Free 2026 Digital Journal (PDF Template for iPad and Tablet)
If I’m scrolling on my YouTube homepage and see a video of someone sharing their journal or diary, bet you I’m adding that straight to my watch later playlist for inspiration. Unfortunately, upon watching the video the inspiration lasts about 5 minutes and wears off into an endless TikTok scroll. There’s a kind of effortless aspirational energy in watching someone else perfectly document their life—and the curated idea of someone else's planning is often more engaging than the reality of doing it yourself. The constant pressure to maximise output has made self-improvement less about internal growth and more about external, performative success.
This whole vibe reveals the biggest scam of self-improvement right now, we are mistaking watching for doing. The core of journalling isn't that Pinterest-perfect spread; it's the actual grind—the messy, sometimes boring work of writing down your real, unfiltered thoughts. If you want to stop getting that five-minute boost that fades into a TikTok scroll, you have to ditch the idea of being perfect and neat. You need to stop treating your notebook like content and start using it like a personal cheat code. That means forgetting the fancy pens and perfect handwriting. A page full of chaotic scribbles that you actually wrote is always going to be much better than a pristine blank page that you were too intimidated to touch.
I was so invested in digital journalling back in 2023 that I even bought a tablet just for digital journalling. I got through 24 years of my life without wanting or needing a tablet. Forget Netflix, YouTube, making Pinterest boards, studying, playing games and all that—what are you all doing with your tablets anyway? After deciding to publish PBMIF’s first digital journal in 2024 I was amazed to see the attention the first journal received, so I made one for 2025. Can I be honest with you? I didn’t even use one of them myself. The thought was there, but not the drive nor the motivation. If I recall, I think I wrote I wanted 2025 to not be a ‘filler’ year, demonstrating the 2025 digital journal. The truth is I haven’t had the most fulfilling year, in fact I wasted a lot of it just by being online, watching other people live.
2026 Digital Journal Diary (Free PDF Download) 🩶 | iPad and Tablet | GoodNotes, Samsung Notes
Besides being a great procrastinator, I've struggled to post content recently. This year, changing website providers significantly hit the site's Google search rankings, and competition from AI search results has added to the problem. This combination has unfortunately led to a loss of motivation.
Amongst the many problems with journalling, if you see it that way, motivation is quite a large reason why many avoid it. If you’ve ever dipped your toe into journalling, starting off probably sounded like: What do you write? How much are you supposed to write? Is this aesthetically pleasing enough? Do I have to write morning pages like my favourite influencer? What if I forget to fill in my habit tracker? It can be overwhelming.
You may want to read…
I’ve designed this year’s 2026 digital journal to be somewhat simple and intentional; just black and white, with a lot of white space, a place for you to put whatever you want. It’s horizontal this year, there’s something nice about a full screen (16:10). I had in mind a sort of album which you can document your year month by month, so it’s a case of copy and pasting pages with the corresponding month. Just drag and drop the pages wherever you want. This digital journal’s clean and spacious layout encourages you to write effortlessly without the distraction and pressure of trackers and clutter. A simple canvas for your daily life. It’s motivating precisely because it doesn't impose rigid structures—your entries flow freely.
This journal blends bits and pieces of life crafting with PERMA theory. Martin Seligman, a leading figure in positive psychology, devised what is known as the 'PERMA' model, which is comprised of five elements that contribute to wellbeing; positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement/accomplishment (see Kovich et al., 2022). On the other hand, life crafting (Schippers & Ziegler, 2019, p. 3), is “a process in which people actively reflect on their present and future life, set goals for important areas of life, and create goals that are more aligned with their values and wishes”. This process has been suggested to help individuals find more meaning in their lives and help improve mental health (see de Jong et al., 2020).
“That’s a bit of me” (p. 6)
A piece of toast with no toppings is a tabula rasa (blank slate) - What toppings make you, you?
I have included an image of a piece of bread (that I personally toasted, no AI here) so that you can put things on it that represent you.
(I find philosophy too much to handle.)
Includes:
About me
2026 Calendar (Monday start)
Vision board – Vision boards can promote self-reflection and self-awareness (Waalkes et al., 2019). They also provide an opportunity for creative expression, communication, future goal setting, and exploration (Burton & Lent, 2016), without relying heavily on verbal expression.
Daily templates – Daily to-do, check-in, today I’m feeling, I think that, what I’m grateful for today, weekly grid.
