It feels like this notebook has been such a while in the making. From coming up with the concept as far back as last autumn it’s taken exactly 12 months to get to this position – the exciting bit – where I’m ready to see what magic the printers have produced.

To be fair, during this time I’ve gone back to work full time, and I’ve been trying to get to grips with a pretty hectic day job with caring for a family with two little people (alongside a partner who works quite variable, non-standard hours). I keep trying not to be too hard on myself and reminding myself that 1) this is meant to be fun, 2) the timeline is completely nominal and 3) there’s nothing to feel guilty about.

Not unsurprisingly, things have taken so long to get here that the initial surge of enthusiasm and excitement has waned. Day to day ‘stuff’ has got in the way and it’s been hard to muster the energy to get this over the line and out in the big wide world. The passage of time has just left room for self-doubt to creep in, and the opportunity to question how useful my product will be. A bit of a reality check I guess. But I just know that as soon as I have my very own notebook in my hands, just as I’d pictured it, those feelings will come flooding back.

Decisions - selecting the ring binding size and colour

I can’t wait to share some pictures of the final notebook – arriving early next week I hope! Here's a sneak preview: