Don't panic. This journal IS in stock. I ordered mine in mid-Jan and got it within a week. Mel also posts updates re: stock on her FB and Instagram.
This is without a doubt the most EFFECTIVE journal I've ever used. I haven't hit every day on this journal since I've had it but it's nonetheless impacted my daily life.
A lot of modern productivity methods (e.g. GTD) measure success by the number of tasks you check off in a day. This fails because modern life presents us with a paralyzing amount of options, then FOMO leads us to chip away daily at Columns A through F. As a result, we make very little headway on one specific column. Over time, this starts to erode our sense of what's important, as we've been giving each column equal attention. If you're like me, you find yourself doing a lot in a day and going to be bed feeling empty.
And then, if you're still like me, you burn out. For a loooong time. You wake up wondering where all that time went and what your purpose in life is. When the hamster stops running the wheel, he remembers he's in a cage.
Annie Dillard wrote: How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives. This journal can help you redirect your energy to the things that really matter to you. Here are my notes and observations after having it for a week:
1. It takes me less than two minutes to fill out in the morning. Even if your brain is fuzzy, it gets the juices flowing because it has you fill in the date and place. Next are blanks that establish your state of mind ("Today I feel..."), putting you IN THE PRESENT MOMENT where you are honest with yourself. It follows up with a plan of action ("To feel more energized I can...."). Right away, you have something you can do - use Mel's 5 Second rule to bust through any resistance. This momentum sets you up to fill out the rest of the journal without overthinking.
2. You list a top project for the day, directing your focus to ONE area of your life. This is the gamechanger. Once you write this down, the other stuff automatically feels less pressing and stressful. Why? Because you're not giving the pile of dishes in the sink and the afternoon stafff meeting the same importance as growing your business or writing your book or your relationships.
3. Your Top Project for the day is further bolstered by listing why the project is important to you. If your heart's not in the project, you'll see it on the page. Next to this is a section to write down a small action you can take to move forward and a section for gratitude. Now you have something actionable to do right away AND you're feeling good because you've reminded yourself of what's awesome in your life.
4. In the corner, there is a section where you schedule when you'll stop working. This puts the pressure on, in a good way. A lot of us, esp. chronic procrastinators, tend to access Flow more readily when we're under the gun, like when we cram for a test or, you know, the first few times you used the Pomodoro technique and it worked. Rather than default to the workday 5 or 6, you might try playing with stop times. By setting a stop time, you're scheduling your free time. My free time has felt richer since starting this.
5. The next page has a gridded section for brain dump - great for recording your flashes of brilliance, quotes, lists etc. And beside it, a small planning space that runs from 6am to 8pm where you can fill in a schedule. Note: there is NO CALENDAR in this journal! It works for me because I keep all my scheduled stuff in Google Calendar anyway and pencil in what's relevant. This also means you won't have huge chunks of unusable pages (that might make you feel like a failure!) if you fall off the journal for a few weeks.
6. The Confidence Corner issues challenges to get you out of your comfort zone. It suggests activities that could become powerful new habits, like taking a cold shower, organizing your space, calling relatives, going for a walk with a friend, and journaling. All doable; all GOOD FOR YOU. There is a follow-up on the next day that asks you to reflect on whether you did or didn't do the challenge and why. This is like having Mel in your pocket, coaching you.
7. The journal itself is nice and sturdy. It lays flat so you can keep it open all day. There are instructions on how to use it at the very front and a few pages of free space in the back for drawing or whatever you need. It's very no-frills and THIS IS GOOD. The simplicity provides just enough structure that it doesn't feel stifling but freeing. If you write in it every day, it will last you a few months. I don't use it daily and it could very well last me a year. You don't have to shoehorn your life into the journal's calendar, it works with you. Love this.
Personal changes I've noticed since I started using this journal:
- I find myself more focused and less inclined to multitask.
- Goal-setting is easier because I'm actively prioritizing my life every day.
- What matters to me and what I want to do with my life is becoming clearer every day. Dudes, this is huge. Every day, this journal has me check in with myself and stay aware of what I want to spend my life doing. My intuition is back, baby!
- Increased mindfulness and awareness of goals even on days I don't use the journal. And I always pick it up again.
- Resistance is still there, but that's what the 5 Second Rule is for. Keep working it.
This journal is not for everyone but it might be the one for YOU, especially if all others have failed you. It's helped me break through my stuck-ness and burn out and take charge of my life again. So fellow desperados and dreamers, give it a shot! Re-commit to the great work of your life!
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Reviews with images
It's ok!
This wasn't what I expected. I'm still trying to work with it the page with the notes on it is very hard to make out the numbers. Maybe l will give the other one a try.
Top reviews from other countries
Akhilesh Singh
Poor quality and overpriced for what it is
Reviewed in India on July 12, 2022Patrick Botros
A must to enforce good habits and becoming aware of your current situation!!
Reviewed in Canada on February 21, 2018Pereira Ountzian Marie-Louise
Productive agenda
Reviewed in France on March 21, 2019