Outfit builder – Being a fashion psychology blog, it’s only right to have included an outfit builder.
Wellbeing Activities –
Dopamine menu – Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that drives the brain's motivation and reward-seeking behaviour (see Dresp-Langley, 2023). Starters are quick and simple activities that don’t take up too much energy (e.g., having a coffee break, putting a facemask on, listening to a song, etc.). Mains are meaty activities that require greater focus and tend to have benefits (e.g., baking, reading, learning a new skill, etc.). Desserts are activities that are entirely for pleasure and make you feel good in the short-term, though they should probably be done in moderation (e.g., online shopping, scrolling social media)!
Wellbeing graph (short term/long term, mind/body) - If you’re not a fan of the dopamine menu, you can use this grid instead.
Wellbeing (wheel) log - Wellbeing encompasses 8 mutually interdependent dimensions: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, financial, and environmental (see Stoewen, 2017). You can fill in the wheel to record how you feel about each dimension. I’ve also provided a blank wheel in case there’s anything specific you want to work on.
Out of/in my control – Think about things that you can control in life and what’s probably not worth stressing over (see Botha & Dahmann, 2023). Inside the ‘in my control’ circle, write down all of the things that you have control over. On the outside of the circle, write down things that are not in your control.
Menstrual cycle – Record your feelings, symptoms, and energy level during each stage of your cycle to help you proactively manage each stage.
Ins and outs – What’s in and out in 2026 for you?
This to that – Reframe thoughts into positive ones.
Goal setting – Plan out goals you’d like to achieve.
Wishlist – What are your needs and wants?
To read/watch/listen list.
Review
Other – 26 lessons learned in 2026, habit tracker, vision board, mood board, routine, dream log, what’s in my bag, travel plan, thoughts dump, recipes.
Album templates
Blank pages and grids
Quotes – I’ve included my favourite quotes that I think you’ll like too.
173 questions based on PERMA theory and life crafting (of course, answer the ones you’re comfortable with).
I wrote about the benefits in more detail here.
Remember to always do what works for you, and do it for you. Try out the journal and let me know how you find it, or if you’ve got any questions! You can reach me here: @psychologybutmakeitfashion. :)
You may find the file below. It's a free hyperlinked PDF that can be used on any notes app that allows PDF import (i.e., Goodnotes, Samsung Notes, etc.). To go back to the menu, tap on the top right corner of each page. If you have an iPad/tablet with a wider resolution and don’t like the black bars/want a portrait version of this journal, please let me know.
Thank you for supporting PBMIF in 2025/6. I wish you an awesome year.
PLEASE DO NOT UPLOAD THIS PDF TO PUBLIC FILE-SHARING SITES DUE TO COPYRIGHT REASONS! THIS JOURNAL IS FREE.
Continuing the series of PBMIF’s annual digital journal diary planner PDF templates inspired by positive psychology, here’s the 2026 edition. Compatible with iPad, Samsung tablets, iPhone, Android, and other tablets. To be used with PDF import apps incl. Samsung Notes, Goodnotes, and Adobe Acrobat. [16:10, LANDSCAPE]
You may want to read…
Botha, F. & Dahmann, S. C. (2023). Locus of control, self-control, and health outcomes. SSM - Population health, 25, 101566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101566
Burton, L. & Lent, J. (2016). The use of vision boards as a therapeutic intervention. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 11, 52–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2015.1092901
de Jong, E. M., Ziegler, N., & Schippers, M. C. (2020). From shattered goals to meaning in life: Life crafting in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2648. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3656964
Dresp-Langley, B. (2023). From Reward to Anhedonia-Dopamine Function in the Global Mental Health Context. Biomedicines, 11(9), 2469. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11092469
Kovich, M. K., Simpson, V. L., Foli, K. J., Hass, Z., & Phillips, R. G. (2023). Application of the PERMA Model of Well-being in Undergraduate Students. International journal of community well-being, 6(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42413-022-00184-4
Schippers, M. C. & Ziegler, N. (2019). Life crafting as a way to find purpose and meaning in life. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2778. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02778
Stoewen, D. L. (2017). Dimensions of wellness: Change your habits, change your life. The Canadian veterinary journal (La revue veterinaire canadienne), 58(8), 861-862.
Waalkes, P. L., Gonzalez, L. M., & Gray, C. N. (2019). Vision boards: A creative tool for self exploration and identity development. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2019.1602092
