I started Do Good Paper Co. for several reasons, but one of them was to have a way to inspire people and give back. One of these ways is to create beautiful notebooks and journals with various designs so that customers can find one that feels personal to them and that they feel excited to write in.

Another is donating a portion of online sales to an environmental charitable organization that plants new trees and restores natural habitat in Ontario. Not only is this a relevant cause for a paper stationery company, but also, I have discovered that lot of our customers are also nature-lovers, making this choice of charity even more suitable.

To inspire our customers, we also offer lots of journaling prompts on our blog and through social media. For example, we post a journaling prompt everyday in our Instagram stories, each month with a new theme and new weekly set of prompts.

For the month of January, I talked about setting intentions for the new year. I focused more on the idea of planting seeds (inner work) rather than making new year resolutions which, to me, demand action that often fizzle out after a short while because the mind was not bought in from the beginning. Furthermore, everyone enters the year with a different level of energy, so the idea of setting intentions allows some to have the space and runway they need to actually start taking the steps needed to fulfil their intentions.

Here are some journaling prompts for those of you who would like to start a journaling practice or are simply looking for ideas for new year intentions.

• For my physical/mental/spiritual wellness, I will start…
• Someone I plan to develop a closer relationship with is…
• This year, I’d like to travel to…
• I will not wait another year to accomplish this: ____
• I’m thinking about pursuing a new hobby in the area of arts/sports/academics…
• To achieve better balance this year, I will stop/pause…
• A book I’m adding to my TBR list is…

Use these writing prompts as starting points. Feel free to modify them or allow them to guide you to new ideas and commitments as you write. And don’t forget to revisit what you wrote so that you can review and remind yourself of your intentions. Check your progress every so often and add to them to document your effort and outcomes.

Find a journal that you love and don’t worry about perfection. You’re not submitting an essay to a teacher. It’s for you and you only, so it’s ok to make mistakes, scratch things out, and rip out a page if you feel like it!

I hope this short article provides some ideas and encourages you to set some intentions for the new year. If so, then I’ve fulfilled my desire to inspire others and you’re on your way to starting a mindful practice that will help you feel in tune with yourself, and hopefully feel more in control of how 2023 will play out.

Warmly,

Leslie