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If you don’t have have a resolution for the new year yet, you should start journaling asap and then get a planner to put all of your dreams in order. Make this year count! And please don’t forget to include self-care resolutions, we must care for ourselves, dear reader!

Here’s a completely different way to look at resolutions. If you’re looking for some inspiration for what you may want to include in your resolution planning, please have a look at this post on The Best New Hobbies to Pick Up After 50.  Or this post on How to Live an Enlightened Life After 50. These stories will get your creative juices flowing and help you make this next year an enlightened and luxurious one!

Here’s the Key to Your Best Year Yet

I want to share how both journaling and planning are the key to 2024 being your best year yet! As we embark on our journey into the new year, picture a vibrant tapestry woven with the threads of daily life, resilience, and the magic of heartfelt expression. Let’s unravel the secrets of personal growth, finding solace in the art of journaling, and the transformative power of putting pen to paper — for both journaling and planning.

Allow me to share a snippet of my own journey into writing and sharing my thoughts. In the tapestry of my sixties, amidst the monotony (I was bored, darling!), I sought a spark to illuminate the mundanity. In a twist of fate, or perhaps by the gentle nudge of destiny (nothing happens by accident, darling, this was serendipity!) I stumbled upon a simple act: keeping a journal.

Life, a symphony of planned notes and unexpected melodies, had always beckoned me with its allure. A perpetual student of curiosity, optimism, and a lover of challenges, my existence was an ever-blooming garden. I believe each experience shapes a new vision for tomorrow, and keeping a planner is key (an organized mind is a productive mind).

The birth of my journal was an intimate affair, a canvas for my innermost musings. Little did I imagine that these private reflections would one day resonate with a community of 250,000 women over 50. Serendipity, it seems, often manifests through the guidance of strangers.

Let My Start Inform Your New Year

A chance encounter with an author altered the course of my narrative. Advised to embark on a three-month journaling journey, her words struck a chord in my heart, and I found myself singing, “I will find my voice!” Serendipity, a force I hold dear, led me to discover not just a voice but a community. Today, my journal is a tapestry woven with authentic stories that echo in the hearts of thousands.

This odyssey began as a labyrinth, much like the tangled thoughts that dance in the recesses of the mind. Journaling, it turns out, is a journey within – a maze that unravels, leading the seeker to profound self-knowledge and growth. My vulnerabilities found a voice, and authenticity became my guiding light. 

It was my dear friend Gail who urged me to share my musings with the wide world on the internet, and this has turned into the blessing of my life. While you may not wish to share your innermost thoughts and plans online, I urge you to consider journaling and planning all the same. 

There’s something about putting pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard that forces you to slow down and wade through your thoughts. We are all different — thank God for that! So, I’ve researched and found journals and planners to suit all types.

 

HARDCOVER bloom daily planners 2024 Calendar Year Day Planner

SETTINI Journals for Writing – Black Bee Journal

Planners and Journals for the Ultra Organized

2024 Amy Knapp’s The Very Busy Planner: 17-Month Weekly Organizer for Women

Clever Fox Planner PRO Schedule – Undated Weekly & Monthly Life Planner

Picture this: a planner that’s not just a keeper of dates but a maestro orchestrating your daily rhythm. The Super Organized Planner, a virtuoso in its own right, boasts structured layouts, hourly breakdowns, and meticulous to-do lists. It transforms chaos into a harmonious melody, ensuring no note is missed in the symphony of your day.

Paired with this virtuoso planner is the companion in contemplation – The Super Organized Journal. As you bask in the satisfaction of checked boxes and completed tasks, this journal becomes the canvas for your introspective strokes.

 

The Intuitive Planner & Journal Set

The 6-Minute Diary | 6 Minutes a Day for More Mindfulness, Happiness and Productivity (This one is VERY well-rated combo journal and planner.)
2024 Planner for Women: 12 Months of Weekly + Monthly Calendars (I love that this one also has beautiful coloring pages which are SO calming!)

This duo isn’t just a stationery; it’s a celebration of living in the moment. The Intuitive Planner understands the ebb and flow of life, offering a canvas for your plans without chaining you to rigid structures. It’s a gentle nudge, not a stern directive, inviting you to sketch the outline of your day without stifling the magic of spontaneity.

The journal is your confidante in the journey of the unplanned. Its pages are a sanctuary for thoughts that bloom unexpectedly, a space to pen down the serendipities that color your world. No constraints, no rules – just an open invitation to pour your heart onto the pages.

 

The Minimalist Planner & Journal Set

The Journal & Daily Planner 365 Days of Planning For Minimalist

Eccolo Medium Lined Journal Notebook, Hardbound Cover

If you’re the type who believes in the mantra “organized chaos,” then these are your ideal companions. Designed for those who appreciate simplicity and functionality, this set cuts through the clutter and gets straight to the point.

 

Journals and Planners That Go With the Flow

ONE DAY AT A TIME Daily Plan To-Do List Notebook with To-Do List, Dot Grid, Priority Tasks, Gratitude, Hourly, Undated, 160 Pages

JUMPING FOX DESIGN Premium A5 Lined Journal Hardcover Notebook

For those who thrive on spontaneity and adaptability, The “Go with the Flow” Planner & Journal Set is tailored to your lifestyle. This set is all about embracing the unexpected and finding joy in the flexibility of each day.

The “Go with the Flow” Planner is designed with open spaces and adaptable sections, allowing you to customize your schedule as life unfolds. No strict timelines or rigid structures – just a framework that respects the ebb and flow of your ever-changing priorities.

Journal and Plan Your Best Year Yet

One pivotal lesson etched into the pages of my journal is the realization that learning is ageless. Beyond the comfort zone of familiarity, beyond the fears that echo in the corridors of doubt, lies a realm of endless possibilities. I learned this after 60, proving that desire, consistency, optimism, and a fearless approach to life can open doors to new beginnings.

Today, after a decade of daily journaling, I stand as my own shrink. My journal has been a companion through highs and lows, unveiling the richness of my life – a mosaic of relationships, joys, sorrows, and lessons learned. It transformed chaos into order, denial into acceptance, and confusion into clarity.

Together, let’s celebrate the authenticity that journaling unveils, the certainty that planning brings, and the joy of discovering ourselves, one word at a time. Hear my roar, and let the journey into our best year yet begin!

My published book is a journal and if you are a grandmother, it would be a wonderful way to begin the incredible journey of journaling. Get Stories for My Grandchild: A Grandmother’s Journal, here.

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