There are infinite ways to keep a journal.

My inner compliance officer wants to settle on a system and set of materials that are constant. An unchanging methodology that acts as an analogue anchor in storm-whipped digital seas. Instead, my inner child recognises the never-ending variety that paper, pens and pencils have to offer.

For more than a year, I used intention pages in my gorgeous William Hannah, while I maintained a corporate "scratch book" in a variety of A5 notebooks. Hungry for a freer form, I migrated everything into one volume. Bullet journalling became journalling, with my morning thoughts bleeding into a to-do list for the day. I was revelling in glorious graphite, pulling random pencils from the box, luxuriating in velvety black lines across the page. The consumption of the pencils as they were reduced to golf-pencil size and thrown in the golf bag felt righteous in a weird way.

Fellow stationery nerds are familiar with my current feelings. I turned to page 216 of my Rhodia Goalbook this morning. Only a few more leaves until I crash up against partially filled back pages where lists live. What's next?

The question needs answering on multiple levels.

What will I change in my journaling habit? Will I maintain the same habit trackers? Add new ones? Abandon them all together? Morning pages or evening reviews? Perhaps both? Shall I adopt some prompts? How about writing implements? More pencils? Finalisers and rollerballs? A fountain pen? The answer to these questions will inform the next decision - what type of book? What paper? What size? Far from being a chore, the exercise is a pleasure in itself, particularly, if like me, you are sitting on a load of stock from a now closed stationery store.

Method

I have been tracking three habits, in the simplest way - X means I did it, a blank space means I didn't. One of them is Meditation - where I now have a 500+ day streak. I'm not sure I need to track this any more. Likewise the other two, alcohol-free days and exercise. I enjoyed the Daily Stoic, where I would read the entry for the day, and jot a thought on it. I have replicated the habit with the Daily Laws by Robert Greene, but I'm struggling still. I will continue, but I reserve the right to rethink at the end of Q1. I'm about halfway through my 90 day alcohol-free challenge, and each day, I watch a short video and make a note. That will continue. Likewise "-G", my shorthand for a gratitude note. I'm often surprised anew by how good expressing gratitude makes me feel. "-W" is my Whoop note, where I make an observation on my sleep and recovery scores, which helps me stay focused.

I would like to add an evening element to my journal, in an effort to help me close down the day - to give my mind permission to log off, as it were.

Writing Tool

It's time to get a pen in my hand. A fountain pen. I will use lots of them, in rotation. As the ink runs out, I'll fill another pen with a different ink and carry on. Why? Why not? A favourite nib with a favourite ink on sympathetic paper is a joy. I can be writing the date and still get a frisson of pleasure.

Paper

I want the journal to go on my desk, and to travel with me to the kitchen table. Out and about I'll have a pocket notebook for quick capture. So, size is not an issue. Paper quality is - many of my pens have broad nibs, and I like my ink to flow. This eliminates some of my stock, but still allows for plenty. I have Tomoe River, Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Smythson, and Leuchhtturm1917 120gsm, all of which pair with ink.

Choice

I'm in my Lochby Field Journal, loaded with a couple of Lochby dot grid refills and a cahier from Pebble. All of those are Tomoe River paper, and at least a few years old, so the "good stuff". I haven't kept up with all the ins and outs of the new Tomoe River: I assume things have settled down now, but the old stuff is nirvana for a fountain pen user. I'm back with inky fingers and loving it. As of now, I'm just writing my morning notes in the front book, with no special plan for alternate uses for the other refills.