Bullet Journaling

I’m going to keep it really real today…

The idea for this article started at the end of May when I set out to do the Whole Life Challenge. I was looking for more balance in my life and was hoping this could be the key. I was listening to the Whole Life Challenge Podcast titled “Bullet Journaling for Creativity and Growth,” featuring Kara Benz. I will admit that I had no idea was bullet journaling was at the time. So if you are in the same boat that I was, I recommend you take a listen to this great podcast. Kara has a wonderful energy, and her blog is pretty awesome. If you’re interested in bullet journaling and taking it to the next level, you should definitely check out her site Bohoberry.com.

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I immediately thought, as a professional organizer, how did I not know about bullet journaling? What I learned was that bullet journaling “lives at the intersection between mindfulness and productivity.” It is essentially a planner that you create and can therefore customize to meet your own needs. There are a few basics that you can utilize to get yourself started; but over time, you can decide what does and does not work for you until you have a system that is uniquely yours. And most importantly – you are writing things down and getting them out of your brain. This part is key and comes from David Allen and his book “Getting Things Done – the art of stress-free productivity,” which is an absolute must-read. You know that water filter for the fridge that needs to be changed in three months, but you’re not quite sure where to write it down so that it won’t slip through the cracks? Bingo!

I was all in. I was going to start in June. I researched the best supplies to buy. I purchased them on Amazon. You, too, can buy them here and here. I followed all the steps on how to get started that I learned from the Bullet Journal website — I created my future log, I set up the month of June, I set up the week of June 1st, and then… life happened. I didn’t use it at all. Didn’t even crack it open. It sat untouched on my nightstand. Awesome, right?

I’ll be honest. I wouldn’t be writing this article if I didn’t think that bullet journaling was the greatest thing since sliced bread, if I didn’t think it was the answer to solving all my scheduling nightmares. And let me tell you, keeping track of my personal schedule plus my work schedule, three kids’ school schedules and after school schedules, my hubby’s schedule and our dog’s schedule (yes – she has a schedule!) is a nightmare.

Kara talked about her need to sit down every evening for 30 minutes to run through her day to figure out what she accomplished and what needs to carry over for the next day. She then can reflect on the day or the week to determine whether she has over-scheduled herself and make adjustments moving forward. In theory, I should be able to carve out that 30 minutes, but I’m still getting there. I have a new goal: I’m going to get this up and running for August. I have to be PRACTICAL here, not perfect. I’m going to kick back, enjoy my summer and get myself some “stress-free productivity,” just in time for the new school year to begin.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

~ K

If you’re ready to get started bullet journaling yourself, grab your journal or snag a new one from my recommendations below!