Woman Buys 10 Journals, Writes in None

She didn’t mean to hoard them.
Each one was purchased with a vision: a better morning routine, deeper thoughts, a place to unpack her inner world. But now they sit stacked like a tower of unprocessed ambition beside her bed — blank, untouched, slightly judging.

She tells herself she’s “not ready yet.” That she needs the right pen. The right lighting. The right version of herself who journals daily without spiraling into self-analysis paralysis.

The first one was minimalist. The second had prompts. One was linen-bound and promised emotional breakthroughs in 30 days. One simply said “YOU GOT THIS” in gold foil — it did not age well.

“I think I’m afraid of the first sentence,” she admitted. “Like once I start, I’ll accidentally write the wrong life.”

Babs Relata isn’t surprised. “We’ve replaced action with aesthetic preparation. Half the wellness economy now runs on the thrill of pre-healing.”

Studies have shown journaling can reduce anxiety and boost memory. But studies have also shown that opening a fresh notebook and immediately feeling like a fraud is extremely common in high-functioning, emotionally self-aware women with Amazon Prime.

She plans to start this Sunday. Or next Sunday. Or possibly on the new moon. In the meantime, she’s shopping for a twelfth journal. This one has a moon phase tracker.

Because maybe the paper wasn’t the problem.
Maybe it was the journal cover, it wasn’t calling her name.