Journal with me: JANUARY 2023
TRUST THE MAGIC OF NEW BEGINNINGS

New year, fresh starts, new opportunities, chapter 1 of 12, it's just around the corner! 2022 was an amazing one and personally sets my standards higher for 2023. I have awesome bujo tips, journal prompts, mood boards, and products cued for this year and I can't wait to share them ALL with you.
This holiday season going into this new year, I've been resting and recovering from the Christmas rush. It was a fever dream but also another level of non stop craziness. I'm sure you can relate. A part of that "rest" was pausing on taking photo content until the new year. I'll post it soon enough but wanted to share this to help you game plan and prep for January.
BUT FIRST....
Manifesting starts with the right materials:
Life changes every year along with my bujo intentions. This year is no different.
After years of bullet journaling I've tried many different sizes and brands of journals, stationery, and pens. I'm not saying that I have the perfect set up but I think I've figured out the materials I need to have an efficient year. There are a couple of changes I made to help me streamline and organize my life, plans, and thoughts.
I'm switching my journal SIZE to MEDIUM. I've come to love Passion Planner dotted journals. Their pages are bright white and the thickness of the pages are butter, 120 gsm to be exact. Also it's a great everyday notebook that withstood the year. I've used the Passion Planner small and large journals even the undated planners. As I was setting up my 2023 bujo, the medium journal is just enough space for layouts, to include both journaling and everyday lists. The issue that I've had with other notebooks in the past were:
Moleskin or Leutrum 1917 pages weren't thick enough and would bleed through with most pens. This is more of a personal issue but I didn't like how yellow the pages were because it made it hard to photograph. However, these notebooks are the most accessible, come in a variety of cover colors and can be found at your local Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, or even Amazon.
Archer & Olive notebooks are definitely top tear! I love the covers with the foil details, the pages are bright white and thick (160 gsm to be exact) but for the cost and for the everyday notebook....it feels almost TOO nice, if you get what I mean. This was also a personal problem but I felt pressured to have each page perfect because I didn't want to waste a nice notebook on brain dumps and daily to do lists.
I am PHASING OUT a full blown predated planner....kind of. I lucked out and found a dated 2023 planner at TJ Maxx. In this planner it has a bunch of lined pages for notes, a traditional monthly layout, and a page for "at a glance." Thats it! It's all I need because this planner will give me a space for big idea content planning for my business and other fun projects while my bujo will be used for the rest of the daily journaling details. I'm pretty excited for my new notebook system.
My writing materials are and will remain the same for 2023. The breakdown is simple and quite minimal in my opinion because I like to make it easy as possible when I journal daily. All I use are a pencil, eraser, a ball point pen for everyday writing (my gel ball point pens in 0.5mm), my doodle pens, protractor, and the occasional metallic pen.
Sakura Micron Pens or what I call my doodle pens have been my absolute favorite. They are on the pricer side but so worth it. The ink is a true black and come in different size tips. I use:
3 or 2 tips for coloring in larger spaces
08 or 05 tips for headers and outline of doodles
01 tip for smaller writing subheads such as dates
005 tip for the fine line details of doodles
As for color, to each their own. Personally, I don't use much color nowadays because it takes away too much of my time from planning and journaling. When I do feel in the mood I use pops of color in single line work or color blocking in my doodles...You know me, simple is key and less is more. I've been obsessed with gold and have the perfect pen by Uniball. If you do see color or full blown illustrations in my bujo it would guarantee be in sticker form.
NOTED...
OLD WAYS WON'T OPEN NEW DOORS...
Along with the physical change in journal size, the content of my bujo is changing as well. I'll be keeping half of my favorite layout and adding a couple other focused spreads. We are LEVELING UP sis! Here is what's in my bujo set up:
Rule of grids page: I have a new notebook, so pre mapped pages will cut down my daily layout making buy a bit. My medium notebook is 33 grid across and 48 grids down making it solid numbers for weekly and daily spreads.
Cover page: with my power word of the year! Can you guess what it is?
Year at a glance: This spread takes up 4 pages and broken down quarterly because it's how my life is panning out to be.
Core/Vision page: After attending a Vision Workshop I decided to put this page in my bujo. As I refer back to the Year at a Glance through out the year, this one will be a great one to see from time to time as well. I hope this will keep me on track, realign me with my purpose, and motivate me in the slump seasons. I plan to note my purpose, values, "I am" statements, and my why's on these pages.
Level 10 Life: Is a snapshot and check in of 10 life buckets along with goals attached to each of them. To some people, it can be overwhelming to have so many so you can also start off with 3 minimum. In the workshop I attended, recommended 3 buckets. My 3 general buckets were Family, Self, and Business. I broke it down further so I have specific goals for each of aspect of my life. Each topic is rated out of 10 in terms of how much I'm currently pouring and investing myself in. Under "Family" the sub buckets are my marriage, Isla, and our core relationships. Under "Self" the sub buckets are my health, personal growth, self care, and authenticity. Lastly under "Business" the sub buckets are Bujo Bae, our finances, and our home
Quarterly Goals & Action Plans: After you self reflect, this page is one for your action plans. It's in the making right now but I plan to have smaller daily, weekly, and monthly goals for each quarter of the year.
NOW WE START CHAPTER 1 OF 12...
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF ANYTHING YOU WANT
My monthly bujo set up will be about the same as the previous years but with more focused intentions. You'll see soon but here's the break down:
Monthly spread: in the minimal vertical format
Mood tracker: tracking habits, sleep, mood, and work
January mood board and bucket list. DOWNLOAD the free printable kit bellow. I'm obsessed with this color pallet!
Some personal reference pages
Lastly I want to share with you daily journal prompts. I hope you're excited as much as I am about these and can only hope that it creates a safe space for you to self reflect, challenge your creativity and thinking day to day.
1. MANIFEST YOUR YEAR! Brain dump your bucket list, goals, dreams. Cant think of anything...23 things you want to do in 2023
2. Make and action plan for your goals for the year?
3. Ways to rejuvenate my space?
4. What's your word of the year?
5. Areas in your life that you can streamline?
6. Whats my ideal AM routine?
7. What's my PM routine?
8. SUNDAY CHECK IN: Loving, looking forward to, leaving behind, learning, leveling up on...
9. Things to do more of
10. Things to do less of
11. What's you intention for the day?
12. What or who inspires you?
13. Nationally sticker day: One habit you'll stick to for this year.
14. How do you fill your cup first before pouring into others?
15. How many hats do you wear?
16. One thing you dream of doing?
17. 3 top things on your wishlist
18. Name 5 things that you do well
19. What distractions are you inhibiting your productivity?
20. Create 10 song playlist to get you hyped
21. Plan an ideal day for yourself (or with your spouse, or kids, or fur babies)
22. Self care menu
23. How are your 2023 goals going?
24. Happy National Compliment Day: Acts of kindness for yourself and to others.
25. List ways that you can express creativity?
26. Where do I see yourself in 6 months.
27. Have your cake and eat it too. Happy National Chocolate Cake day: Whats your favorite guilty pleasure recipe?
28. What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have favorite hobbies?
29. Your favorite way to spend your Sunday?
30. Motivation Monday: What quote gets you motivated?
31. CHECK IN: How are you doing? Loving? Learning? Letting go of? Looking forward to? Leaning into? Leveling up on?
Cheers to a new year and new beginnings! I'd love for you to tag me and use hashtag #2023JOURNALWITHBAE Let's Bujo together and manifest that shit!
XO, Jenna