Getting started with anything new can feel overwhelming. If this is your first week with the Matters Journaling System, you are in the right place!
Getting Started
We recommend starting with any notebook and a pen. Begin by outlining a few things, dedicating roughly 10 minutes to this exercise. We call this the “Weekly Setup.” It’s okay if you’re starting on a Tuesday instead of a Sunday; you can always reset in a few days.
Weekly Setup
Weekly Setup is broken down into three small steps: Themes & Goals, Weekly To-Do’s, and Habit Tracker.
Themes & Goals
Themes & Goals are not tasks; they are high-level objectives, opportunities, and concerns. They help you focus on your growth and opportunities for the week. These also serve as key indicators for reflecting and reviewing past weeks. If a theme or goal continues to stand out, it signals an area that needs more attention.
Keep this simple and intuitive; trust your gut and keep it broad. For instance, “Get better at X” or “Do Y three times this week” are goals, whereas “Take out the trash” is a task.
Remember to consider the Four-Part Person: Spirit, Mind, Body, & Relationships.
Weekly To-Do’s
List the known tasks and timestamps for the week here. As you journal daily, refer back to this list. You can move tasks into any given day by crossing them out and tracking them on that day.
This section helps you remember tasks like ‘Thursday - Set out Trash.’ By glancing at your Weekly Setup each day, you’ll be reminded of such tasks and move them into your daily list when needed.
Use this space for relationship reminders, prayer reminders, exercise tasks, and more.
Habit Tracker
The Habit Tracker is a seven-day checklist to build new habits. The best way to eliminate bad habits is by forming new ones. Habit Trackers are easy to set up and highly effective.
Habits should align with your goals. Where goals are an idea, Habit Tracker Tasks are the daily implementation and accountability of a goal. For example, if your goal is to “Increase Water Consumption This week,” a Habit Tracker Task could be “Drink 2x Bottles of Water.”
Use the Habit Tracker for daily tasks, like “Take Medicine.”
Focus on What Matters
With your Weekly Setup complete, you can start your day using the Matters Journaling System acronym.
M - Mindfulness & Meditation
The human spirit is a fundamental aspect of our existence. Neglecting spiritual needs can negatively affect our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Meditation, reflection, prayer, and feeling from your soul are healthy practices that build a foundation for all other aspects of life. Regardless of your beliefs, developing spiritual practices will have lasting impacts on your personal wellness.
Start your day with a moment of quiet and slow breathing. Listen to your spirit and see what’s inside.
Seeing and understanding yourself is the first step. Whether you’re a mess or a delight, it’s important to start here.
Once you quiet your soul and see yourself, invest in that. Lean into the practices that bring you joy and rest.
For example, as a Christian, my faith centers on Jesus Christ. I might read Psalms or Proverbs, looking for something that stands out and challenges or encourages me.
Quiet, breathe, seek, dwell. Jot down anything that stands out.
A - Application
After your spiritual focus, note what challenges you can take and apply to your day. Consider how you can impact others as well.
Application is about doing something. Understand how to manifest what you’ve seen and felt in yourself.
T - Thankfulness
Gratitude is key to unlocking your best possible future. In a world of hurry, agendas, consumerism, and business, thankfulness is rare. What are you thankful for? Push yourself to find something or someone you appreciate.
T - Tasks & Timestamps
Built on the Bullet Journaling System (https://bulletjournal.com/blogs/faq), you have complete flexibility with bullet tasks and notes. Use this in a way that works for you, personally or professionally. Learn more about Bullet Journaling indicators and collections if desired.
E - Exercise
Regular exercise can improve how you feel, look, and think. The main obstacle is often time. Use the Matters System to make daily progress with achievable goals that fit your schedule and available equipment. Even with just a chair and floor, you can tone muscles and get your heart rate up.
Get outside for some sunshine and a short walk if you work from home.
R - Relationships
Meaningful relationships can be easy to lose track of as life moves forward. Reach out to someone overdue for a chat, mend fences, or consider who needs you. Living well means loving well. Invest in relationships with intentionality.
Also consider toxicity in your life. If there is someone who is pulling you back, failing to believe in you, or even actively working against you, it might be time to distance yourself.
Spend time texting, calling, and meeting with people who matter in your life.
S - Summary & Notes
For the rest of the day, add tagged notes [sometag] like “I think XYZ is neat” to capture memories, thoughts, prayers, ideas, and tasks to move or accomplish later.
Capture as much as you find helpful to reflect on as your week progresses. Matters is a tool to help you form your full self. It might be better to capture more at first and let your thoughts flourish on paper.
Wrapping Up
In the next article, we will review how to close out your week. For now, focus on a clean, simple setup and daily Matters.
Tags can be very helpful for referencing notes within collections. We will learn more about collections in the next article.
