“Anything can be a beginning, as long as you call it one,” this quote from Exley is on the first page of my first bullet journal and one of the few book quotes that I know by heart. When I started bullet journalling in 2016, I knew it was intimately going to be linked to reading and blogging. If you don’t know about this kind of journaling, it’s ok. What I am going to talk about in this post applies to hobbies in general, I will just use journaling and reading as examples through which I have learned what I am sharing today about continuing a practice, no matter how busy our lives get.
Journaling is like reading: there are so many books out there, all shapes, sizes and stories, and I am never going to lack books to read, just time to read them all. I have tracked reading as part of my journaling practice and I have learned a lot from both. Ryder Carroll, the founder of the bullet journal, shared a recent video about getting back into the practice. It is a wonderful reminder of how we can continue to keep hobbies that we love in our lives, even during the busy times. Why we do what we do, our intention for picking something up, how we can continue to keep up with the things we love are aspects that I am continuously working on. Both journaling and reading have taught me a lot and in this post, I want to share how those practices have evolved with changes in life.
Knowing myself helps a lot.
When it’s been a busy week and I am 4 days into the month with no time to do my monthly set up, I am physically and mentally exhausted and the thought of sitting down to write anything in my journal feels like trying to push a boulder that I cannot move. It’s not fun and a practice that I want to keep should not feel this way.
When this happens, I have learned to ask myself what I can do to keep going. Is missing 4 days of daily spreads ok? Are the things I was tracking last month still important to me? Reevaluating and reconnecting with myself on why something matters gives me the needed energy to want to do it again.
Sometimes to keep habits, we have to change them slightly, and I take this opportunity to do it a different way.
How it applies to reading: Some days, I don’t pick up the book at all. When days turn into weeks and I feel like I am missing this key hobby I love, I try thinking of what would get me excited again. Little things like trying out a book that I have always wanted to, going back to one I have loved, are small ways in which I keep reading. Even spending time looking through the books I have is a way in which I read! I re-familiarize myself with titles I was intrigued by and have kept in my library.
Not letting how I have done things stop me from trying new things.
I recently started audio journaling! The thought of recording myself speaking (and at some point in the future listening to myself write it all down because I definitely need to document in words what I said!) was unsettling but I took that with a bit of a challenge. Speaking out loud is a lot more uncensored than writing or typing. Erasing is too hard. Who knows what that will be like?
I learned that the way I chronicle doesn’t always have to be set in stone. Writing to typing to speaking are all the same in general – I am noting my thoughts, to-do lists, impressions, events of the day somewhere. The days I did not have the energy to write much but I had a lot to process, I would just sit and talk to myself.
And because I did it once and loved it, I went back to it and now it belongs in my toolkit of how to journal. Any way I want. When I find a new way, why not try it? Old ones are true and tested, they will always be there.
How it applies to reading: I generally tend to read more physical books. There is just something about them! Switching up the format from physical books to audiobooks to ebooks (one can argue that it is the story more than the medium itself) helps me give reading momentum.
When I want to give my eyes a rest, I pick up audiobooks. The other night, I started listening to Strange the Dreamer, one of my favourite books! It felt amazing to be transported to a world that I loved spending time in a few years ago when I read the physical book.
When I want access to all my titles, I carry around my Kindle.
When I was to be immersed in just one story, I read a physical book.
There is a time for each of the formats and learning to identify which one will keep me most engaged is something I am always experimenting with.
Developing soft boundaries.
I have set many personal goals related to journalling: having a page for each day, making a new page for every book I read, adding an art work for every book I read, selecting a quote for every month. Mostly, I don’t have a problem keeping up but when life is busy and there isn’t time to dedicate to these things, I feel bad about being behind on the path I set for myself.
Words like ‘every’, ‘each’ set hard boundaries. They set us up for failure. They don’t leave room for change. They aren’t the intention with which we started a practice – they are supposedly the motivations to keep the momentum going.
I have learned that ultimately, the intention is all that matters. When I love something, I do it. How much I do is irrelevant. When life is busy and I am not able to keep up, I have to take some time to recenter. I have to figure out if my earlier set goals still make sense or if they need adjusting. Maybe I need to be goal free for some time.
What will make me feel the happiest? Based on this moment right now, how I feel in my shoes this second.
How it applies to reviewing: As a reviewer and blogger, I learn about books people are writing every day! When I first set up my form, I would answer every single review and collaboration request I got. I realized that it was not sustainable. I had wanted to find good books and make solid connections with authors, and that wasn’t the same as replying to every email. Coming back to the intention has helped me spend time where I want to – finding authors I am able to make meaningful connections with.
How it applies to reading: I did away with the 100 books a year goal when I knew I could reach it. I decided to keep track of what I was reading every month and realized I can easily do 8-10 books if things are good and free time is ample on my hands. When I read 3-5, I know there are other things on my mind and those have to be tackled before I can read. I read whenever I can. Even if I don’t finish a book in a month, if I spent some time reading, I was true to my intention to discover new perspectives and worlds through books.
Being kind to myself is a practice.
In my six years of having a bullet journal and three years of tracking my reading and reviewing, I have gone through many periods of bursts and lulls. Days when my journal and books have been my best friends and others when I didn’t want to touch either. In the beginning, I would feel worse on the bad days. ‘2 books behind schedule’ on Goodreads would make me antsy. I wasn’t doing something that I had said was important.
It’s not about being perfect or reaching a goal I set a month ago.
Life changes.
Having a hobby is about enjoying it – every moment we get with it. My practice will evolve but it will never cease. I will just have to find new ways to practice when I need a change. 🙂
That goes for bullet journaling.
That goes for reading.
Today, I have shared some of things I have learned from journaling, reading and observing myself. They all influence each other. It’s a work in progress and in talking to friends, I know many of us feel like this for some thing or another at some point. I have decided to share with you as I continue my journey to be kind to myself when it comes to my hobbies. Whether you are an avid reader, planner, or blogger, if there is anything we have in common, I hope some of my words bring you calmness and things to ponder should you want to.
This blog and books are very important to me. I love sharing about books and there is more to how I have learned to be ok with how much I read, the kind of books I pick, the stories I love.
I want to explore all that with you.
Maybe the ‘book’ in ‘Armed with A Book’ is the physical manifestation of stories.
Stories are not just in books though.
Life, TV, video games… They are all stories.
I want to bring those to you.
What’s something you love coming back to, a practice that’s an important part of your life? What is it at its core?
Tell me in the comments, or email me at kriti.khare@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!
Cover image: Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash
I love the sentence: “When I love something, I do it. How much I do it is irrelevant.” I think sometimes our hobbies define us (to ourselves) and if we’re not doing The Thing We Love then that means something’s wrong with us. Sometimes it does, sure, but sometimes as you say we just need to switch it up. Often even when I’m enjoying a book, I can’t get in the mood to read it but I feel like I’m “failing” if I pick up a different book instead, intending to come back to the first one. It’s a hard feeling to get past. Glad to know others struggle with it too. 🙂
Yes, I have felt that way and it has taken time to be ok with taking a month to read one book and 2 days to read another. Thanks for reading my post, Stephanie, it means a lot to me!
I used to do big bullet journal spreads for every month. But like you said, it started feeling like work. I dreaded having to do it. I got myself a good planner so the days are already set up but with plenty of space for writing, doodling or stickers. So much happier!
That is great! 🙂