A Tale of Two Journals

We made a list, my health coach and I. Where could I find the community that would support me in an empowering life change journey? Might I join a healthy eating food club? Affirming that the world is indeed a small place, we decided that we had once been, so very long ago, involved in the same vegetarian food club which featured a prize for the best dish. I still prepare the potato recipe that was once declared a winner. 

I've already committed to a group that will select an ethnic cuisine, find recipes, and make a shared trip to the market to purchase ingredients. We'll prepare the meal in one kitchen and invite our husbands to join us in eating. I don't need another eating experience. Food club experience - cross it off the list.

Our list had several other items. The one thing that made me almost squirm with eagerness was a return to blogging about my experiences, not to have an audience, but to have a place to process and reflect on steps I'm taking to be joyous and healthy.

And so, tonight I post once again to my blog, committing to two or three posts per week. The two journals of this post's title? They also came up in today's health coaching session as an answer to how I could record celebrations. 

For two years, I was quite faithful to bullet journaling. I made and recorded meal plans, achievements, books I'd read, movies I'd seen, and more. This year I decided that I hadn't planned the pages of my composition book in an orderly manner so I thought graph paper in a three-ring binder would satisfy my need for organization. Book lists (I've been recording books since 2007) would all appear in the same section. All meal plans could come together. I could create a superior bullet journal!

Alas my high expectations did not match my relaxed style. I seldom opened my binder bullet journal. I felt guilty every time I looked at the stack of graph paper I had purchased for the purpose, a grim reminder of good intentions gone bad.

Health coaching aha moment - pack the paper and joyfully deliver to the thrift store. Someone else will appreciate my donation. Return to the dog-eared composition book that gave me so much pleasure. There are empty pages that await joyous plans, hopes, and celebrations.