Barry

If You Use More than One Journal, You’re Asking for Trouble

April 6, 2017 by Barry 2 Comments

This is how I feel when maintaining more than one Zen-Journal.

If you’re in that camp, you need help

One of my favorite bloggers wrote a while back week that she was using a Midori Traveler’s Notebook for journaling and my reaction surprised me.

It made me cringe.

It’s the same reaction I have when I read about people having one notebook for their personal life and another for their career/work. When I read that blog post I felt disappointed inside, as if she were suddenly an addict who started using again. How could she? (My best guess is that she’s experimenting after years of solo journaling.)

Before I start getting unsubscribes and hate comments (kidding, you are free to disagree with me…I’m used to it…I used to be married), I don’t deny anyone the right to use whatever notebook they choose. [Read more…] about If You Use More than One Journal, You’re Asking for Trouble

7 Tips for Using Your Zen-Journal for More Mindful Life Planning

April 6, 2017 by Barry 2 Comments

7 Tips for getting the most from your Zen-Journal

Here’s a quick list of my top ten tips for using the Zen-Journal system for more mindful life planning:

Tip 1 – Everyone needs to have, and know how to use, a system such as Zen-Journal

I consider it my mission to spread the word about Zen-Journal not only because as I created it, but as I’ve used it I’ve become aware of how superior it is for those who want a more mindful life management system.

Zen-Journal is far more than a planner. Its benefits lie in its simplicity and adaptability. If you want to mindfully manage your life without your management tool getting in the way, Zen-Journal is perfect.

Mindfulness is the moment-to-moment awareness of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what your intent is. Zen-Journal, with its twice daily mindfulness reviews, helps bring more purpose to your daily planning.

Tip 2 – Buy a pen/pencil and notebook that you love

Zen-Journal’s main appeal is that you can work with what you’ve got on hand. No more spending hundreds of dollars on fancy leather binders with an odd number of rings that fit nothing else but the planner…unless you want to. If you prefer a No. 2 pencil like my friend Susan does, Zen-Journal can work for you, too.

Zen-Journal’s secret sauce is in its use, not its appearance. What it looks like, feels like, or how decorative it is has no bearing on its function. That being said, I’ve seen some lovely personalizations on Pinterest to how other use notebooks using decorative tape and artwork.

However it’s important to understand that just because some bloggers who write about other paper and pen systems using fancy calligraphy or entire palettes of colored pens and markers, doesn’t mean that’s what the system requires.

Zen-Journal is about helping you plan your days, months, and life in a mindful manner and is more focused on getting things done than looking like a framable piece of art. [Read more…] about 7 Tips for Using Your Zen-Journal for More Mindful Life Planning

Zen-Journal’s Simple Format Provides Surprising Depth

March 24, 2017 by Barry Leave a Comment

My Zen-Journal, currently a LEUCHTTURM1917 notebook, helps me live a life with more intention, less clutter, and more depth.

A simple format fits my personality

As a Practical Buddhist, I follow the Buddha’s eight-fold path for living. The second aspect of the eight-fold path involves holding the appropriate intention. Intention can be thought of as that which undergirds our actions. So, you might say that if I hold the appropriate intention, my actions will also be appropriate. At least that’s the goal.

My Zen-Journal is very simple in its organization. Each day’s entry begins with a heading that includes the date, the day of the week, and sometimes a little note about the significance of the day. I don’t use any decorative tapes or colored pencils because they get in my way and delay my progress into planning.

For some, the artistic approach to their planning system totally fits their personality. I’ve seen some beautifully illustrated notebooks on Pinterest and elsewhere. But for me and my personality, simple works best. I’m about getting things done in a mindful but natural way. [Read more…] about Zen-Journal’s Simple Format Provides Surprising Depth

The Top 5 Benefits of Becoming a Zen-Journal User

March 23, 2017 by Barry Leave a Comment

Benefit #1: Getting More Hours In Your Day*

*OK, that’s mathematically impossible because of the space-time continuum thing…but that’s what it feels like. As a kid, your mom probably told you that if you get your homework done immediately after school, you’d have more free time to play video games or go outside and climb trees or whatever you did outside.

It’s the same principle coming back to bite/reward you (depending how well you listened to Mom). By understanding and implementing a solid set-up of your Zen-Journal, you’ll develop the skills to rapidly organize your life and commitments.

When you have all your ducks-in-a-row, so to speak, you’ll have more time to spend on the things that matter most. You know, like climbing trees, reading to your kids, or playing more Halo. (I’ve never played…just trying to be cool.. 🙄 )

Benefit #2: Finally Feeling In Control

The Pen Beats the Keyboard ~ Why Using a Handwritten Zen-Journal Will Make You Smarter and More Competitive

March 23, 2017 by Barry Leave a Comment

The phone and tablet have their places, but the pen and pencil are a more mindful instruments.

“If you want to start retaining more information, stop using your laptop or tablet.”

That’s not just some a suggestion from a guy who think’s Zen-Journal is a cool productivity tool, (hey, that rhymes) it’s what research studies are proving from looking at the topic of student/user productivity and retention of information.

Pam A. Mueller (Princeton University) and Daniel M. Oppenheimer (University of California, Los Angeles), studied this topic and published a paper in 2014 in the journal, Psychological Science that presented their findings when studying the effects of digital versus manual technologies for college / university students.

The results of their study and others suggest that laptop note taking, while faster and more user-friendly, isn’t as effective a system for retaining information and processing information. In fact, three separate studies found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. [Read more…] about The Pen Beats the Keyboard ~ Why Using a Handwritten Zen-Journal Will Make You Smarter and More Competitive