Big Life Journal Review: A Side-By-Side Look at All Three Levels
Welcome back to Making Everyday Magic. I’m Shanna, and if you’re new here, we are a homeschooling family of four in our ninth year. I put out a call asking for help on how to build some of those life skills with my kids… and you all delivered. Many of you recommended Big Life Journal, and now I am officially the proud owner of all three levels — kids, teens, and adults.
Since we’ve been working through them together, I want to give you an honest, practical look inside each one and share what’s actually working for us.
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Why I Even Looked Into Big Life Journal
A while back, I realized I was struggling to teach my kids things like using a planner, getting organized, and managing those everyday responsibilities. Turns out those fall under executive functioning skills. Once several of you suggested Big Life Journal, I jumped on their (super easy to use) website and grabbed a journal for my youngest, my teen, and even one for myself.
I had no idea how much these journals would help open up conversations and spark growth.
Want to explore the journals for your family? Here is my affiliate link
Big Life Journal for Kids (Up to 12)
This version is designed as a companion journal, meaning you work through it with your learner. Honestly, I love that. It naturally opens up dialogue between you and your child—questions about strengths, times you struggled, and moments you felt proud. Kids don’t always see us as human, so these conversations matter.
Inside, you’ll find:
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Bright colors and cute layouts
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Short inspiring stories
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Fill-in-the-blanks
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Coloring pages
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Little quotes my daughter loves to repeat
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Journal Buddy pages that spark genuine connection
There’s also a podcast and a video series that go with this journal, which is such a fun bonus.
The focus is on a growth mindset, challenges that make you stronger, and celebrating effort. I haven’t assigned it or created a schedule — we work through it as it fits, and it’s been lovely.
Big Life Journal for Teens (Starts at 10+)
Next up: the tween/teen version.
This journal doesn’t require a buddy, but it still includes tons of:
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Prompts
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Checklists
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Growth-oriented questions
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Dream board and bucket list pages
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Stories and inspiration
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Activities that encourage positive thinking
It’s colorful, engaging, and the perfect level for my tween-turned-teen. There aren’t as many online extras that accompany this version, but honestly, the journal itself stands strong. It nudges them to think about what comes naturally, what they care about, and what they want to grow in.
If you have a kiddo navigating the world between childhood and young adulthood, this one hits the mark.
Big Life Journal for Adults
Yep — I grabbed one for myself.
And I’m so glad I did.
The adult journal includes:
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Beautiful quotes
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Encouraging reminders
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Mindset shifts
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A built-in page keeper
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Activities that help you reflect and reset
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Micro-victories (my favorite section!)
I love a good self-help or inspirational resource, but this feels approachable and grounding: no pressure, no perfection — just space to grow.
I also appreciate modeling this for my girls. They need to see us doing the same self-work we encourage them to do.
The Big Life Journal Website Has SO Much More
Once I started looking around their website, I realized they offer way more than just journals. They have:
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Printable kits
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Pages and worksheets
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Lesson plans
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Homeschool bundles
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Cards
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A video learning series
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A free podcast
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Growth mindset printables
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Healthy habit trackers
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Seasonal bundles
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A charter-school purchasing guide
And truly, there are resources on resources on resources. If you’re someone who loves a good supplemental system, you will not run out of options here.
One caveat:
They send a LOT of emails.
Like… a lot. I need to adjust my settings because I get multiple per day. Just a heads-up.
Thoughts After Using All Three Together
It’s honestly been wonderful having all three journals in the house at once. We’re each working on our own pages, but in a way, we’re working together. It encourages conversations we might not have otherwise, and it’s been such a gentle way to introduce mindset skills and emotional growth.
If you’ve ever felt like your child was missing some of those foundational “life skills,” or you didn’t know exactly how to plant those seeds early… this has been the perfect tool for us.
Many of you recommended Big Life Journal to me, and I cannot thank you enough for putting into words what I was struggling to identify: executive functioning.
Do You Use a Journal?
I’ve never been a big journaling person, but I am a big planner person. I’m not the sticker-and-stamps kind of planner girl — I just need a place to get things out of my brain and onto paper. That alone helps me so much.
So now I’m curious:
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Are you a journal person?
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Are you into bullet journaling, printable pages, themed stickers, or none of the above?
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What works best for your child?
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Have you tried any growth-mindset resources?
I always love hearing what works in your home.
