mindfulness – zen BLITZ

How to Use Novelty to Feel More Alive Every Day

Routines Are Great…Until They’re Not

Routines can be sacred. Especially if you’re a homeschooling parent, productivity junkie, or even just trying to survive.

But even the most solid system can become a cage if you never step outside of it – “Don’t let your rituals become ruts”.

Novelty Slows Down Time

While structure is great, so is knowing when to burn it down for a day or two.

I was reminded by Ali Abdaal’s “Holiday Paradox” video that our sense of time flies by when every day looks the same because our brains switch into autopilot.

But when you experience something new, your brain takes more mental “snapshots”, making time feel longer, fuller, richer.

“Life is long if you know how to use it.” – Seneca

Give Your Brain a Jolt (On Purpose)

Schedule regular adventures, & treat them like an appointment you’ll get arrested for if you miss.

You don’t have to get too crazy or too rigid about it – it could be a random Tuesday hike, working from a grocery store cafe, or even a spontaneous dance party in the kitchen.

The point is to get weird on purpose. Let your brain break the pattern. Novelty naturally makes you more creative, resilient, & present.

The Power of a “Fuck It” Day

I’ve mentioned my “Do Nothing Days” before – once a week, I give myself full permission to say “fuck it” to my whole routine. And it’s a breath of fresh air!

So skip the lesson plan, leave the dishes, & toss your planner out the window (metaphorically).

These days are to recalibrate your spirit, & remind you that you’re not a robot.

Flexibility is Strength

While routines can help us thrive, adaptability keeps us alive.

Don’t let your days blur into one big beige loop. Add some neon. Smash a routine or two. And if you try it this week — I wanna hear about it! Let’s swap weird ideas in the comments.

✨If this post sparked something, hit like, share it with your people, and subscribe to zen BLITZ (my weekly newsletter) for more unconventional ways to stay human.✨

You’re not a robot. Rock on.

Rebel With a Pen : How to Journal Like a Rockstar

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(Retrospective note : I may have gotten a little carried away with this post because I LOVE JOURNALING SO MUCH. You’ve been warned. 😘 Though there is a little TL;DR at the end.)

Forget the fluffy prompts about your favorite ice cream flavor – journaling isn’t just for Pinterest vibes. It’s a weapon for clarity, self discovery, and flipping the script on life’s chaos.

I’ve been journaling pretty consistently for over 30 years, and I’d love to share some unique ideas with you!

Why Journaling is the Ultimate Rebel Move

It’s yours; no rules. You do what you want with it. Write messy, angry, sarcastic – Whatever feels real in any given moment.
Supercharged memory keeping. Personally, I have to write everything down or it gets lost in the abyss of chaos in my brain. It’s fun to add pictures, drawings, ephemera, etc to help you reexperience momentous events!
Empowerment through reflection. Your journal can be a safe space to contemplate unconventional ideas, or take control of your thoughts and emotions rather than letting them control you.
Self reflection in a noisy world. Journaling helps you tune out the noise and focus on your voice. Reduce stress, discover yourself, embrace your imperfections, boost your creativity, and gain insight into who you truly are.

How to Journal Like a Rockstar

Step 1 : Forget the aesthetics. Or don’t. Make it yours!

It doesn’t need to be pretty. A beat up notebook and a pen that barely works will suffice. You don’t even need to write full sentences – bullet points, doodles, or rants are all fair game.
Or… Get creative if you want! Use bold colors, write diagonally across the page, tear shit up and paste it in with gum if you like.
Better yet, do both!

Step 2 : Don’t overthink it (unless you want to).

Set a timer for 5 minutes and spew your thoughts out, raw and unfiltered. Being brutally honest promotes personal growth.

Inspiring Creative Weapons to Consider

Analog anarchy. Different sizes and different paper thicknesses are good for different purposes.
Digital nomadic. Apps like Notion and Daybook are good options.
Prompts. The analog Daily Stoic Journal is insightful, the Five Minute Journal has both analog and digital options, and the Rosebud app uses AI to provide prompts and insights twice daily!

Creative and Unconventional Journaling Approaches

I’ve compiled more ideas than anyone could ever want…lol :

