5 Ideas for an Empty Notebook

1. Quote Book

If you're anything like me, you often find yourself inspired by quotes from books, films, TV shows, friends and family, or even Pinterest. Why not keep a note of all these? On that really bad day you have that little book filled with words that inspire you or even make you smile.

What makes quotes so motivational? Ward Farnsworth, dean of the University of Texas School of Law and author of Farnsworth's Classical English Rhetoric, says there's a power in the words themselves and that people have an "appetite for well-expressed wisdom, motivational or otherwise."

There are thousands of quotes out there for a boost of motivation, a cure for a bad day or even to help you get out of bed. Keeping these quotes that are personal to you all in one place will surely benefit you.

"I'm going to make everything around me beautiful—that will be my life" —Elsie de Wolfe

2. An Astronomy Journal

Some find comfort in the stars. It brings realization of just how small we and our problems really are compared to the universe. An astronomy journal can be about how you see the universe. You could keep a log of what you see each month, you could even do a little sketch of what you see.

You could keep note of the zodiac constellations or constellations in general and the meaning behind them. For example, Hercules is a constellation named after the Roman mythological hero adapted from the Greek hero Heracles. It is the fifth largest of the modern constellations.

You could even include facts of the universe that you find interesting for example, "Instead of looking up into the sky, You're actually gazing down into the infinite cosmic abyss, with only gravity holding you to the surface of the earth."

This journal looks amazing if you're a astronomy geek like me.

3. A Gratitude Journal

It's been proven that gratitude benefits not only your mental health but also your outlook on life.

In a book written by Arianna Huffington known as Thrive, she states how gratitude exercises can have tangible benefits. She writes, "According to a study by researchers from the University of Florida, having participants write down a list of positive events at the close of a day—and why the events made them happy—lowered their self -reported stress levels and gave them a greater sense of calm at night." She also states that, "Gratitude works its magic by serving as an antidote to negative emotions. It's like white blood cells for the soul, protecting us from cynicism, entitlement, anger, and resignation."

These 5 minutes a day just to write down what you're grateful for can make a real difference.

4. A Memory Notebook

Creating a little book like this would be really nice to look back on. Tickets from a show, leaves from a walk, foreign coins from your holidays... anything can be put in a book like this. You could even write a little note beside it including the date and what it is or what it symbolizes. It's your own personal scrapbook of memories.

5. Stream of Consciousness

Writing in in the stream-of-consciousness style is a good way to mirror your internal thoughts through the mind quickly processing thoughts and how quickly it switches from one topic to another.

Set an alarm on your phone for as long as you'd like and just write what comes to your mind, and don't stop till your alarm finishes. You'll notice how quickly your mind has processed your thoughts within a certain amount of time. This can really help you understand how your mind works and is fascinating to look back on.