BestSelf Co. The SELF Journal - Planner 2019-2020 - Monthly, Weekly, Daily Planner - Increase Productivity and Happiness - Undated Hardcover - Navy

I love this journal! I have tried other journals in the past, including the 5 Minute Journal The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day, but I like this one much better. Here's why.PURPOSE - I bought this journal as a way to get focused on what was most important to me. I was in the middle of selling my company, and I needed to look for a new job for myself. I wanted some organization to keep me focused and avoid distractions, while still being grateful for my blessings and content with what I have.QUALITY / EXPERIENCE - The journal came in a nice (yet unnecessary) box which is great for gifting. I didn't need it, however, and would be happy to save $2 if they didn't include it. The journal itself is covered in a nice, matte black fabric, and the pages are thick and meaty. The first several pages explain how the journal works, how to use it, and it's written in a very clear and inviting manner.VALUE - At $35, this journal isn't cheap. In fact, I think it's overpriced BUT because I got amazing results with it, I can say that it's worth it. Will I buy it again? Probably. Will I buy it a 3rd time? Unlikely. By then, I'll probably look at building my own system so I don't have to shell out $35 every 13 weeks! I emailed the company asking if they had a mobile app that I could use, and they said they don't have one developed yet. I think this could be easily created as a web/mobile app with the right prompts... not only to make it easier to use (instead of carrying a book around everywhere) but also because it'll help us save money in the long run!EFFICACY - Very effective. I went from being lost, worried, scared, distracted, jobless... to having an amazing job in a month because this journal helped me be grateful, and stay focused on what is most important to me! This is why this product earns 5 stars.CONCLUSION - If you're a highly productive individual, but you realize that distractions are keeping you from focusing on what's most important, this journal is for you. It will help you deliver 10X productivity with a level of refinement, learning, and growth that no other journal I've tried has been able to do. You'll love it! I just wish they had an online / app version.

I have been testing planners/goal trackers/productivity boosting strategies, and the BSJ is the best fit for me. I love it. It's hard to maintain the behavior change of spending time each morning and night and referencing it throughout the day, but it’s been great. I especially love the positive psychology involved in the system they've developed and the daily quotes. One quote, however, baffles me:"Go big or go home. Because it's true. What do you have to lose?" - Eliza DushkuThe BSJ daily pages include quotes from Truman Capote, Samuel Beckett, Benjamin Franklin, Jim Rohn, Yoda, Mark Twain, Sheryl Sandberg, Albert Einstein, etc. with topics ranging from motivation to failure to prioritization and so on. These quotes are insightful, motivating, and accessible.But, "Go big or go home. Because it's true"?Eliza Dushku?Let's break that quote down for a second."Go big or go home." Okay. That's not particularly new or insightful; it's more of a directive that your inappropriately intense elementary school tee-ball coach would scream when you're tired of doing nothing in the outfield."Because it's true." Because what's true? "Go big or go home"? I cannot comprehend how an order can be "true." I never hear someone suggest I do something "because it's true." Dr: "You should eat less sugar, because it's true."Let's say she's referring to the next statement, "What do you have to lose?" That's equally asinine. A rhetorical question can't be true, Eliza. Here's an example of this formula: "Walk it off, loser. It's undeniable. Who doesn't love nachos?"I imagine she was on the press line at the 2000 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards because of her seminal role as Missy Pantone in the immortal Bring It On and some he's-a-child-but-he's-also-a-serious-journalist tween interviewer asked her if she had any encouragement for her diehard fans watching from home, and she had had this glorious statement ready to go, having nervously practiced it for weeks and weeks leading up to the biggest moment of her career, saying "Go big or go home. Because it's true. What do you have to lose?"All in all, I give the BSJ 5 stars.