots of time to do great work. It isn’t too late. This post outlines my plan for the month of March with a monthly layout, weekly layouts, and a reflection page in my bullet journal. I also have included “more” and “less” sections on each weekly layout to help guide a focused reflection each week. What do I want to do more of? Read, sleep, write, and spend time with my husband. What do I want to do less of? Taking work home, to-do list piling, anxiety, and not being proactive about stress. I am still using the same materials from my February post, including my Leuchtturm 1917 Medium A5 Dotted Journal in Port Red.

Journal in hand. Let’s do this, March.

I have been laughing quite a bit at all of the posts regarding how long the month of January feels to those in the teaching profession. On Friday, it really did feel like we were on the 62nd day of the month. The process of coming off of winter break, entering back into a routine, and realizing that 2020 goals are going to take the same grit from 2019 are all jarring realizations, to say the least. I went back to the yearly overview post I made around New Years to recenter myself on how I am moving forward into the next month. February is about moving forward. Moving forward with any goals, moving forward with ideas, and moving forward into the rest of the school year. At the beginning of January, I had written about the two books I am focusing on for this year: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy and You Had Better Make Some Noise: Words to Change the World by Phaidon Editors. I have many words that connect to goals for 2020, but both of these books are strong reminders to insert love and kindness into the world and do so loudly.

“What do you think success is? asked the boy. “To love,” said the mole.” -The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Charles Mackesy

The first step in moving ahead into February is to challenge the negative mindset that has crept in throughout the month of January. Thoughts such as:

• The school year is already halfway over, and I feel as if I am not accomplishing as much as I want to do.

• I am tired.

• I already feel behind, and it is only January.

• I feel defeated when it comes to sustaining the same energy each day.

• I should be writing more.

• I should be reading more, and yes I am in a reading funk.

• Why haven’t I started the big project, yet?

There are more. However, the battle with negative self-talk enters right around February. Right when the feeling of the New Year subsides. Right when you realize that snow days aren’t happening this year in Michigan, and you adjusting to the idea of survival mode as a means of living. Just surviving is not a way to live. As teachers, the goal of February should be recentering ourselves out of survival mode and moving forward into a place of love. Love for self, others around us, our profession, and our own goals. For many of us, we say to ourselves, “I simply can’t.” Our daily demands are forcing us into a “when I open my eyes, until when I close my eyes” type of mentality. We still have to find a way to move forward even if it is small. Small progress is progress. In order to move forward, we are going to need a lot of determination and a lot of coffee (or the beverage of your choice). This month, the theme is coffee.

You don’t know how tempted I was to put a pun about “20/20 vision” in the title of this post. I am so ready for the new year! I don’t mean in the sense that all of my lesson plans, copies, and grading are done, but more so in the way that I feel rejuvenated after winter break. I really tried not to work the entire time over the two weeks, and I feel the benefits in my creativity and in my writing motivation. I started to wake up yesterday with new ideas and the desire to fill notebooks up with thoughts, reflections, and more. This came in handy because I was procrastinating about migrating over into my new bullet journal for the new year. My local independent bookstore, This is a Bookstore and Bookbug, started carrying my favorite journals so now I have a constant supply to look at and plan for when I go get a chai latte and grade or pick up new books. The goal of this post is to show you how I use my bullet journal to plan for the new year with year-long goals and plans, and also how I set up my monthly plan for January. This post is similar to the other bullet journal “plan-with-me” posts on the blog, but it provides more information as I am moving into a new journal and it is the start of a new year.

I have been writing a lot about burnout here on the blog and in my journal. If I look back at my morning pages, it is something that has slowly been building up since we went back-to-school in September. Because I have always felt that December is a month for reflection, I wanted to highlight that purpose in my December pages this month. If I compare my October reflection page to my November reflection page, I have already made some changes in terms of physical wellness and professional wellness. I have engaged in the idea of trying to balance the six different areas of self-care: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, and sensory. While I always feel like self-care is a concept that isn’t obtained, kind of like “work-life balance,” it is a word that is a strong reminder to put yourself first before the work.

Rachel Hollis in Girl, Stop Apologizing said, “When everything is important, nothing is important” (97). These words are so powerful, especially in December. I am getting better at understanding that everything can’t be important. We only have three weeks until winter break (not four this year!), and I want to make sure that in the rush I am celebrating small wins on a daily basis and setting the intention to practice regular self-care not for the sake of sounding good, but the ability to keep teaching month after month. December is about small wins…and all things merry and bright.

November calls for gratitude. It includes the first big holiday since maybe Labor Day or the Fourth of July when people get together. I am often struck by these holidays that sometimes the people closest to us are family, but not connected by blood. While I am not an advocate for celebrating the known reasons behind Thanksgiving, I am a person who loves holidays. This post outlines my November bullet journal inspiration, my November pages, and some key points of reflection. If you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving, you might feel the same as I do. The push and pull of recognizing the “Hallmark” holiday absurdity of it all or really loving the atmosphere of the day. To me, there is something comforting about the food (my husband makes the best turkey), the people, and the purpose that everyone has for taking time out of a busy schedule. It makes me want to plan more holidays throughout the year for no reason. at all. I always focus on the opportunity to be grateful for this moment in my life and then also trying to be more mindful of this feeling throughout the rest of the year.