The shelves of Guided Journals got a whole lot fuller. 

Self-Publishing and Print on Demand

The Self-Publishing industry has drastically changed over the last few years due to the new and easier platforms opening up to the world of Print On Demand (POD). POD enables anyone to write and publish a book. With traditional publishing companies opening up their markets to POD and with publishing service assistance supporting the development of books, the market has exploded with thousands of books being released a day. There is no better time to write a book then now!

Low Content Books

The ease of POD triggered the growth of low connect books as a way to get a published book quite easily. Without having to take the time to research, develop, or edit a manuscript, it could be quite easy to publish a “no” to “low” content book. With or without words, focusing only on the graphics or in some cases just blank pages, then with repeated pages (such as diaries or agendas) a book could be created with little effort. 

Although this could be exactly the type of workbook you need, it also could end up being low content and low quality.

Workbooks might have less content than a traditional book but it does not have to be low quality to be considered a low content book!

Book + Stationery

Workbooks and Guided Content Books are on the boarder of book and stationery as they combine both elements of reading and writing. They attract more and more people as we embrace the good old fashion means to write it out…with pen and paper.

Not only used for health and wellbeing, to attract abundance or experience gratitude, a workbook can support your whole way of life from planning it, tracking it, organizing it, reflecting on it, learning something new or making reading a lot more fun!   

Do The Work Books strives to support Guided Content Books or Self Directed Books to support the participant with enough content for guidance and allow space for exploration, reflection and doing the work.

5 types of workbooks

Here are the 5 types of workbooks that can range from low to high content but all are of high value.

The Planner

This is the yearly agenda or weekly planner. It has a daily, weekly, monthly repeated framework to assist the participant into a routine. It could even be a type of workbook for setting up an event which might not have the same repeated time frames as an agenda but it allows the participant to plan using a procedure for planing a particular event. It may have low content but high value if the participant uses it repeatedly or consistently.

• Workbook Example - Daily Agenda, Weekly Planner, Financial Planner, Health and Fitness Planners, Work Planners

• Content Amount - Little

• Case Study Example

Life Purpose Playbook | Judy Machado

Originally developed as a daily planning tool to make your days as productive as possible. It has daily pages for 6 month of the year and monthly checkins repeated in the book. There are also colouring pages, a daily water tracking tool, organizing system and mini guided exercises for discovering your life’s purpose.

The Tracker

This is the method for keeping record of a particular event or activity. The Tracker can be used to analyze health, mental or physical states, items or events. With the ongoing list of purpose and functions, this type of workbook may have low content but is high in value if what is being tracked is very important to the participant.

• Workbook Example - Habit Tracer, Mood Tracker, Budget Tracker, Food Log, Book Log

• Content Amount - Low to Little

• Case Study Example

201 Day Achievement Principle | Kim White & Teresa Easler

Developed as a habit tracking tool to monitor and record insights from a number of habits you want to implement into your life. If allows you to do so with an element of grace as it honours the fact that you may not achieve your habit goals everyday so it looks at your intentions as a whole throughout the entire year. This workbook also has a practice clarifier exercise and vision board activity at the beginning of the book.

The System

This is the book that utilizes a structured process to record outcomes. It is methodical with implementation tools. A certain way of doing things that can be templated and directed. Content can range from low to high depending on the complexity and necessary explanations to accompany the tools. It will have enormous value if the teaching is something that is complex, has lots of steps or makes the system easier for the participant to learn and implement. How successfully the participant interacts with the system will greatly benefit both the teacher and the student.

• Workbook Example - Coaching Workbook, Health and Wellness Workbook

• Content Amount - Little to High

• Case Study Example

The Spirit Ritual Formula Journal | Andrew Critelli

Although the title states it is a journal (which it is, as it has lined pages for writing in) this workbook was created as a system to establish a morning and evening routine to support a more happier life.

The Journal

This type of book could possibly have no content at all. What makes a journal with higher perceived value is by adding guided content to support the journaling. Creating a guided content journal will commonly have writing prompts to encourage the participant to write. These prompts could be short or long form answers. To create a journal with more interaction, then other type of forms or combination of forms can be added to increase and give variety to its function. This type of book could have little or lots of content depending on the amount of work put into the pages and the amount of work the participant is asked to do.

• Workbook Example - Bullet Journal, Notebooks, Guided Journals 

• Content Amount - None to High

• Case Study Example

A Little Gratitude Journal | Nita Sandhu

This is not a blank journal to write in, far from it, because it has guided content for self-directed participation. It has morning and evening guided prompts, weekly writing exercises and monthly motivational words of encouragement from the author that makes this gratitude journal a supportive experience. 

The Activity

This is the type of workbook that may not have any writing in it at all. It could be a colouring book, doodling or drawing book, puzzle or  game book. It is an activity book that commonly considered a “fun” or “creative” book. Not all workbooks have to be all serious or orderly. This allows for more creativity, more personality, or more adventure. This type of book could also be a serious or even a sombre topic but the whimsical playful approach makes it lighter and easier to take in.

• Workbook Example - Colouring books, Games or Puzzle books

• Content Amount - None to Little

• Case Study Example

The Mourning Pages | Susan McKenzie

This is a workbook with lots to do as it has all of the following activities: reading (of personal stories about grief), colouring (inspirational quotes and therapeutic illustrations) and listening (to guided meditations about colour therapy). This is an example of how an activity type of workbook which commonly is associated with “fun” exercises, is used for healing in creative and engaging ways.    

Which workbook do you need for your specific purpose?

Ask yourself…

What type of workbooks do you use?

What type of workbook would you want to create that will support your teaching, offering or services?

The type of workbook you create will need to reflect the type of work you want to invest or share and the type of work you want your participant to do. 

Your Work…

How involved do you want to be in the book?

How much support to you want to give or many questions do you want to ask?

Their Work…

How involved do you want your participant to be? 

How much work do you want them to do?

Reach out if you need support deciding what type of workbook you want.