Why I'm keeping my old journal despite the hype for new ones

Lots of people in the community tell you to get a fresh notebook each year. I think that makes too much paper waste. My current one works fine and has history I don't want to lose.

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_nelson1mo ago

That broken spine example is actually where I draw the line. I used one until the cover fell off and pages started escaping in my bag. Having to hunt for loose sheets at the coffee shop is where the charm ends for me. It stopped being a useful record and became a project. I'll fill every page, but once the book can't do its job, it's time. A few stains are character, but losing your writing is a disaster.

hart.kelly1mo ago

Totally get that. My current notebook has a broken spine and coffee stains on half the pages. Forcing yourself into a fresh one just because the calendar changed always feels wrong. That broken in feeling is real, and flipping back through old entries is part of the point. It becomes part of your routine, not just some empty product.

the_jade1mo ago

Appreciate your point about the broken spine and coffee stains. That notebook turns into a map of your thoughts over time. Forcing a switch loses all those little reminders of where you've been. I keep using mine until every page is full, even if it means carrying it into the new year. It feels like betraying a trust to abandon it just for a clean slate.