Bullet Journal 2017

Last week I set up my new bullet journal. Though my journaling fizzled out toward the end of 2016, I really enjoyed the process and method for keeping track of things so I decided to start fresh.

I'm using the same size Moleskin as last year and found some small cut out calendars to use at the front or my year overview. Other than that I'm hoping to use a bunch of supplies up that I have on hand. I keep a pouch with adhesive, pens, washi tape and precut cards near my journal and just grab what seems right in the moment.

Here are a few shots of the basic set up I did. I'll post some more later on when I have added more pages. Happy documenting!

lists

I love a good list. Do you?

Ever since starting my bullet journal in January I've found myself making lists, lists and more lists. Sometimes the lists are things to do, sometimes it's things i'm grateful, but there is something about list making that always feels refreshing at the end.

I think of it like a "brain dump." It's a chance for me to get all those thoughts out of my head and somewhere safer. With baby coming and a summer with lots of free time, I've made all sorts of lists. In looking over all my lists, it might be a bit much, but it's a way for me to creatively deal with the swirling thoughts in my head. How do you keep it all straight?

Here are a few of my lists from the last few weeks.

Project Steps

Scripture Doodle Lists

Workout Lists

Gratitude Lists

To-Do Lists (paper and digital)

Grocery Lists/Meal Planning

Thematic Lists 

Bullet Journal - tracking

Last week I wanted to track my water intake. I set a goal but was really more interested in seeing how I did each day. I wanted to look for patterns and habits that might already exist and then see how I could build on those.

Interestingly it went really well! A few days I fell short by one serving, however I was still getting at least the minimum daily requirement. I also noticed that days where I was out and about were tricky. This is in part due to the difficulty of keeping track while on the go, but also because I was either engaged in activity (therefore not focusing on my water intake) or I was hesitant about guzzling so much water when bathrooms were few and far between :)

I did feel confident that overall I have developed a good habit that is worth working at and improving on. I also added a little note in the corner of each box to indicate about what time of day I finished that serving of water. That was really interesting because it showed days where I was doing great in the morning and then almost nothing all afternoon until dinner. In reflecting back, these were days where I was engaged in a project (at home or otherwise) where I was focused on a task. My mornings and evenings seems to be broken into small tasks all around the house so I'm frequently getting up and moving around, therefore carting my water bottle with me or refilling my glass with regularity.

Will I do this every week? Certainly not. But will I try something similar again: for sure! On Sunday when I was working on this post and looking over my chart I only ended up meeting 1/2 my goal for the day. I found it interesting that the moment I stopped tracking, I also stopped meeting my goal. So I'm trying a simpler version of my tracking. No time stamps, smaller grid and hopefully I can keep building on this mindfulness.

#onebookjuly2016

Don't worry, I am not talking about books you read, but rather books you write in! Journals, notepads, spirals, etc.

I was nearing the end of my main bullet journal from earlier in the year and trying to figure out what to do next. I've done some mini books, had a separate journal for work, and tried a variety of sizes but wanted something fresh for summer. This post inspired me to simplify by choosing one book and one pen for the month of July.

Now the one pen rule seemed a little crazy to me, but as I watched the video, I realized the main goal was to be purposeful. To create a simple routine for a daily habit of journaling. I chose one main pen to use, but in some of my checkbox spreads, I will probably use a yellow pen or highlighter to show progress.

I scoured the bookstore and almost left with the same style i'd used previously. But as I approached the check out line, I saw a little hardbound book. The pages had dots (something I've been wanting to try!) and it was just a bit smaller than the moleskins in my hand. I decided to give it a try.

I immediately put some wash tape on the cover and started my index. I transferred my book list from my old journal and added a few titles then made a July starting page as well as some lists I need to keep track of this month.

The paper is a bit thicker than the moleskin, which i'm liking. I chose to use a Martha Stewart Crafts pen I bought ages ago at Michaels. It is "charcoal" which I think helps the ink not bleed through in the usual way. It is very similar to this style.

I still have a separate journal for book studies I'm doing, or for scripture art and sermon notes, but on a daily basis, I plan to use this little journal the most. It can go in my bag nicely or sit out on my desk and add a pop of color.

Hoping to find a good rhythm this month of documenting things and keeping track of all the lists and ideas that are flying through my head!

Share a link to your journaling story...

Bullet Journal - tracking

This week I'm trying something new. I love the look of habit trackers I've seen online, however I've never been able to follow through. I think I've uncovered two main reasons I struggled:

1. Most that I've tried are for a month at a time. I live more day to day, or week to week.

2. Their habits are often pre-established and I realize that I am in data collecting mode to help me determine what my goals need to be.

Using these insights, I decided to take one area that I want to figure out: water intake. I made a chart for just this week (Monday-Saturday) and a box for each glass of water I hope to drink each day. There is also room on the end of each row to make a note, should I somehow go beyond the 8 boxes.

Below the chart (not pictured above) I journaled. I wrote what I already know to be true (a glass in the AM and a glass in the PM just to get my vitamins down). I also know that during school I'm a bit more regular about water so summer always takes a bit of routine adjustment. I set what I think is a reasonable goal and then added how I'm hoping to figure out what my "normal" is and look for patterns or places to make adjustments. 

I plan to recap next week what I discovered and see if this helps me on my way to developing good habits while documenting my efforts and feeling accomplished, even if some boxes are left empty.

Do you track goals? What's your method?