Quo Vadis Journal 21

I have been an admirer of Quo Vadis planners for a while now.  While I had not purchased any planners or notebooks from them, I perused the options often.  I love the way a bound planner looks and how it works for so many people.  For me, for my planner, only rings will do.  I love the versatility and flexibility rings provide when it comes to planning my days.  However, I do love the look of the Quo Vadis Journal 21.  I love the large open space of each day.  I love the timed slots.  I love the potential that comes with this book.

Some time in late summer, I bought a 2017 Journal 21 to try out, thinking I might like to use it as a planner for 2018, just to try something different.  Upon arrival, I promptly moved in, copying all of my appointments and tasks over.  And before I was finished, I knew it wasn’t going to work for me.  Sadly, I left the 2017 Journal 21 mostly unused.

That didn’t stop me from entering the Journal 21 giveaway Quo Vadis ran in September, however.  I figured, if I can make this work for me, it’s worth a shot.  So I entered.  And surprisingly, I was one of many winners!

I was able to choose a Journal 21 with the Club cover of my choice.  I chose Turquoise.

The color reminds me of the water in Turks & Caicos, one of my favorite places!  And the great thing about the Club cover is that it’s removable, so when I’m done with 2018, I can put my 2019 planner right in!

I was so excited to win!  (I don’t often win giveaways and raffles and the like.)

One thought did niggle at my brain though: what would I use it for, seeing as using it as a planner just wasn’t going to work for me.  

After some thinking, and after some research, and after looking at the kinds of information and/or inspiration I work on, I came up with a solution.

Gratitude lists and inspirational quotes

Strictly speaking, this is a planner.  But like most planners and notebooks, there is no one set way to use it.  So I turned this planner into a gratitude list and inspirational quotes book.

I started by adding a photo print-out of a quote that really speaks to me, mainly because so far, it has been true.

This set the tone for both my year and my book.

At the front of the Journal 21, there is a semi-annual planner that allows you to do some quick forward planning.

After that comes the monthly planner section, putting one month to a page.

Then comes the individual days.  I start by writing down 3 items of gratitude.

Then, I choose 3 quotes from my photo collection of quotes.

(During the day, I screenshot any quotes I come across that I like, mostly found on Facebook and Instagram.  At the end of the day, I choose three and email them to myself to print out and use for this purpose.  Currently, I have over 1,000 quotes saved to choose from.)

Once I have printed my 3 quotes for the day, I put them in my book.

Usually, it doesn’t matter which quote I use for which day, unless something specific really resonated with me based on something that happened on a particular day.  In that case, I would choose that quote.

I used to just write the quotes I found.  But I started to really appreciate the backgrounds and layouts I found them on and so started to incorporate that.  However, there are still times when I’ll come across a quote that doesn’t have a background, or has one that I don’t like.  In those cases, I will write the quote down and choose only 2 printed quotes to include.

So that’s how I’m using my Journal 21.  It’s not too complex, and maybe not too exciting to anyone but me.  But it’s something I look forward to doing at the end of each day (or the next morning if I don’t get to it at night).

And the Journal 21 makes finding your current page a breeze with their cut out corners.

As an aside, if you haven’t looked at the Quo Vadis blog, I urge you to do so, especially if you’re a writer or planner in any capacity.  They offer a ton of writing and journaling ideas and prompts, as well as time management tips.  In addition, they post descriptions and reviews of their products.  And, the blog is run by Philofaxy’s own Laurie, writer at Plannerisms.

This year is all about transformation for me, and my Gratitude/Inspiration book is helping me do just that.  

While I adore it, I don’t know if I will use the Journal 21 for my 2019 gratitude list and inspirational quotes, but I do know that I will be purchasing one, even if I have to come up with a new use for it then.  

If you’re looking for a timed daily layout with lots of space, a monthly spread included, and smooth paper, look no further!

Thank you to Laurie and to Quo Vadis for offering the giveaway!