This Journal Will Save Your Life In 2025

[@ollystaniland]

📍Want To Make Journaling A Habit? Click Here: ollystaniland.kit.com/2733ad51be

[@aceperger]

Yay! A new excuse to buy yet another notebook

[@ollystaniland]

Hahaha, I know the feeling for sure!! But if you can't resist that urge and want to buy the exact same notebook I use for my dopamine journal, click here: amzn.to/4fSNWee

[@hifiunicorn]

😂😂😂

[@1wizabuff1]

Got one today

[@nnjack9931]

My thoughts exactly

[@sunnydanisummers]

3:30 this is such great advice, especially those with ADHD or anxiety who have an, “all or nothing” mindset, giving permission to go back and fill in makes the habit way less overwhelming

[@ollystaniland]

Dani, you're so right that ADHD can make it feel really demotivating if you miss a day with your healthy habits. Hopefully this method helps all of my viewers with ADHD to stick with journaling :))))

[@sunnydanisummers]

@ honestly, I’m my mind when I watched Step One, my first thought was, “it’s too late to start now, I’ll do it next month” But why not just go back and fill it in, and even just that exercise reminded me of all the cool things I did and it was easy enough to find something for everyday. Great stuff.

[@mnp1093]

Yes!! As an ADHDer, I maintain a calendar page at the start of every month in my bujo and write down what i did per day. Like work + gym + tacos + suits ep1 (for eg) Then at the end of the month I have a whole list of things I did in the month and I can break it into foods, books, movies, exercise and such and that definitely changed my perspective from 'I am letting life go by' to 'okay I am actually, living arent I?' And I do go back and fill it up all the time. I use timeline on google maps to help me remember if I forgot.

[@sunnydanisummers]

@ I love this - I know this is an exercise I’ll keep up.

[@SOOTHMYSOUL-uk1dw]

Literally starting this right now. I'm realizing that I lately haven't really been "enjoying" life. Maybe I just ignore the parts that I did enjoy myself so this will help for sure. Thanks Olly!

[@ollystaniland]

So sorry to hear that lately you haven't been enjoying life too much lately. That must be super tough! Hopefully the dopamine journal can give you the clarity over your daily actions and habits and you can see how cool your life is. For me, it's all about finding joy in those little, 'everyday' moments and not worrying too much about trying to optimise everything. Hope that helps :)

[@ginanotafan1039]

Journaling is Incredibly helpful for mental health... I literally have to try to cut Back on my journaling, bc I go through journals like crazy, I write about Everything! I literally dk what I'd do if I couldn't journal, it would eat me alive. I can't even go for a walk without a pen, just in case!! (And no, I don't bring my phone out w me, and yes, I hate journaling on electronics- e-notes are to remind yourself to buy milk, not to pour your heart & soul into!

[@ollystaniland]

Wow Gina, this is some really powerful stuff!! First up, you are so right that journaling is one of the best things we can do to get control of our mental health and regulate our emotions somewhat. How many journals do you go through a year lol? I sooooo agree with you that the delicate things like our emotions and trying to understand how we are feeling, can only be captured on pen and paper. Thanks for sharing your advice :)

[@Skinnychelle48]

I journal every single morning, I love it, my journal is my best friend, I tell it everything and I use decorate my pages with a quick sketch and/or stickers, it’s all so therapeutic.

[@ollystaniland]

That's so wonderful that you journal with such regularity! You're so right that it is really therapeutic, especially when you feel like you can write anything in your journal. Really lets you clear your thoughts and get some clarity :)

[@miahherford9526]

So glad our convo/facetime on the 21st had such a positive impact on you :) love you lots !!

[@ollystaniland]

It was life-changing!!!! Endless love for you :)))))

[@CorrineVictoria]

tbh I had no idea what kind of video this was about to be when I clicked on it, but it was in my algorithm. Im so glad I watched this! I will definitely be implementing this for the rest of this year and 2025. thanks for sharing!

