Take the Helm: A Small Victories Journal featuring Steamboat Minnie
A unique, hand illustrated small victories journal that will inspire, empower and encourage you to record your wins even on your low energy days.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links may provide a small commission to me at no extra cost to you. In addition, I am not a medical professional and this does not constitute medical advice. I am only sharing my personal experience as an RA patient with you. See my full Privacy Policy and Disclaimers here. The journal featured here was created by my spouse and is a project close to our hearts.
As many of you know, this blog has always been a space to celebrate small victories, especially for those of us living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) or other chronic illnesses. Whether it’s finding a recipe that’s both delicious and easy to make on low-energy days, finding a planner to help manage your time and energy or finishing a captivating book that lifts our spirits, these small wins add up to something big – a life we love despite our physical and emotional challenges.
It’s been a while since I last posted, as life has gotten busier since I returned to full time work outside our home. But today, I’m thrilled to share something special with you: a small victories journal created by my amazing husband that’s deeply inspired by this blog and the journey it represents.
Why We Need to “Take the Helm”
The small victories journal my husband created, titled “Vintage Adventures: Take the Helm,” celebrates the idea that we all have the power to steer our own ship, even when the waters are rough. The ship may not go in the direction we intend, but it’s important to take the helm and put our energy into the things we CAN control. My husband was inspired by one of my favorite messages: find joy in your small victories (no matter how small) and take charge of your beautiful life (no matter the challenges you face).
The cover features a creative reinterpretation of a public domain version of Minnie Mouse, depicted as navigating the ship. Why Minnie instead of Steamboat Willie? Because sometimes, we need to reimagine old stories and put ourselves in the captain’s seat—just like this journal encourages you to do.
How a Small Victories Journal Can Change Your Life
You can read the long story about what I’ve been through living with RA here. But I started this blog in 2012 as a way to document my small victories. On bad days, a small victory could be “simple” self care of taking a shower, cutting my nails, tying my shoes or getting dressed in clothes with zippers or buttons. Whether I post it on Instagram or not, documenting my small victories everyday is still part of my daily planning routine.
Here’s how daily documentation of small victories has changed my life over the years and what I hope it helps you achieve too:
- Increased gratitude for the days when you feel good
- A mindset shift of celebrating progress made over perfection
- More empathy and compassion for others and the struggles they might face, visible and invisible
- Less stress and worrying about what you can’t control
- Greater awareness of how food, exercise makes you feel so you can adjust accordingly to have more great days
- Greater awareness of energy levels throughout the day so you can get more done on good days
- Guilt free rest and recovery on bad days
- Greater joy in seeing your accomplishments and happy memories all in one place – just flip through your completed pages when you feel down
- Greater recognition of what makes you feel good, brings you joy and fires you up
- Greater pride in yourself for keeping a positive attitude through your daily challenges
Where to Find the Small Victories Journal
This small victories journal is printed on demand just for you exclusively on Amazon. We select the standard paper quality for the inside pages which Amazon says is “50-61 pound (74-90 GSM) white paper” to keep the cost down for you. Since Amazon prints and fulfills your order, we don’t control the paper or shipping quality or return policy. We’ve ordered a few of my husband’s journals, and there are some minor imperfections on this one but nothing that inhibits my use of it.
We hope you’ll check out our small victories journal here for all the details and unlock the power of small victory journaling!
Journals are the Perfect Holiday Gift Idea
Looking for a thoughtful holiday gift for someone special? Our Small Victories Journal is perfect for anyone who loves journaling, vintage designs, Disney fans, or simply wants to focus on positivity and creativity. It’s a meaningful and affordable gift for:
- Writers and dreamers.
- Family or friends navigating challenges with grace.
- Stocking stuffers, Secret Santa gifts, or personal self-care treats.
Pair it with one of my favorite pens or my recommended planners for a complete gift package that’s sure to inspire joy this holiday season!
How I Use the Small Victories Journal
I like to keep my Small Victories Journal on my nightstand, next to the rocking chair that started my journey with small victories and the inspiration for this blog. I love to cozy up with my favorite fuzzy blanket, a cup of warm tea and write in at night so I can sleep well. If I can’t I make sure to catch up on Sundays as part of my weekly review of the week. This journal definitely helps me stay positive through this crazy life.
- Gratitude Journaling: Writing three things I’m thankful for each day, no matter how small.
- Meal Planning: Jotting down meals these boys loved or meal ideas for the week.
- Small Wins Tracker: Listing tiny victories, like getting out for a walk or finishing a book.
- How to Make Things Easier: Usually documenting my small victories inspires an idea of how to make things easier next week.
This journal has been a gentle reminder to focus on what I can do, rather than dwelling on what I can’t and I hope it does the same for you! I’ll be sure to share more photos of my completed small victories journal pages soon over on Instagram, so be sure to follow me over there.
A Family Affair and Freed Dreams!
This journal is more than just a product—it’s a labor of love. It’s a tribute to the strength and resilience of those who refuse to let chronic illness define them. I’m so proud of my husband for creating this, and I know it will inspire many of you, too.
If you’d like to check it out, you can find his Take the Helm: Small Victories Journal on Amazon here.
My husband is a very talented artist and he’s always dreamed of publishing his art. So he started Freed Dreams Publishing on Amazon which combines his love for art (he draws, colors and designs all the covers) and my love for all things planners and journals (I design the inside pages). It’s been fun working on this creative venture together and combining both our passions into products we hope brings joy and encouragement to others.
In addition to the small victories journal, my husband has also created journals with Steamboat Mickey and Christian themes, perfect for those celebrating spiritual victories or wanting to grow their relationship with God or their faith life. These include:
- In His Light: A Journal Featuring Jesus Christ (dot grid journal)
- A Savior Is Born: Nativity Scene Journal! (lined journal with a Star of Bethlehem on each page)
- Believe: A Journey with Jesus Christ Faith Based Journal (dot grid)
If you’re interested in seeing more of his work, follow his Freed Dreams Publishing page for all his fun and creative designs. We have lots of ideas in store that we’ll be cranking out for 2025 and we hope you’ll follow along!
I hope you’ll find our Take the Helm: Small Victories Journal as inspiring, empowering and encouraging tool as you face the challenges of daily life, whether you have a chronic illness or not. Whether you use it to track your own small victories, gift it to a loved one, or add it to your own holiday wish list, it’s a beautiful reminder that we can all steer our own ship—even in stormy seas.
Let’s keep celebrating those small victories together!
