Too Good Not to Share*

In these very unusual days, I’ve heard it advised that we should all be keeping a record of how we’re spending our time. No doubt, these weeks we’re passing will become the stuff of Remember When stories and history books; so if you haven’t already, you best get to writing. And might I recommend that you do your writing in an Exacompta desk journal?

My first Exacompta desk journal was a birthday gift in 1999. I’ve always found it so intimidating to write on the first page of a new journal that I didn’t write in this one until 2004 — sad, but true — and I gave the whole journal a title on that page: A Spiritual Journal. That was a mistake. I wrote in it almost never, and 13 years later it temporarily became a dream journal. Then, I used it as a notebook for a meditation class I took about a year ago, before finally committing, on my birthday last October to journaling every day. And I have, and the journal was full by the end of January. Since the original gift included a lovely blue leather cover, I was overjoyed to discover that after so many years this journal is still available for purchase, so I ordered myself three new ones — about enough for 12 months if I continue as I had been going. 

At about 5 ½” x 8”, the Exacompta desk journal (9931)* is a convenient size to carry along to the coffee shop, once we can get out again. The most exciting feature, though, is that these books are sewn and bound, so the pages lay open flat but will never fall out or become loose. This journal also has a narrow striped ribbon, making it no big deal to find the next clean page to begin that day’s writing. Each of the 100 sheets (200 pages, then) is acid-free vellum paper that keeps ink from feathering and pencil marks from smudging away. My Exacompta desk journal has a brown cover with gold-edged paper, but you may also find them with black covers and silver-edged paper.

I also enjoy the wide rule (⅜”) lines; first, because there is room to rewrite little bits or make corrections above each line if I’m writing something for eyes other than my own; and second, because it doesn’t take long to fill a page. Most days my morning journaling is only about one of these pages, but if I get going it’s easy to fill five or six pages. Then I feel like I’ve really done something. 

I paid $16 for each journal at https://www.wetpaintart.com/exacompta-basics-8×5-5-lined-tan.html

*Note: Exacompta also makes a 5”x 7” forum journal that has more pages for the price, however, I cannot attest to its features. Also, for those who remember my Monk Manual post, I write in both my Monk Manual and my Exacompta journal every morning.

*Too Good Not to Share posts are just because I love to share things that have made a difference in my life, with the hope they may make a difference in someone else’s. I am not compensated in any way, nor do I guarantee that others will have the same positive experience with these products.