Notebooks are great for recording thoughts on the go, and have long been recognised as a good way to get ahead if you're struggling with organising your thoughts and life goals. When you write, you're baring your soul, so it's better to have a personalised notebook that reflects your own personality.

Once you make the decision to be more mindful and use a notebook to achieve your goals, here are three ways you can be successful, day and night:

1. Have a set time to write and reflect

Each morning, write down small goals for the day; this will put them at the forefront of your mind and make you more likely to achieve them. Make time when you get home to review your goals by commenting on how you tried to meet them and whether you succeeded. Gradually this will build up and you'll see yourself making slow but meaningful progress that'll boost your self-esteem.

2. Add a motivational quote to the cover

At some point we all doubt ourselves, which is why it's a good idea to give your notebook an inspirational cover, complete with a quote that helps you stay on course. This can be a famous turn of phrase, or even one of your own thoughts that continues to resonate. Whenever you start to lose confidence, you can glance at your notebook and feel invigorated to work towards your goals within.

It would also be a good idea to keep the back page of you notebook as a 'free space', so if you don't have goals to write or lessons learnt, you can still express yourself when you're not feeling your best.

3. Don't limit yourself to words

Your notebook may have lined paper, but that doesn't mean you can't draw and doodle outside the lines. If you're in a moment where you need to slow down or let something out, drawing and visually expressing yourself may be the best option. As you stick pen to paper, let your imagination run wild and view it as a form of meditation to calm yourself. You could even write a description of any coherent drawings to help yourself get to their deeper meaning and to reveal something about yourself you may not consciously know.

It would be worth considering getting two notebooks; one for writing and one for drawing; the former to keep you mindful of your goals in life and the latter to express yourself as you confront your highs and lows head on. Whichever one you need at the time, you'll feel better about approaching a personalised book you've helped to create as it becomes a symbol of your determination.