[@ollystaniland]

Thanks so much for your kind words Corrine. I am super pleased that you found the video helpful and feel like you can use the dopamine journal in your life moving forwards. Be sure to come back to the channel and let me know how you get on :))))

[@ExistingSmiles]

I journal like this! My life at the start of this year felt flavorless and boring. But i think since summer when I started, life felt so much more joyful! And this video was super fun to watch

[@ollystaniland]

Wow, it must be so cool to feel that journaling has had a big impact in your life already! I'm sure you'll keep finding the fun in it and in your life. Thanks for the kind words :)

[@KatherineS-y4l]

Excellent ideas! I can't wait to get started. I've tried bullet journaling before and didn't maintain it. This seems like an attainable task to set for myself. Thank you!

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Katherine, super pleased that you found this video helpful and it must feel so empowering to know how you're gonna get started! Good luck with it :)))))

[@SusanGregoryAuthor]

Love this! Thank you!

[@ollystaniland]

So glad you found this helpful, Susan! Hope this works for you :)))

[@JashiiCorrin]

Not me now wanting to add ANOTHER journal to my 2025 line up 😂 Thanks for sharing this, love the name you're used over the "one line a day" 🤙 Mayhaps I can include something similar in my regular monthly setups 🤔

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Jess, first up, I LOVE your channel!! It's so cool to see how many different journaling techniques there are that people use. Out of curiosity, what would you say has been the most effective journal technique for you to date and what is something you wish you knew earlier about journaling? :))))

[@JashiiCorrin]

@@ollystaniland most effective would probably be brain dumping (or what I like to call mind unwinding). I often have a LOT of things either going on or I'm thinking about at once, so getting them on paper gives me an opportunity to look review and prioritise 😝 Sometime I wish I knew earlier would probably be how quickly you can get better at a journaling-related skill with intentional practice. Doesn't even have to be a lot of practice, just has to be done mindfully 👏I put off learning a lot of techniques because they seemed too daunting or hard instead of just giving them a go 😅 (lowkey, still do, but I have to learn my lessons multiple times, haha)

[@m105chelle]

Same 😂❤

[@rachvoulo]

This is going to completely transform all my failed attempts at consistently journaling. Just subscribed!

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Rachel, so glad to hear that this method will kickstart your journaling journey. Be sure to let me know how you get on :)

[@feelswriter]

This is a good description of a doable reflective journaling system. Well done (and impressive editing)! I've saved it to my "sanity" playlist 😊

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Mia, thanks so much for your kind words and so glad the video was helpful! The editing (and scripting) has been a looooong journey tho haha

[@serissac6564]

Thank you Ollie , I started using this today and it's actually really fun and thinking back on the 'dopamine spike' that day gives you joy in the moment when you write it down. I've watched all of your videos on the dopamine journal and they're so good , I've rewatched them twice to really implement this. Your videos are so nice!

[@ollystaniland]

Super glad that you've found a lot of success with the dopamine journal! Really awesome to hear that you've experienced that 'dopamine spike' too. It's addictive lol! Thank you so so so much for your kind words and I am so glad that you are finding all of my videos helpful. As a loyal viewer, is there anything you'd like to see me make a video on in the future? :))))

[@stampingtoshare]

Great job!! I’ve journaled off and on my whole life and you gave me a lot to think about!! Thank you!

[@ollystaniland]

Kay, that's so cool to hear that you've been journaling for your whole life but at the same time, I hope you could take some new ideas and apply them to your own journaling practice. All the best :)))))

[@Akta]

Great video Olly, I love how you've created your own system here!

[@ollystaniland]

So glad that you enjoyed the system! Hope you can use it in your own routine, or at least take some ideas from it :)

[@sarahwooding1157]

I had been trying to do this more this year but haven't done it for a while. Life's got hard and it was getting harder to find the joy. Thank you giving me the boost to get back into it! 😊 Like the scoring technique too!

