Built Daily
JRNL
42 days. One page a day.
A paper journal for the life around your training. One honest question in the morning. A few marks through the day. Three short lists at night.
Hardcover · 88 pages · 8.25 × 11 in · on Amazon
The short version.
- 42daysOne page each. Six weeks, start to finish.
- 1question every morningAbout how you see people, and your own day.
- 12things to markSleep, effort, steps, meals, one task, time outside, reading and more.
- 3×3After Action ReportWhat went well. What didn't. What to do better.
- 7→1on SundaySeven pages become one picture of your week.
- $0to try itTry the whole JRNL free as a PDF. Then get the book.
A closer look
One page. One day.
This is the whole page. It follows your day from the top down: morning, the hours in between, then night. No app. No login. Just you and a pen.
Morning
Start with one question.
Every page opens with a prompt about how you treat people and how you see your own day. There are 42. None repeat.
“Who will I see today? What is one thing they do well?”
Then two quick marks: did you do your wake-up routine, and how did you sleep?
Through the day
A few marks. That's it.
Did you train? Did you finish your one task? What did you eat? Did you get outside, and what did you notice?
Most of it is a tick or a number. You write down what happened. The page does the remembering.
At night
The After Action Report.
Up to three things that went well. Up to three that didn’t. Up to three to do better. Then tomorrow’s one task.
The name comes from the Army. The habit works anywhere: look at the day straight, without beating yourself up, and carry one change forward.
A week
Plan it the Sunday before.Read it the Sunday after.
You plan each week the Sunday before it starts: one thing to try, one task a day, your book, your cook day and your walk. The Sunday after, you copy the week’s marks into one strip. Seven pages become one picture, and the pattern is right there.
The guides
Every mark comes with a guide.
Twelve one-page guides. Each one says what the mark is, why you track it, how to score it and what the pattern tells you.
Three worksheets set up your wake-up routine, your walk and your cook day before day 1.
The 42 boxes
Miss a day? Day 10 is still day 10.
There is one box for each day. Fill one in every night you finish a page.
A gap is not failure. It’s information. The goal is 42 pages, not 42 in a row.
The hardcover
Made to be written in.
A real book, 8.25 by 11 inches, so there’s room to write. It comes printed and bound. Nothing to print, punch or staple. Open it to day 1 and start.
- It sits on your desk.A file is easy to forget. A book in front of you is not.
- Finish one, start the next.Six weeks a book. That's eight goals a year, with a month to spare.
- A full one goes on the shelf.Six weeks of your own days, in your own hand.
On Amazon · Hardcover · 88 pages
Free, on purpose
Not sure yet? Try the whole thing free.
This is the full JRNL as a PDF. All 42 days, every guide, every worksheet. Type right into it, or print a week and use a pen. No email. No sign-up. If it sticks, the hardcover is the one to keep going with.
PDF · 1.7 MB · 90 pages · every field labeled for screen readers
- 1Download it.Save the file to your computer, tablet or phone.
- 2Open it in a PDF reader.Adobe Acrobat Reader is free. A web browser lets you type, but it doesn't always save what you wrote.
- 3Type in it, or print it.Every line, box and circle can be filled in. Tab moves to the next one. Or print it on Letter or A4 paper.
What it costs
Free to download. Not free to print.
I’d rather tell you now. The file costs nothing. Paper, ink and something to hold 44 sheets together do, and if the JRNL works for you, you’ll want a new one every six weeks. That’s what the book is for.
Hardcover
My pick$21.99
The one to keep going with. On Amazon, where the price can change.
- Pages
- All 88, 8.25 × 11 in
- Type in it
- No. It's a book
- Write by hand
- Yes
- Paper, ink, binding
- Done for you
- The next six weeks
- A new book
Free PDF
$0
The way to find out if the JRNL is for you.
- Pages
- All 88, plus a how-to page
- Type in it
- Yes
- Write by hand
- After you print it
- Paper, ink, binding
- Yours to buy
- The next six weeks
- Download and print again
What printing one JRNL costs.
- Copy shopTo print 88 pages: $11 to $23To hold it together: $3 to $6 for coil binding
- Home printer, ink cartridgesTo print 88 pages: $4 to $11, plus paperTo hold it together: A binder or folder
- Home laser or ink-tank printerTo print 88 pages: $1 to $5, plus paperTo hold it together: A binder or folder
Rough US prices in 2026: about 13 to 26 cents a side at a copy shop, 5 to 12 cents a page on ink cartridges, 1 to 5 cents on a laser or ink-tank printer. Yours will be different. Skip the cover page to save ink.
The hardcover is $21.99, printed, bound and at your door. A copy shop charges about $14 to $29 for the same pages on a coil, so you save little or nothing. A home printer that’s cheap to run does cost less, but you get loose pages, and you do it again every six weeks. Try it free. When you know you’ll keep going, get the book.
Questions
Before you start.
Who is the JRNL for?
Anyone who wants an honest record of their days. It doesn't give you a workout or a diet, and you don't have to train to use it. It asks what you did and how it went, then helps you see the pattern.
What if I miss a day?
Start again with today's page. The count keeps going: if you miss day 9, day 10 is still day 10. The goal is 42 pages, not 42 in a row.
Can I type in the free PDF on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Open it in a PDF app that handles forms, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is free. Save the file when you finish so your answers stay in it. A web browser will let you type, but it doesn't always save what you wrote.
Why buy the book if the PDF is free?
Same pages. The book saves you the printing and the binding, it sits on your desk instead of in a folder on your computer, and a full one goes on the shelf. Try the PDF first if you're not sure.
Is the free PDF the same as the book?
Same pages, same words. The PDF adds a cover and one page on how to use the file. The hardcover is 8.25 by 11 inches, printed and bound.
Can I share the PDF?
Yes. Send people to this page so they get the newest copy. Please don't sell it.
Is this medical advice?
No. The JRNL is general information and a place to keep your own record. The sleep and effort scores are your own ratings. They are not medical tests.