Hi friends,
If you watched my May page reveal, you already know that this month I tried something new in my journal: an end-of-month reflection spread.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a dedicated space for looking back before jumping into a new month, and I wanted to see how it felt to close things out with intention. I’m happy to report—it felt really good. So good, in fact, that I’m already looking forward to doing it again for June.
Here’s how I structured the page:
Wins
This section was all about celebration. I wanted to pause and recognize the good things, big and small. Another way I thought of titling this section? “Good things are always happening to me.”
Some of my personal wins from May:
Showing up consistently for workouts
Making serious headway on a behind-the-scenes journal project
Progressing steadily on key client work
Tackling seasonal yardwork (the kind of thing that always feels better after it’s done)
5 Pillars
Inspired by Lisa Jacobs’ Your Best Year planner, I used this section to check in on five key areas of life:
Financial
Spiritual
Mental
Relational
Physical
Instead of grading myself or getting super goal-focused, I kept it simple. This was just about checking in and taking an honest pulse in each area.
I’m very intrigued to see how these pillars ebb and flow throughout the rest of the year as I touch base with them at the end of every month.
Vision
This may have been my favorite part.
I brewed a cup of tea, sat down with my journal, and let myself dream a little. Not in a “new year, new goals” kind of way—but just a quiet, grounded reflection on where I’d love to head next.
If you’ve experienced setbacks that made dreaming feel hard (me too), this might be a hopeful practice to try. It left me feeling refreshed and reconnected with possibility.
One thing I noticed is that how I wanted to feel in the future was as important to me as what I wanted to see and do.
Highlights
Yes, social media gets flak for being a highlight reel—but in my journal, I want to remember the good stuff.
My May highlights included:
That first bright green flush across the trees
The return of warm days
Faux tan season 😉
Cuddles with Tilly
“Faux peanut buster parfaits” made with skyr yogurt (a new staple)
A Word
Instead of choosing a word at the start of the month, I picked one at the end. It felt more honest somehow—like capturing the essence of how May really felt.
My word for this month? Momentum.
May wasn’t perfect, but it definitely got me moving forward in some ways that were really important to me. I felt purposeful. Energized. I’m excited to carry this momentum with me into June.
Thanks, as always, for being here and letting me share these pages with you.
If you try an end-of-month reflection, I’d love to hear what you include. There are so many ways to do this—and no wrong ones.
Cheers! ~Steph
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