[@ollystaniland]

So sorry to hear life has been getting harder, Sarah. I know the feeling and often times it is really easy to lose yourself in the sadness. I really really hope this method works for you because I know how effective it has been for me. All the best :)

[@lolableu517]

This video popped up at a perfect time in my life. This is much more in my style then bullet journaling. New subscriber 😊

[@ollystaniland]

So awesome that you got recommended this video at such a perfect time!! Can I ask what it is about bullet journaling that you're not a fan of? Thanks for your support :)

[@webistebi8310]

This is good stuff Olly! Thanks for sharing your process!

[@ollystaniland]

Thanks so much!! So awesome to hear you enjoyed the video. Stay tuned for more :)

[@AngeliaRogerson]

Hi Olly, I’ve wanted to journal daily yet struggled to remain consistent. This is an amazing approach! Thanks for the book recommendation. Keep up the great videos!

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Angelina, it can be so hard to stay consistent journaling - even when you know it's a good thing to do! Thanks so much for your kind words as well and I really hope that the Dopamine Journal works for you. The Four Hour Work Week is my favourite book I have ever read, if you read nothing else, be sure to check it out!! Be sure to come back and let me know how you get on with the journal and with the book :)))

[@DawnMontgomeryAuthor]

I would love to see a final shot of your spread so I could put it all together visually at the end, closing that loop for my TBI brain. I went back to the beginning to get a view of the entire layout. Thank you for this great journaling idea and I will definitely implement it immediately.

[@ollystaniland]

That's a great point about having a final shot of my spread, Dawn. Sorry that the loop wasn't closed entirely! Awesome that you are gonna start using this method straight away, good luck with it. I hope it improves your life! Be sure to let me know how you get on with it :)

[@stormshinigami1046]

Thank you for sharing such valuable tips!

[@ollystaniland]

No worries! Super glad that you found the video helpful :)

[@christinelagueux8155]

I love this. I keep a journal but I love all these extras. It gives me good ideas on my journals. I really appreciate it.

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Christine, I am so glad that you found the dopamine journal helpful and I really hope that you find a lot of success with it !! Be sure to let me know how you get on :)

[@NinxyNoo]

Love the V & A. Going to try this, I’ve never managed to keep up with the bullet journaling 😊

[@ollystaniland]

Right!!!!! The V&A is one of the coolest museums in London! Let me know how you get on with the dopamine journal. Good luck :)

[@TheGothicSunrise]

I LOVE THIS. As an avid journaling fan, I need the ability to journal, but I also struggle with all the fuss of BuJo (especially with all the artsy ones social media promotes) and the index and the different spreads and so on... I love the simplicity of this! Though, for me, I feel like the scoring of the pillars should go after the Adventure outcome. So, for me I'm thinking my journal "process" will looking something like... at the beginning of the month I'll make the monthly layout and set a plan for an adventure, then each day log my daily highlight just like you said to. Then, at the end of the month during my reflection, I'd do my highlighting, but first with the two colors, THEN do my adventure outcome, then the scoring of the pillars, then the reflections. This is because I didn't quite get how the adventure outcome tied into your goals, but the scoring of pillars and the reflections very clearly tied together with goal setting... this may be because as I'm thinking of it, my adventures might not coincide with my goals, but might with my pillars! to switching the order of those two things feels more natural to me. I want to start using this right away, thank you for this!!

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Lori, you are so right that BuJo can be so 'fussy'. Whilst there's nothing wrong with that, I tend to favour the more simple methods because I don't have all the time in the world to craft the perfect journal. Sounds like you are similar? That is an excellent point about scoring after the adventure outcome and it's something I didn't even think of. Wow, thanks for that!! From what you're saying, it sounds like your process makes a lot of sense, by scoring the pillars after your adventure outcome, it gives you a bit more clarity before you go into your reflections. You are also right that there isn't a clear, direct, link between adventures and goals. Apart from the fact, the adventures encourage you to TAKE ACTION, which is the only thing separating you from actually achieving your goals. If it helps, you can think of the adventures as helping you with achieving your goals, rather than the goals themselves? I have a whole goal-setting journal video I am planning right now, so I hope to see you in the comments again there. Have a wonderful week :)

[@TheGothicSunrise]

@ollystaniland absolutely the same on needing a more simple approach. I'll still give myself the freedom to brain dump in a journal, but I'd lost mental clarity on "what am I getting out of this other than word vomiting onto the page?" Lol, i literally wrote that in my journal 3 days ago xD This approach will help sooo much with that! Ah, i get it now. I can absolutely see how the adventures encourage action and that action can be towards reaching goals. I think for me it'll still be a way to plan something I look forward to that month, especially when I have nothing else planned, and that the adventures outcome will help with clarity around scoring the pillars, especially the mental and social pillars for me. OMG I am so looking forward to your goal setting video!

