Buying an overpriced notebook changed my life

And a simple system that can change yours as well

Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash

Two years ago, I was sitting in a park with a friend, catching up after the quarantine. We were talking about the things we’d been up to in the past few years and things we were looking forward to. She told me about this expensive drop-shipping course she had bought, and this new product-hunting method this course was teaching. I remember laughing at it, telling her how these courses were a scam, how all the information was available for free on YouTube, and how the methods that were being taught were outdated. She looked at me, raised an eyebrow, and asked If I knew so much, why don’t I have a drop-shipping business — or any business, for that matter?

She then reminded me of the multiple business and SaaS ideas I had come up with over the years and how none of them existed. She made me realize how I had never actually worked on any of them. “Even if the course is packed with basic free information, at least I’d have a mentor to hold me accountable, and since I have invested so much money, I’ll feel the pressure to take action, I won't just sit idle and let my ideas collect dust,” she said.

Everything she said felt like a slap across my face.

I had always been ambitious, and had always dreamt of success — but I was way more lazy than ambitious. I had spent so many years thinking about all the things I wanted to do, but I never actually took action. I was wasting time with all these half-formed ideas. It was not like I was not trying, but it felt like I had no control over myself.

Yay! ADHD.

One thing that I wanted to do was journaling. I was convinced that once I committed to it, my life would turn around. I was sure that it would hold me accountable and would help me focus on my goals. I knew that it would help me get my thoughts organized and better understand myself and my vision for me to start taking action.

The problem? I’d tried before. I had bought multiple notebooks, but they always ended up collecting dust. It was easy to start, but much harder to keep going. That day, What my friend said stuck with me: Since I have invested so much money, I’ll feel the pressure to take action.

I thought that maybe if I’ll too pay through the nose, I’d start to journal consistently. Sounds silly, I know, but the next thing I knew, I was standing in an expensive store buying a $30 notebook. $30 may not sound like a lot, but in my country, that could cover half a month’s rent. It was a big deal. And now that I had spent so much, I couldn’t just let it sit on a shelf like my other notebooks. The pressure was there.

I had to use it somehow.

To my surprise, the same day, I watched a few videos on journaling and researched some helpful prompts. In the past, I’d waste days building the perfect journaling system and then never actually follow through. This time, however, the discomfort of not taking action was worse than just starting.

I started by writing whatever came to my mind. For the most part, I’d write about how my day went, the good and the bad. Then I started to write and reflect on different areas of my life. In a few days, it had built into a system that helped me keep going and growing.

Just by starting and sticking with it, two years later, I am a better human. I am flourishing in multiple areas of my life and have built for myself a profitable freelance business. While I no longer use expensive notebooks, the system I created has stayed with me. Over time, it has been refined significantly.

So if any of this resonates with you, and you are also struggling to follow through, this simple journaling system might be just what you need to get your life on track.

Step 1: Start with a Life Audit

Doing a life audit was a game-changer for me, and I continue to do one every few months. Here’s what a life audit looks like:

• Divide your life into different areas: For example, finances, health, relationships, career, personal growth, etc.
• Assess where you are in each area: What’s working and what isn’t? Be honest with yourself.
• Identify the gap: Compare where you are right now to where you want to be in each area of your life. What are the differences? What’s stopping you from reaching your ideal self?
• Create a plan: Think of 3 actionable steps you can take daily to minimize the gap in each area. Then, focus on just one area at a time for the next 3 months. This will prevent overwhelm and keep you from spreading yourself too thin.

Step 2: Daily Journaling Prompts

After doing the life audit, I started using these simple prompts to keep me accountable and help me track my progress. These prompts have kept me focused.

Morning Prompts:

1. 3 things I am grateful for: This helps you start your day with a positive mindset and puts you in the right frame of mind to take on challenges.
2. 3 daily affirmations: Affirmations are a powerful tool to rewire your thinking and align your actions with your goals. At least one of your three affirmations should be about the area you are focusing on, in those three months. For example, if your area of focus is your finances and your goal is to make $10k/month, you could write something like: I am financially secure. I am consistently earning $10k a month. Money flows to me freely and easily. I deserve all the success I have in my life. This puts you in the mindset of your goal, rather than just hoping for it.
3. Intention of the day: What’s the one thing you want to focus on today that will bring you closer to your end goal? By setting a clear intention, you’re making an active decision about where to direct your energy. This clarity makes it easier to stay on track, and the focused action you take helps create momentum.
4. How can I make today better than yesterday?: This challenges you to reflect on your past actions and how you can improve. Maybe you could have been more productive, taken better care of your health, or improved a relationship. It prevents you from staying stuck in complacency and pushes you to always be looking for ways to do better, even if they are small improvements.

Night Prompts:

1. 3 amazing things that happened today: Reflecting on the positives helps you end your day with a sense of accomplishment, no matter how small the wins may seem. It helps you end the day on a high note and acknowledge your wins.
2. How could I have made today even better?: A quick self-reflection that helps you learn from your mistakes and think about how to improve tomorrow.
3. What did I learn today?: This encourages growth and self-awareness. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, and journaling about it helps solidify those lessons.

These prompts are simple, but they are powerful. They force you to take action, stay focused, and hold yourself accountable. They also give you the space to reflect on your growth, which keeps you motivated and on track.

The system worked. I finally stuck with journaling and started taking control of my life. I also realized that the price of the notebook didn't matter. I simply needed to take action and build a system that made sense for me along the way.

So if you’re also feeling stuck, I’d say: just start. Use my system if it resonates with you — it worked for me. Or simply start by writing about your day. You’ll build your magical system along the way.

Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time — Harry S Truman

By the way, I still think that drop-shipping courses are a scam. If you want to connect or just say hi, feel free to reach out! You can email me at: tayybawrites21@gmail.com.