Journaling Series: On Finishing a Journal

As I’m writing this I’m two or three pages away from finishing another journal. It’s not the first journal that I’ve finished, but somehow it’s always a tiny, little momentous occasion. After all from the moment we crack open a new notebook and dare to write on its pristine pages we envision this outcome: a notebook chock full of words, sketches and mementos.

Slightly frayed and ink stained but this Stalogy 365Days B6 notebook has served me well for about 6 months

For me the end of a journal offers a change to review and reflect on its contents. The last few pages aren’t used for normal journaling, but rather are reserved for me to write notes in as I leaf through the completed journal’s pages. What key moments does it hold? What revelations? How can I look back with kindness at moments of weakness or failure, and how can I learn and grow from them? This is not always a pleasant or easy experience, but I have always found it worthwhile.

Sample page with a sketch.

This is also a time when I consider whether I need to switch a journal format or not. I’ve been using the Stalogy Editor’s Series 365Days B6 notebook for the past two journals and I’ve been happy with it, so that’s what I’ll continue using for now.

What about you? Do you have any “end of journal” or “end of notebook” habits and rituals?

9 thoughts on “Journaling Series: On Finishing a Journal”

  1. Chris Bruner

    I use my journals as a place to write my Morning Pages, so when I finish one, it goes straight to recycling. I’ve settled on journals with cardstock covers so there’s no need to cut the covers off before pitching them. Midori MD diaries are perfect and relatively inexpensive fountain pen friendly options.

    That said, I have a ritual for my poetry notebooks, which I DO keep. I go back and look for haiku that I never finished and see if some new ideas come to me. Oftentimes it takes some time and emotional distance to see what they need. These scribblings go into the new notebook and the whole process can take a couple of weeks. It’s worth every minute, though!

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  2. debraji

    I’ve never written up a kind of review of my journal–I just fill the last page and break out the next notebook. But I have started doing a “month-end assessment” in my bullet journal, which is a different animal than my morning pages brain dump of a journal.

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  3. miatagrrl

    I rarely reread… maybe I should. I think of my journal as more of a mind dump, and once it’s out, the journal’s job is done. But maybe if I pushed it a bit harder by looking back, I might learn more from the process. But sometimes it’s just too painful or raw, and I don’t want to re-feel it by reading. I like the review you do, though… maybe I’ll get brave and do it with the last volume I just filled. (I use thinner Leuchtturms and usually fill in about 3-4 months.)

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    1. writingatlarge

      I used to never reread my journals, until I finished the journal I used during my chemo treatments. I was forced to reread it several times to pinpoint when certain medical issues cropped up, and later on when certain PTSD related behaviours started. It was excruciating at first, to the point where I read a paragraph and had to take a break. But then it got easier, and then I started seeing value in it, so I tried it on more recent journals and discovered that though it is painful at times, it’s still worth doing. I just try to remember to be very kind and patient with myself during the process, and I never do it right before I go to sleep.
      I do totally understand not wanting to review things – I journaled for years without reviewing any of my old entries.

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  5. Pingback: Journaling Series: On Starting a Journal – Writing at Large

  6. notebookjoy

    Congratulations on finishing another notebook! I am a creative writer and finish notebooks consistently. For the past several years, I write an Author’s Acknowledgments at the end. I reflect on the stories l’ve completed, both their themes and characters. I also thank my loved ones and any people who have helped me in my writing journey. I find it satisfying to close my notebook with reflection on my creative process.

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