[@antoniomorato2863]

Thanks Olly! Very instructive and straight to the point. Very useful tips. Thanks.

[@ollystaniland]

So glad that you found this concept helpful, Antonio. Hope that you can get some great success with the dopamine journal :)

[@livingonaclaud]

Love this low pressure, reflective journaling method! Thank you for sharing 🥰

[@ollystaniland]

So glad that you found this method helpful!! You're so right that, for many of us, to actually stick with journaling, we need something low pressure and easy to start :))))

[@steffikreis2030]

Thanks for this video. I already kinda do these things but this seems a more organizes way to go about it. Will definitely give it a try.

[@ollystaniland]

You're right Steffi, sometimes lots of people have healthy habits they do and only realise when it's put into a more organised system - like the dopamine journal. Be sure to let me know how you get on with the system :)

[@melliecrann-gaoth4789]

Thanks… I see below that I am not alone in buying more notebooks! Oh and storage solutions.

[@ollystaniland]

Join the club haha but treat yourself to a new notebook. You deserve nice things!!

[@FelixEvers06]

Very nice video! I do love that you've clearly put in the effort to incorporate the tips I gave you a while back. This is only the second video of yours I've ever watched, but there's already quite a bit more structure throughout the video. It's great to see.

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Felix, good to see you again! Like I said at the time, I really valued your tips and I am so happy that you came back to see the improvements. If you think of anything else, please let me know. Hope to see you again soon :)

[@PlumHorizon]

Just discovered your channel : subscribed ! Very original content, I loved it and will definitely try this practice, could never stick to journaling

[@ollystaniland]

Hey! Thanks so much for your kind words and I am so glad you found the video helpful. It can be super hard to know how to make journaling stick but hopefully the 'dopamine journal' works for you. Journaling really can change your life :)

[@lizzye1952]

Great video, id love to add this overview to my more intensive journalling routine (where I dont write down what I enjoyed in a day)

[@ollystaniland]

What does your more intensive journaling routine look like, Lizzy? Thanks so much for your support though :)

[@Bilinmeyenkullanici713]

bro i thought you were famous and i was liking your videos. and now i see you are such underrated i got surprised like what do you mean something like that dont get recognizine???

[@ollystaniland]

Haha, thank you so much!! I've been working super hard on this KZbin channel for the past year or so now. It's kinda crazy looking back on my first few videos to see how far I have come... I started this channel with literally zero experience in filming, scripting, editing, basically any of the skills you need to grow a channel haha. I know I have a lot more to learn but hopefully I can inspire a few people and show you that if you pick just one thing and stick to it for at least a year, you will improve SO MUCH at that skill. Anyways, thanks again for the kind words and hopefully you'll be here as I keep learning about KZbin and growing this channel. All the best :)

[@21cormorants]

@@ollystanilandI have a feeling you’re about to pop off tbh! Will be proud to say we knew you when! 😊

[@Bilinmeyenkullanici713]

@@ollystaniland i like the thing what you do is new usually because i nearly ALWAYS watch yt productivity videos and i am sick of always seeing same things but your channel is made me feel new. As well i think your video gave me that old BUJO video vibes. Like it was actually very good. So I congrulate you actually. One day you will pop off and i will say i was here

[@tsrbt1515]

Stupid comment bcs its an excellent job

[@nikhnikm4602]

Good suggestion. Liked and subscribed

[@ollystaniland]

Super glad that you found this helpful!! Thanks for your support :)

[@lintangnova]

hey i watched your video shortly after i get my hobonichi plain book bcs i dont like the techo and want to be carefree when it comes to journaling but then i dont really know how to started. now im trying your method and found it easy and applicable thanks for sharing!

