How to Start Commonplacing Within Your Current Journal

No extra notebook required — just a smarter way to journal

If you’ve ever saved a quote that moved you, a podcast idea you didn’t want to forget, or made a note of a line in a book that made your brain light up — you’re already doing what people have done for centuries: keeping a commonplace book.

But here’s the good news:
👉 You don’t need to start a whole new notebook.

You can easily build a commonplace habit inside your current journal — without overcomplicating things.

This post will show you exactly how.

🧠 Wait, What’s a Commonplace Book?

A commonplace book is a place to gather meaningful things — quotes, thoughts, lessons, insights, questions — anything worth remembering or revisiting.

Think of it as your second brain on paper.
It’s personal, practical, and deeply creative.

📝 Why Combine Journaling & Commonplacing?

Keeping everything in one place makes sense if you:

• Already journal regularly
• Don’t want to carry multiple notebooks
• Prefer having both reflection and reference in the same spot

It creates a rich, layered document — part diary, part inspiration archive.

🔧 How to Start Commonplacing in Your Journal

1. Use a Symbol, Colour or Header to Mark Commonplace Entries

In the middle of your journal, when a quote or idea strikes you, just add a little visual tag.

Examples:

• 📚 = Quote
• 💡 = Idea
• 🧠 = Insight
• ✍️ = Writing Prompt
• 🗣 = Conversation

You can draw a vertical line in the margin, highlight the entry, or use a specific colour for commonplacing moments.

2. Create a Running Index or Log

Set aside 1–2 pages in the front or back of your journal to act as a commonplace index.
Whenever you record a meaningful entry, jot down:

Pg 12 — “Solitude & Self-Discovery” 📚  
Pg 21 — Morning Writing Habit ✍️  
Pg 33 — Notes on Flow State 💡

This makes it easy to revisit your best thoughts without flipping endlessly.

3. Separate Entries With Lines or Boxes

If you want clearer boundaries between journal thoughts and commonplace entries, draw a horizontal line, use brackets, or add a title box like:

[Commonplace Entry]  
📚 “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”  
— Dorothy Parker

You don’t need to format everything perfectly — just enough to catch your own attention later.

4. Review & Reflect Every Month

At the end of each month, flip back through your journal and highlight the best entries you want to remember. Update your index and tag any overlooked gems.

You’ll be amazed at how much insight is hiding in your own handwriting.

🧡 In the End, It’s Your Brain on Paper

Whether it’s a reflection on your day or a line from a 2,000-year-old Stoic philosopher, your journal is the perfect place to hold it all.

You don’t need a new system — just a habit of noticing what matters and giving it a little space.

That’s commonplacing. And it fits beautifully right where you already are.

Interested to try Commonplacing?

The Big One is our quarterly journaling subscription, where we take a deeper dive into a self-care, self-development or productivity concept.

For our September 2025 box we will be exploring the concept of Commonplacing in more depth, with a bumper bundle of tools to help you incorporate the method into your journal.

Subscriptions are now open to new subscribers *while stocks last*