You walk into a store. You see a beautiful leather journal. The paper is creamy. The cover is soft.
You think, “This is it. This is where I will write my novel/organize my life.”
You buy it. You take it home. Then, you put it on a shelf next to ten other empty notebooks. You never write a single word in it.
Why do we do this? Why is “buying notebooks” a different hobby than “using notebooks”?
You Are Buying a “Fantasy Self”
You aren’t just buying paper.
Basically, you are buying a feeling. When you buy a planner, you are buying the fantasy of being an organized person. When you buy a sketchbook, you are buying the fantasy of being an artist.
But when you get home, you are still just you. The gap between your “Fantasy Self” and your “Real Self” is where the notebook goes to die.
The Fear of “Ruining” It
This is the biggest blocker.
The notebook is pristine. It is perfect. You feel that your handwriting is too messy for such nice paper. You are afraid that if you write a grocery list in it, you will “ruin” it forever.
So, you save it for a “special occasion” that never comes.
3 Ways to Finally Use Your Stash
Paper is meant to be used, not worshipped. Here is how to break the spell.
1. Wreck the First Page
The first page is the scariest. It feels like a contract.
The Fix: Open your new notebook right now. Take a pen. Scribble on the first page. Draw a stick figure. Write a grocery list.
Once the first page is “ruined,” the pressure is gone. Now it is just a tool, not a museum piece.
2. The “Pen Test” Page
If you can’t bring yourself to scribble, turn to the very back page.
Label it “Pen Test.” Use it to test how different pens look on the paper. This counts as “using” the notebook, but it feels low-stakes because it is at the back.
3. Use the “Ugly” Notebook First
Do not start with the expensive leather one.
Go to your pile. Find the ugliest, cheapest notebook you own. Use that one first. Because it isn’t precious, you will actually write in it. Once you fill it, you earn the right to upgrade to a nicer one.
Conclusion
A filled notebook with crossed-out words is better than a perfect empty one.
So, grab a pen. Ruin the page. Your thoughts are worth more than the paper they are written on.
Tell me in the comments: How many empty journals do you own right now? Be honest. I have 12.