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Lintang, you're so right that there are lots of methods that don't let you just be carefree when you journal. But this is one of the key things to making journaling stick!! Hope that my dopamine journal method works for you and be sure to let me know how you get on with the method :)))

[@faesdays]

I used to do something similar to dopamine days where I'd write something positive that hapepned each day, and ask my family theirs too, on a whiteboard. We called it daily positivity. Fell out of the habit of doing it when everyone else got kind of sick of me asking. :(

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Fae, that is such a beautiful thing that you did with your family! Thanks so much for sharing. It's a shame that you folks fell out of the habit but your family must be really grateful to have someone like that in your life. Hope you and the cats are well :)

[@ditodoonstudio]

i need to try this!

[@ollystaniland]

For Sure!! Let me know how you get on :)

[@wishlistayi14]

Thankssss

[@ollystaniland]

No probs, glad this helped!!

[@LibraMakeup]

Great content!

[@ollystaniland]

Thanks so much! Glad it was helpful :)

[@mayesha3682]

Finally time to use that pretty notebook I got ages ago XD Also, anyone knows what the plant in the background is called?

[@ollystaniland]

Perfect! So pleased that this method will help you start using that new notebook you got. That must give you a bit of motivation? Excellent question haha, if anybody finds out the name of the plant, please also let me know lol :)

[@notyourbusiness2687]

Good job bud

[@ollystaniland]

Thanks a bunch! Glad you found the video helpful :)

[@lindachristopher4]

Do you have other pages in between the monthly pages for other exercises-- such as the negative thoughts exercise, etc. ?

[@ollystaniland]

Hey Linda, what kind of pages were you thinking about in particular? I have a couple of other videos on my channel where I run through the other journaling pages that I use. To see how I use my journal to plan my day, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGS5gnWsm9GNh7ssi=inhFoWq4vWqon0RC

[@rashedulkabir6227]

Upload a video showing how to identify keystone habits.

[@ollystaniland]

That is deffo a topic i want to explore... is there anything in specific you'd like help with?

[@mastandstars]

I like this technique

[@ollystaniland]

Really hope that the dopamine journal works for you :))))

[@williejimenezart]

Lol its the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. That room is one of my favorite place to sketch in.

[@ollystaniland]

Haha, well done Willie! Maybe we have crossed paths at the V&A but you're right, it is such a beautiful building and that room in particular.:)

[@amberpayne7917]

Why is it called a dopamine journal?

[@ollystaniland]

Great question, Amber. I don't know if it's only me that feels this way but these days it feels like so many things exist to give you a 'cheap hit of dopamine' Scrolling through social media, fast food, alcohol. You name it, the list goes on. The dopamine journal is a way for me to try and reclaim some of that dopamine for myself. In other words, to try and use traditional methods like using a physical notebook to write my thoughts and feelings down. This way, I can get dopamine sort of 'naturally', if that makes sense. Hope that helps :)

[@elinef7017]

You mean serotonin

[@ollystaniland]

Serotonin Journal doesn't have the same ring to it

[@punnypuns5103]

Subbed ❤

[@ollystaniland]

Thanks so much for your support!! What future videos would you like to see me cover on my channel? :)

[@punnypuns5103]

@@ollystaniland How it helps you function better day to day maybe might be good. Or productivity related ones.

[@aqeelmir5639]

Mark Manson Jr LOL

[@ollystaniland]

Haha, do you see a resemblance lol? Whilst I wanna be Olly Staniland Sr, Mark is a big inspiration to me haha :)

[@sabhoi2677]

Witch questions doe you use in your journal? I like to hear that

[@ollystaniland]

Great question! I use a bunch of different prompts from time to time and you can access the same ones I use by clicking here: ollystaniland.kit.com/2733ad51be

[@nikhnikm4602]

Good suggestion. Liked and subscribed

[@ollystaniland]

So glad this was that helpful, you commented twice lol!! Thanks for the support anyways lol :)