Be More Caring: Download Our Free Kindness Journal
It’s obvious the world could use more kindness. So this year, why not make “be more caring” your number one resolution? No memberships or calorie counting apps required. In fact, we’ve created this free download to make tracking acts of kindness a cinch all year long.
Inspired? Create and share by tagging @HallmarkStores.
Print this free download
The first step is easy: Download and print this free PDF.
Turn it into a little booklet
Supplies Needed
- Craft knife
- Ruler
- Free downloadable caring booklet template
- Pencil
1. Cut along the dashed blue line.
2. Fold in half, long edge to long edge, with the printed side out, and press the fold flat.
3. Unfold and then fold in half, short edge to short edge, with the printed side out, and press the fold.
4. Unfold and then fold the short end (with the calendar) up to the fold in the middle of the page. Press the fold flat.
5. Fold the other short end toward the middle, and press the fold.
6. Unfold the whole thing.
7. Pinch the middle part together, and then fold in half along the long crease. It will look like a plus sign from the top.
8. Finally, fold it like a book…
…with “A Year of Caring” on the front cover.
How to be more caring all year
Now that you have your tiny “caring resolutions” journal, it’s time to start filling it in. You can do it all at once, or as the year goes on. Here are a few ways to use your “A Year in Caring” journal:
This year, I will put more caring in the world by…
This is a place to think about your caring resolution. There are lots of ways to approach it, like:
- Think about what you’re good at—or want to be better at. For example, “making treats for someone once a month” or “putting my phone away at every meal.”
- Try ongoing behavior, like “being more present when I’m with people I love” or “putting a specific act of kindness on my calendar one day a week.”
- Give yourself super-specific goals, such as “spend three hours a month volunteering for a nonprofit that helps kids” or “give a birthday card to everyone in my office.”
Monthly acts of kindness
There’s a little spot for an act of kindness (or several in itty-bitty writing) every month. You can use this space to brainstorm ideas, write goals, make check marks or name people you were kind to. You could even color in the little stamps and envelopes at the top whenever you send a birthday card or thank-you note.
Big days
Look through your contacts, social media friends or calendar, and find days you know are important to the people you care about. They can be celebratory, like wedding anniversaries or graduations, or somber, like the one-year mark after someone special passed away. Make a note of the date and what you can do to be more caring to your loved one.
Birthdays
We’ve all got birthdays we don’t want to miss. Here’s your chance to jot them down and keep a running list of ideas.
- What are your friend’s favorites: colors, foods, restaurants, movies, etc.?
- Did they mention something they love, crave, think about or wish for?
- Could you coordinate with a few people to throw a big bash?
- Did you think of or pick up a gift for them at a random time and don’t want to forget it?
52 acts of kindness
This is your spot to track the caring things you do all year. You can just make check marks or draw little hearts in every box. Or you can do a bullet journal style “year in pixels” and make yourself a color-coded key. Pick three to five different ways to be more caring, assign them each a color, and fill a box in every time you do that thing. Your categories might be:
- People, like “Family, friend, co-worker, stranger” or “Partner, kiddo, sister, mom”
- Things, like “Card, gift, treats” or “Helped, Smiled, Donated”
Of course, it’s your booklet and your resolution. Use it however you’d like to help you be more caring this year.
Shop Care & Concern
See allYou may also like
See more-
Birthday Free birthday coloring pages to add more fun to the celebration
The best birthdays are the ones filled with lots of little treats and fun activities, from sunup to sundown. If you’r...
-
Lifestyle Free printable When Calls the Heart Bingo card to celebrate the Season 11 premiere!
Who's ready for a Heartie Party? You know we are! So much so, we created a bingo card to add a whole extra layer of f...
-
Arts, Crafts & DIY Free printable classroom posters to brighten the school day
Are you a teacher, or do you know a great teacher? (Um, who doesn’t?) Here’s a simple way to encourage kindness and c...
-
Kids Download Free Inspirational Posters to Encourage Kids
Remind kids they have the power to change the world.
-
Kids DIY teacher appreciation gift: personalized zine
For Teacher Appreciation Day, you want a gift that says “thank you” for all their hard work, patience and general awe...
-
Back to School DIY back-to-school zine: free download to personalize
While kids are counting down the last days of summer, parents are gearing up for the first days of school. We’re shop...
-
Back to School Free printable lunch box notes to send them back to school with love
We all love sending our kiddos off to school with just a little extra love. Or a few encouraging words. Or sometimes ...
-
Christmas The ultimate Christmas to-do list to help you get a jump on holiday planning
For some of us, the Christmas spirit is a year-round lifestyle. Whether it’s decorating the tree with pretty lights ...
-
Lifestyle Self-care quotes - because you deserve them
Self-care is trending these days, but the idea is not new. You hear it at the beginning of every big journey...
-
Father's Day Free printable Father’s Day writing prompts for kids
When it comes to Father’s Day, we love finding new ways to celebrate the dads we love for all that they are. The joy,...
-
Mother's Day Free printable Mother’s Day writing prompts for kids
We like to think of Mother’s Day as a time to make moms feel special, celebrated and showered in love. And one of our...
-
Father's Day Free printable Father's Day coloring pages for Dad's #1 fans
Dads take so much pride in their kids’ talents. And if you know a dad who’s been claiming his son or daughter was the...
-
Summer Free printable summer coloring pages to help you beat the heat
In summer, when it’s impossibly hot outside and all you wanna do is stay inside, it can be hard to find things to do....
-
Mother's Day Free, printable Mother's Day coloring pages to make Mom's heart melt
Moms treasure their kids’ art like no one else. So what better way to brighten up Mom’s special day than by gifting h...
-
Spring Free Printable: Cute DIY cross-stitch monogram to decorate envelopes
We love the feeling of finding someone that perfect card—one that says exactly what they need to hear or is sure to m...
-
Spring Spring coloring pages to help you celebrate brighter days
It’s spring! And in our book, spring means color. It’s in the flowers that pop up, the birds that come back and the o...
-
St. Patrick's Day Free Printable St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages for Your Little Leprechauns
If you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, then you know it’s all about sharing love, luck and fun. And what could be more f...
-
Easter Free printable Easter coloring pages to brighten up your celebration
One of the best things about Easter—in addition to faith, family and food—is all the colors. So we figured we’d throw...
-
Valentine's Day Free Relationship Conversation Cards to Stir Up All the Feels
Having positive, meaningful conversations is one of the best things about the relationships in our lives. Whether it’...
-
Gifting How to plan a gift scavenger hunt
If you want to make unwrapping a present even more fun, there’s nothing better than a gift scavenger hunt. Send partn...