write angry letter you probably shouldn’t send
burn the rulebook : What would you do differently if society didn’t dictate your choices?
collage your emotions or aspirations when words feel limiting
essence journaling : a one sentence summary or highlight of your day, or just give each day a song or TV show title
daily log, like Austin Kleon’s logbook : just the facts (who, what, where)
gratitude (I know, not unconventional, but it promotes a positive mindset and mindful appreciation of “the little things”)
anti gratitude : acknowledge and accept your personal imperfections and flaws – how can you use them to your advantage?
stream of consciousness chaos / morning pages : 3 pages, 5 minutes, whatever constraint you want to use, just braindump everything on your mind and don’t stop writing (even if you’re just saying “I don’t know what to write” repeatedly like Bart Simpson on a chalkboard)
private vlogs and be considered journaling, and can even get you comfortable in front of a camera, which can actually be a valuable skill these days
note peoples’ names, and use them (your barista might eventually gift you a freebie!)
Bullet Journaling didn’t really start as a planning method or creative outlet, y’know?!?
argue with yourself – challenge your negative self talk
write about the same event from multiple perspectives (your own, the other person’s, and an objective observer’s) to gain insight and compassion
mind maps can go in all sorts of directions
track your habits, or moods
commonplacing (link PKM post) : write down quotes or paragraphs that get you thinking, and reflect on them
poems, dreams, sketches, sticker bombs
periodic reflections, like my “Where I’m At” posts
brainstorm your passion projects
goal tracking : “What’s working? What’s not? What’s next?”
daily check in : “What went well? What sucked? What can I do better tomorrow?”
shadowwork prompts, like “What are my biggest fears?” or “What are my darkest secrets?”

A List of Lists to Make When You’re Bored

(Because I’m into lists right now lol)

Things I’ve Been Told I Can’t Do (But Will Anyway)
Lies Society Told Me (and the Truths I’m Replacing Them With)
Ways I Can Rebel Against My Own Expectations
Traditions I Don’t Care About (and Why That’s Okay)
Reasons I’m a Total Badass
Things I Love About Myself That Others Might Find “Weird”
Compliments I’ve Always Wanted to Hear (and Can Give Myself)
Wins I Don’t Celebrate Enough
Things That Make Me Unique (and Why That’s Awesome)
Things I’ve Been Afraid to Admit (Until Now)
Habits That Are Holding Me Back (and What to Replace Them With)
Moments When I Felt Powerful
People, Places, or Things That Drain My Energy
What I’d Do If Failure Wasn’t a Concern
Rebel Mantras I Want to Live By
Songs That Feel Like an Anthem for My Life
People I’d Love to Have a Conversation With (Dead or Alive)
Things That Inspire Me to Dream Big
Tattoos I’d Get (Even If Just for Fun)
Things I Want to Learn This Year That Have Nothing to Do with Work
Ways I Can Simplify My Life Without Losing What Matters
Goals That Feel Impossible (But Aren’t)
People or Things I Need to Let Go Of
Times I Trusted My Gut and It Paid Off
Risks I Took That Changed Everything
Mistakes I Don’t Regret
Dreams I Let Go Of and Why They Don’t Fit Me Anymore
Winter Activities That Bring Me Joy
Ways I Can “Hibernate” to Recharge This Month
Goals I Want to Bloom This Spring
Small Luxuries That Feel Like Self-Love
Times I Took a Stand: List moments where you stood up for yourself or others.
People Who Inspire Me: Write about people who have had a positive impact on your life.
Unapologetic Desires: Things you want in life without feeling the need to justify them to anyone.
Moments of Pure Joy: Instances that brought you immense happiness.
Random Acts of Kindness: Acts of kindness you’ve done or received.
Unexplored Places: Destinations you’ve always wanted to visit.
“Mini Adventures for My Soul”
Boundaries I Refuse to Compromise
Toxic Patterns I’m Consciously Dismantling
My Personal “Fuck It” Manifesto
Ways I’ve Outgrown Past Versions of Myself
Personal Definitions of Success (That Don’t Involve Money)
My Non-Negotiable Personal Values
“Things I’d Tell My Younger Self” (But wouldn’t listen to)

What I Do (For Now)

I use a combination of digital and analog.

Digital :

Notion : I have a database for journaling that includes some templates with prompts, but I mostly just use a daily template for habit and mood tracking and daily “interstitial journaling”. I use my daily logs for weekly (etc) reviews, and for long form journaling in my analog notebook when I have time.
Rosebud AI : It’s a pretty fascinating free app that provides prompts and insights, which I’ve found pretty useful at times!

Analog :

A6 pocket notebook : Kind of a commonplace book and an on the go journal for those rare times when I can take myself out to lunch. I usually just note interesting things I’ve heard or read and would like to write more about when I have time.
B6 Stalogy : I fell in love with this size in my Bullet Journal phase. Now I use it as my “zenBLITZ BuJo”, and write all of my posts by hand in it!
A5 Stalogy : My long form journal. Where I do all kinds of stuff. Nothing is off limits.

Why Journaling Matters for Us “Rebels”

It’s a tool for liberation from overthinking and self doubt
It’s a way to recharge by reflecting on where you’re at and where you want to go, without anyone else’s input
It builds self awareness by helping you find your truth so that you can fight for it

Things to Keep in Mind

Try to keep things mostly positive or light hearted. Like 80/20. It’s good to vent, and a journal can be a cathartic place for that, but it’s not good to ruminate. Draw the line somewhere.
Switch up methods as needed. It’s yours, so do you!
Review and reflect! It’s essential to browse through what you’ve written and created from time to time so you can gain some insight and perspective from your experiences. You might just be surprised.

