The Day Book System

How to Use The Day Book System

Buy three medium sized notebooks.  I like Moleskine because of the simple covers and slim size. They come in both ruled or plain paper options, which can be used for either writing or sketching. Here’s what the publisher has to say about Moleskine:

‘Moleskine is the legendary notebook used by European artists and thinkers for the past two centuries, from Van Gogh to Picasso, from Ernest Hemingway to Bruce Chatwin. This trusty, pocket-size travel companion held sketches, notes, stories and ideas before they were turned into famous images or pages of beloved books.’

 
Moleskine Ruled Cahier Journal Kraft Large: set of 3 Ruled Journals

I like the romanticism of all that, but any notebook will do. Here’s a formula for deciding what to buy:

• If you are mobile and like to keep your Day Book with you then medium size is best.
• If you prefer to keep your Day Book at home you could choose a larger letter format, or even a ring binder set up in three sections.

Whatever system you choose initially will probably develop as you progress. The type of Day Book you choose to set up will also depend on the way you write. Tiny, neat handwriting or loose, energetic scrawl, writing with many annotations and side notes or even illustrations. Be prepared to let your creativity take over as you progress. It will!

The three notebook system I suggest is as follows:

Day Book One

Here’s where you write freely every day. Write without stopping to consider the syntax or to search for clever metaphor. Write as you would speak.

Find out more about how to develop your journal practice with free writing in Start a Journal.

Day Book Two

Use this book to record goals, directions, life maps, image work and aspirations you need to confirm and review regularly. From experience I’ve found that it’s better to separate these forward projections from the here and now of Day Book One.

Day Book Three

This Day Book will contain the considered reflections of what has surfaced in Day Book One and Two and based on the principles you have read, recorded and accepted from the Resources.

The Resources are guidelines for dealing with whatever arises in Day Book One and Day Book Two. They are not essential to The Day Book process of creativity and self-guidance but are intended to provide a reference to a model of wisdom and morality that has been developed and successfully practised throughout history.

Using The Day Book Resources

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