Summary

Christina M. Ward shares her transformative experience with the Monk Manual, a 90-day journal that applies monastic wisdom to daily life, leading to personal growth and the realization of a significant life goal.

Abstract

The Monk Manual, a journal crafted by Steven Lawson, has been a pivotal tool in Christina M. Ward's life. It is not merely a planner but a comprehensive system that integrates monastic principles with modern productivity techniques. Ward details her journey with the Manual, emphasizing its role in organizing her thoughts, planning her day, and fostering internal growth. The journal's structure, which includes daily, weekly, and monthly reflections, has helped her prioritize tasks, practice gratitude, and set themes for periods of her life. This practice has led to increased productivity, a sense of accomplishment, and a deeper understanding of her life's purpose. The physical quality of the journal, with its durable cover and high-quality paper, complements its spiritual and practical utility. Ward's commitment to the Monk Manual's daily exercises, particularly the "what I look forward to" prompt, has been instrumental in her and her partner's achievement of homeownership, a dream they have pursued for a decade.

Opinions

The Monk Manual is highly regarded by the author for its ability to facilitate significant personal change and align with her spiritual inclinations.
The journal's design, which encourages reflection on gratitude and forward-looking anticipation, is seen as a powerful antidote to feelings of depression.
The author appreciates the journal's emphasis on prioritizing goals and its user-friendly layout, which accommodates her preference for list-making without exacerbating her carpal tunnel syndrome.
While the Monk Manual has a spiritual essence, it is not exclusively for the religious, and the author believes that anyone seeking meaning in life can benefit from its use.
The physical craftsmanship of the Monk Manual, including its size, paper quality, and vegan leather cover, enhances its practicality and appeal for daily use.
The author credits the Monk Manual with helping her manifest the long-held dream of buying a house, attributing this success to the journal's gentle directives and the power of written affirmations.

My Journey With the Monk Manual

Not just a regular journal

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I wake up every morning with Alexa’s voice ringing out from my echo spot, “Reminder — Monk Manual.” Most mornings I sleep right through it but as I climb out of the bed each morning, I find myself reaching not for my cell phone first, but for my Monk Manual on the bedside table. And my favorite gel ink pen — usually in a bright pink, red, or teal color.

The Monk Manual isn’t just a journal. For me, it has been a companion, a way for me to organize my thoughts and plan for my day, and a walk through my own internal growth. It has been a catalyst of great change for me.

As I began this journey, I was yearning for some kind of big change in my life, although I wasn’t really sure what that change would be. I had no idea it would be the change I’d been praying for, more than the past ten years of my life. No, I cannot say the Monk Manual made this change for me, but I can say it put me on the right path mentally and helped to prepare my heart to accept the blessing.

What is the Monk manual?

In what seemed like an all-out stalking, my Facebook feed pestered me with ads about the Monk Manual. I guess the Facebook algorithm knew, I’d be prime purchasing material for the book. I admit, I clicked on it every time. It intrigued me.

The Monk Manual is a 90-day journal experience based on the wisdom of monks, created by Steven Lawson. The Monk Manual website boasts it is a “system for being + doing.” Here is the vision, as described by the founders of the Monk Manual:

For over 2000 years men and women have set out for the hills, fields and mountains to become Monks — searching for happiness, freedom, peace, joy, balance, fulfillment, confidence, stability, passion and God.

Who says the rest of us can’t experience the same things?

Drawing from the wisdom of monastic life, modern psychology and best practices in personal productivity, the Monk Manual provides a daily system that will help you find clarity, purpose, wisdom, and peace in the moments that make up your life.

The mission of the Monk Manual is also eloquently defined:

What the world needs now, is monks sweet monks.

We find a radical way of living in monasteries. A way that flips contemporary thinking on its head. Where the world says focus on more, the monk says focus on less. Where the world seeks to master outcomes, the monk seeks to master self. Where the world fills our lives with noise and distraction, the monk fills his or her life with quiet and focus. Where the world pursues a life of independence, the monk pursues a life of trust, walking the path of life with God and others. Where the world medicates, the monk meditates.

We are on an ambitious mission to help busy people utilize timeless monastic principles to live with greater peace and purpose in their everyday lives.

I must say — everything about that resonates with me, being a spiritual person who leans in heavily toward self-reflection, self-improvement, life-meaning and lessons.

When my Monk Manual came in the mail, I may have done a little happy dance. I had no idea whether or not it would be another journal, stacked on my bookshelf with the others — half-filled and wholly discarded, or if it would fulfill my “monks sweet monks” vision for my life.

My first impression — the book is well-made and really beautiful.

Here are some pictures I took of it the day it arrived:

My personal journey with the Monk Manual

A funny thing happens when you begin a new journey. It creates an openness within your spirit for new understanding. I began each day to fill out the pages and my first few weeks I began to notice some changes within myself and within the unfolding of my days.

I am a list maker so making my daily to do lists became more fun. The three sections at the top of the page allowed me to choose the three most important goals for the day — I love this strategy and with or without the Monk Manual, I think I will continue to do this each day. It allowed me to prioritize my day around these three goals. It made me feel more productive and accomplished.
The “weekly” spreads allowed me to look back over my week and think about what I’d accomplished — but also look for areas of improvement.
I loved setting a theme for each day, week and month. Kind of like a bullet journal without all the work of design. (My carpal tunnel was so grateful.)
Gratitude — The design of the Monk Manual forces you to think about what you are grateful for, what you look forward to, and ways that you can give of yourself to the world. Though it feels like a very personal experience, you feel like you are evaluating your place in this world, your greater purpose, and then acting in accordance to that purpose with a spirit of gratitude and giving.

Each morning I filled out the daily spread, planned my day, and set out with more purpose than with a regular to-do list. It’s hard to explain, but it is very different to be goal-oriented PLUS preparing your mind and heart for the tasks ahead. Then, in the evening, evaluating what you have done, how you did it, and looking for areas of your efforts that need improvement. I think the monks are onto something very special here.

While the manual has a spiritual “feel” it is not necessarily a religious journal or overtly Christian. I would say that people who are religious or open to spiritual messages will benefit more from its use. Anyone who is searching for meaning in their life will certainly find it if they put in the work and do it honestly.

Some things I love about the physical craftsmanship of the book

8.5 x 5.5 in, perfect for taking with you wherever you go
One full page spread for every day, week and month
Printed on high quality acid free paper
256 pages printed in color with soy based ink
beautiful saddle stitching
made with with vegan PU leather cover

Oh — the big change I mentioned earlier? Yes.

In the bottom corner of the daily spread there is a box for “what I look forward to” (and I find this to be a crucial part of the Monk Manual — forcing you to look forward to things is a great way to go against the grain of depression, in my opinion.) I put the same thing in the box nearly every day for 2 months — “Buying a house.” For the past ten years my partner and I have struggled to get our credit repaired, keep steady work, and get ourselves in the position to buy a home.

Claiming this every single day for 2 months — well it must have done something inside of me. It shifted something in the right direction. I began making lists of what was in our way of home ownership. I began checking those things off, one by one, and reflecting on those steps with gratitude.

We close on our new house next month.

I thank the Monk Journal for finding that strength within me — it was always there, but having the gentle directives to work my way toward this change, has been immeasurably valuable to me.

Turns out — I did need some monks.

For more by this author:

De-Cluttering Yourself to Freedom Are We Nature-Depleted and Suffering for It?

Christina M. Ward is a well-living blogger, a poet (her first collection is organic), and a nature-loving Carolina girl who enjoys finding the lessons in life (especially in nature). You can follow her on social media or subscribe to her Author Newsletter.