10-Year Journals: A Year in Review

Previously on the Endpaper Blog’s 10-Year Journal Real-Life Stories

• Don’t Miss a Moment: 10-Year Journals are Here!
• 10-Year Journals: Tips and Tricks for Recording Your Decade!
• 10-Year Journals: FREE Milestone Booklets are Here!
• 10-Year Journals: The Perfect Gift For New Parents 
• 10-Year Journals: Take Your Memory Book to the Next Level!
• 10-Year Journals: Watch Your Love Grow with Our New Relationship Booklet

My first year as a 10-Year Journaller officially came to a close on February 24th, as I eagerly marked off my one-year anniversary and looked forward to filling in the second entry spot on each page. So, what did I learn?

1) What Seems Simple Isn’t Always

If you have messed up filling in your 10-Year Journal, have no shame. I am right there with you – and I’m supposed to be the “expert” journaller! More than once over the year I found myself having to bring out the liquid paper and backtrack a few days (even weeks, in one instance) when I accidentally got ahead of myself or forgot about the leap year. It happens. Don’t sweat it! In fact, if you can have some fun with fixing up the mistake, you may give your future self a good laugh when filling in that page in the years to come!

2) Accomplishing a Goal Feels Great

This may seem obvious, as the whole point of having a goal is accomplishing it. However, I find that so often in life we neglect to mark these milestones and simply mentally check off one thing on the list before moving on to the next. Without noting your success, achieving something just doesn’t seem as sweet. So the one part of my Adult Milestone Booklet that I have especially appreciated is the Goals Tracker. Writing down the things I want to achieve before the decade is up keeps me mindful of my dreams, and actually marking down the date of success offers not only a pat on the back but further inspiration to keep striving!

3) Re-reading Past Entries is a Blast

The good news is, re-reading past entries is every bit as fascinating as I had hoped it would be. The bad news is, you actually have to be consistent about filling it in to get the full effect! There have been a few periods over the year when I fell behind in my entries, and the ones I had to fill in by memory are not nearly as interesting as the ones filled in as they happened. So I guess that’s not really bad news – it’s just another great excuse to journal daily!

4) The 10-Year Journal is What You Make It

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been keeping two different 10-Year Journals this year: one at work and a “relationship” one at home. It’s been interesting to note how essentially the same product has become two entirely different personal items, just based on the milestone booklets selected and where I choose to write my entries.

Whether you are using your 10-Year Journal as an intimate look at a loving relationship, a way to keep track of your family’s growth and milestones or simply a daily agenda or writing exercise, the beauty of these books is that you will get out of them whatever you put in. There are no expectations, other than those you set for yourself, so there is no pressure to fill it in “correctly.” Just go ahead and write down whatever you’re moved to say – and you will have an entirely unique keepsake that captures a snapshot of a decade of your life.

Happy Journalling!

About Paperblanks^®: At Paperblanks, we believe that art should have a place in all aspects of life. That’s why we follow the artist’s way in everything we do – creating, crafting and releasing designs we believe have the power to touch people. For more about Paperblanks, go to our website at paperblanks.com.