Conclusion / TL;DR

Rockstar journaling is about breaking away from expectations (even your own) and writing your way to clarity, confidence, and self love. The key is to make it fun and personally meaningful. There’s no shortage of ideas to inspire your creativity, but just using a pen and paper to vent your mind is a beautiful creation in its own right! It’s yours – do as you please.

So grab a notebook, ditch the rules, and start journaling your way to a life that’s unapologetically yours. Your story deserves to be heard – even if it’s just by you.

If you enjoyed this post, please give it a “like”, share it with someone you think would enjoy it, and be sure to share your own unconventional journaling techniques in the comments below!

And if you’d like to watch a couple of quick videos about journaling that I’ve recently enjoyed, check these out :

Year End Reflection : 12 Days of Questions to Connect With Your True Self

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They say that “hindsight is 20-20”, suggesting that you learn the most from reflection on your past experiences. In this week’s post, I’m encouraging you to review your calendar, social media posts, journal entries, whatever you can use to gain some insight into the past year so that you can go into the next with clarity & direction. I insist you take your time journaling your answers, when applicable. Here are 12 days worth of questions to connect with your true self :

Past year

Look back through your calendar, etc – What were the best & worst events of the past year?
What was the biggest challenge you faced, & how did you overcome that challenge?
“Let go of things that no longer serve you, & things you can’t control.” – What would you like to leave in the past? How can you do that?
Describe the past year in one sentence.

Life, & the grand scheme of things

What are you passionate about?
What are your most notable skills?
What did you enjoy most when you were a kid?
What are your values?

Next year

What relationships encouraged growth last year, & how can you nurture those relationships this year?
What would you like to end next year saying, “I’m so glad I did (this), I’m proud that I accomplished (that)”?
How can you simplify your desires from #10 so that they align with your values? Consider the Pareto Principle to prioritize the action steps on your quests, meaning that only 20% of your efforts will be truly fruitful.
Describe next year’s focus in one word.

Conclusion

Reflecting on the past is a great way to connect with who you truly are & where you want to go with your life. I hope these questions provide some insight for your direction in the coming year.

If you answer online, leave a comment with a link below!!

And if you’d like a printout of these questions to add to your journal, here you go!

The only thing that helps me focus…

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We live in a time when seemingly everyone has trouble focusing on any one thing. Multi-tasking has become a skill most people aim to perfect because we live in a fast paced world. But if we don’t slow ourselves down regularly, we will inevitably “burn out”, so we need to make a point to take care of ourselves regularly.

I love me some Zen Habits – One of the things Leo mentions often is making a habit of taking regular mindfulness breaks throughout the day. So, in this article, I’m going to discuss this, as well as ideas on how to practice. (And remember, it’s practice! 😉)

The habit of regular mindfulness breaks

It’s easy for life to pass us by when we’re running from one thing to another, be it work to dinner to school, or whatever. We’re always on the go. Life is a precious & fleeting thing that we’re blessed to be conscious for, so it’s understandable to want to live it to its fullest. At the same time, are we really living, savoring each experience, as we go?? That’s why I think it’s such a good idea to schedule regular mindfulness breaks, whenever they can fit. Of course, it depends on how much time you can spare, whether you schedule a whole day or evening of pampering yourself, or if you can only sit for a minute or two. Depending on what I’m doing, most days I spend a few minutes every couple hours doing some exercise or meditation. If I’ve been particularly busy & need to recharge, I’ll carve out a few hours. But of course, mindfulness can be practiced anytime, anywhere, whenever you just focus on the present moment. 🕉

Acts of mindfulness

Anytime you immerse yourself in the present moment, you are practicing mindfulness. You could do this for a few seconds, or a few hours; it’s quality over quantity. You could immerse yourself in a walk in a park, or for a few seconds at work. Practice focusing on one thing. I do a lot of yoga, especially prior to meditation, because it helps calm my body; I meditate because it helps calm my mind. Really, anything you focus on is a type of meditation, including yoga, tai chi, & other exercises; I listen to a lot of trance music & usually use one of my many meditation beads , but I sometimes do visualizations or mantras.

Self care is a matter of necessity, not luxury

As a caregiver for my elderly father, I learned the importance of mindfulness the hard way. It’s a tough situation to be in, but it is what it is, and I try to grow where I’m planted by way of appreciating what I have each moment & trying to plan for the future. Burn out snuck up on me a few years ago, and regular mindfulness breaks are the only thing that has helped me get my head straight.

What do you do to take care of yourself? Let’s chat in the comments below!! 😉