Choose one word.
How did this week feel?
“Stretched.” “Proud.” “Learning.”
HOW TO JOURNAL / YOUR EYEDEAS
A little guidance.
A clearer perspective.
Your appointments have a place.
So do your thoughts.
Your eyedeas brings planning and reflection together. You don’t need to be a writer, fill every line or have the perfect words. A sentence, a word or a small reminder is enough to begin.
Start with two minutes ↓
A little room to check in with yourself.
FOR THE PERSON BEHIND THE APPOINTMENTS
Some days ask a lot.
Some remind you why.
Working in eye care can mean full clinics, detailed decisions, admin and conversations with people who feel worried. It can be stressful, and there are days when the work follows you home.
It can also be deeply rewarding: helping someone understand their eye care, supporting a colleague, learning a new skill or noticing the difference a thoughtful conversation made.
These pages make room for both. You can recognise what felt difficult and still notice what mattered. Your journal can hold your life outside work, too.
01 / A SIMPLE START
Try a two-minute
check-in.
Open “End of Week Clarity”. Start with these three prompts, then add more only if you want to.
Notice one small win.
What did you do that mattered?
“I took time to explain something clearly.”
Leave a kind reminder.
What would help you meet next week?
“I can pause and ask for support.”
Missed a week? Just start on the page you’re on.
02 / MAKING THE PAGES YOUR OWN
A diary for your days.
A journal for you.
YOUR MONTH IN VIEW
See the bigger picture.
Use the two-page calendar for clinics, important dates and time outside work. Give the things that matter to you a place alongside appointments.
YOU COULD WRITE
“Annual leave.” “CPD evening.” “Dinner with friends.”
THIS MONTH’S FOCUS & GOALS
Choose a direction.
Write what you would like to give attention to. Use “From vision to action” to turn it into small, manageable steps.
FOCUS → SMALL STEP
“Build my confidence explaining things” → “Ask a colleague for feedback on one explanation.”
YOUR WEEK AHEAD
Make space for real life.
Plan Monday to Sunday with work, everyday tasks and something to look forward to. You can leave space for the unexpected.
YOU COULD WRITE
“Clinic.” “Prepare for tomorrow.” “Walk after work.”
BLIND SPOTS, THOUGHTS & PATIENT FOLLOW UPS
Catch the loose ends.
Use the tick boxes for general reminders, learning questions and unfinished tasks. Keep patient names, identifying details and clinical records in your secure practice system.
KEEP IT GENERAL
“Check my admin query has been answered.” “Ask about a learning point.”
I’M 20/20 (WHAT WENT WELL)
Notice what mattered.
A win doesn’t have to be a big achievement. Think about your effort, a useful conversation or a moment when you felt proud.
YOU COULD WRITE
“I asked for a second opinion.” “I supported a colleague during a busy clinic.”
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR WEEK
Give the week a name.
Choose the word that fits, without judging it. It’s a quick snapshot of how the week felt to you.
ANY OF THESE CAN BELONG
“Rewarding.” “Demanding.” “Steady.” “Mixed.”
03 / THIS WEEK’S AFFIRMATION
A reminder
you can believe.
An affirmation is a short, supportive sentence you choose to return to. It can remind you of a value, recognise your effort or help you approach the week with a little more kindness.
Keep it believable. You don’t need to pretend a difficult day was easy. “I’m learning, and I can ask for help” may feel more useful than “I always get everything right.”
Try starting with “I can…”, “I’m allowed to…” or “I’m learning to…”.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO REMEMBER?
“I can pause, ask for support and take the next step.”
A reminder for a week that asks a lot of you.Borrow these words, change them or write something that sounds like you.
YOUR NOTES / NO RIGHT WAY
Make room for
everything else.
A question you want to explore, a small eyedea, something you’re grateful for or a thought you want to leave on the page. Your notes can be messy, brief or unfinished.
You don’t have to turn every reflection into a task.
FROM KRUPA’S BOOKSHELF
A little less pressure.
A little more kindness.
A recent read I’ve loved is The Power of Being Perfectly Imperfect by fellow optometrist Sheena Tanna-Shah. Its invitation to embrace imperfection feels close to the spirit of your eyedeas.
In eye care, we spend so much of the day looking after others. Your journal can be a place to check in with yourself, too — to acknowledge what felt hard, recognise your effort and think about the support you need.
A FEW EYEDEAS TO EXPLORE
- What am I carrying from this week?
- Where did I show care, even when the day felt difficult?
- What could I ask for help with, or give myself permission to leave for another day?
These are our own journaling prompts, offered alongside a personal reading recommendation.
Explore Sheena’s book ↗04 / A FEW QUESTIONS
Start where
you are.
Do I need to journal every day?
No. You might plan at the start of the week and reflect at the end, or use the pages whenever they feel useful. Choose a rhythm that fits your life.
What if I can’t think of a win?
Look for effort rather than a perfect outcome. Perhaps you asked for help, listened carefully or made time for a colleague. A small moment is enough.
What if affirmations don’t feel like me?
Use the box for a grounded intention instead: “This week, I’ll ask for help sooner” or “I’ll notice one thing that went well.” You can also leave it blank.
Can I write about things outside work?
Of course. This is your planner. Your friendships, routines, rest and hopes deserve space here, too.
ONE PAGE AT A TIME
Your days.
Your perspective.
There’s no perfect way to fill these pages.
There’s the way that works for you.