Finding out about the Bullet Journal System - How it can help!

Finding out about the Bullet Journal System (back in August 2016)

I have always loved to be organised, I have a busy life and if I didn't write things down, make lists, keep a diary and schedule then many areas of my life would be chaotic, stressful or missed. I also have a profound love for stationary, as I write this I am mentally reviewing how many notebooks I have on the go, how many diary systems I bought the past year and confession time let's say it's far too many to count!

So imagine my surprise when I accidentally came across this video (link) on You Tube. It explained a fully customisable and creative yet fully functional system. Designed by Ryder Carroll you can find out in depth so much more than I will be sharing here today , its the official website www.bulletjournal.com)

Wondering where I had been for the last few years, whilst this whole revolution was taking place, I became super excited at how I could incorporate everything together, create a record I could refer back to and a have system that could grow with me. I continued to research and found so much information out there that I decided that I just needed to grab a note book (I had loads) and get started. So for a few hours I sat planning, organising and consolidating papers, diary, books and my current journal. Then I started trying out this system.

It soon became apparent to me that I had my own needs to make everything extremely neat, clear and colourful. I liked the system but couldn't find the visual (there's nothing practical in this at all) love for what I was putting down on the pages. I decided to delve into the Internet, Instagram , Pinterest and Goggle to find out more and gain some creative inspiration. I was not disappointed! Thousands of posts and pages appeared and the rest of my day was lost to a beautiful visual buffet of organisation and stationary.

After care consideration of different reviews I decided on the LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Medium (A5), 249 numbered pages, dotted in colour anthracite (a dark grey) Like the one above. It was perfect, they come in a vast array of other colours, they have a dedicated index at the front, the pages are numbered and the paper a great quality to stop bleed through and the dots are faint enough that I can write and draw free hand and still make it look neat! They also have a handy pocket at the back and stickers and for archiving.  I purchased this one in August 2016 and still use this version of the journal for daily writing and big project planning (I've bought many since that first one!) but you will now see via my social networking that I currently use a Travellers notebook system with a Hobonichi so have both A5 notebook and A6 note size travel around planner.
Size really doesn't matter , its finding a system that fits for your needs and this is what the Bullet Journal Method shows us.

So why use a Bullet Journal?   

​Here are a few of my reasons why

• I had a million little to-do lists floating around (likely to get lost) 
• I needed a central place for birthdays, budgets, projects, events, memories, affirmations - somewhere I can refer back to when needed easily (easy is the key part here) 
•  I wanted a central place to focus and maintain goal-setting and habit tracking
• I need a place for details, field notes , seminar notes, people who inspire me names and contact details 
• I love stationery! Everything that helps, journaling, scrap booking, beautiful pens, stickers, pencils and stencils you name it! 
• I wanted to be more artistic and creative (this gave me space to do it) 
• I wanted to take organisation to the next level
• I need a place to brain dump my ideas so nothing gets forgotten ( I have lots of them!)
• I needed to break things down in detail to make plans that worked and were not scattered 
• I wanted a system I can archive and refer back to
• My brain is an amazing resource but whilst focusing on so many things has no space for the new, it doesn't have the memory capabilities the note book or my laptop has.

Finding time to journal and complete daily tasks is one of the things I get asked for help with the most. In the modern world we live it seems we just don't have (or make the time) to do what is important all the time, leading to our emotional and physical health suffering.

Journaling does require some level of habit or commitment as the organisation and planning is what will help you achieve what you need and want to. So I thought I would share how I approach mine through journaling.

Every night I spend a short amount of time (maybe 5 minutes) planning my next day. Choose a notebook you love! I start by drawing out a time bar, this method involves writing out you AM and PM hours and colour coding your day. I learnt this process from a lady called Kara over at a blog called Boho Berry,  do go check her out , she’s brilliant!  In order to effectively plan my day for my life style there are a few things I also like include, these are the date,  the day of the week , the weather, sunrise and sunset, the temperature  I use the Met Office app on my smart phone and the current Moon Phase (there are lots of free apps and websites that can give you this information) these may not be necessary for you,  so please do include what matters to you and will aid you in planning your day. I then check my weekly schedule ( use Tiny Calendar by goggle on my device ) to see what's happening the next day and include any events or appointments I have. I don’t put huge detail here just a short note and time. I then make a list of everything I want to accomplish the next day. I use the bullet journal​ system to log this, check out their official website, as with Boho Berry it is totally worth meeting and keeping in touch with these experts in their field.

Once everything is brain dumped into my journal  I then allocate time to complete each task. I've come to understand if you don’t schedule time, it's very likely that you won't even start it!  Make sure I allocate a realistic amount of time for how long it will take (if you are unsure it is better to over estimate until you get to grips with time management,) be honest and realistic with yourself no judgement , for example don't allow 15 minutes for a task that in reality will take an you an hour and also don’t judge your budgeted time against others, there is no need or point in doing this.

If you find at this point there are more tasks then allocated time you need to prioritise which ones you are going to focus on (Top tip: I label mine as I go 1,2,3…)  to be sure I get these done. If I have more time as it was completed in less time than I allocated,  I move on to the next task or I will at the end of my day when I review what I have not completed, I will migrate it to the next day or schedule it for another day or month.

In spending a really short time writing my to do list and reviewing the day I have the opportunity to judge the task i’ve set myself. I ask myself why I am doing it?  Is the way I plan to do it , the most effective? Is there any help or support I need?  and if I haven't completed the task I decide is it really needed? One of the best teachings from journaling and planning comes from rewriting a task, it's an amazing time to reflect on if it's really important to you and why you haven’t completed it and then consider when or even if you honestly intend on returning to it to make it happen. It’s your list, it’s your life. Feel empowered I hope you do!

I also like to write down something I am grateful for and quote. I do post some these on my Instagram and Facebook if your looking for inspiration.

As the last few years have gone on this system has been so valuable to me. I started sharing it with others, sharing how it helps (with some amazing personal results for those who have embraced it) and now run a journal group monthly Amazing Ladies Journal Group where we share and inspire each other to go after a life that brings joy, happiness, health and allows us to be and feel the best versions of ourselves. 

This month I have created some prompts to help those struggling to bring their journals fully into their life and or to inspire the more seasoned journallers to delve deep into the possibilities that the season and journaling can bring. If you want to join in the challenge just use the hashtag #amazingladiesjournalgroup so I can follow your pictures and experiences. We are all here to support each other in this group, its a very special community of people.

Planning ahead just a few minutes every night gives me clarity for the next day, excitement of knowing what is ahead and confidence I can achieve all I set my mind to. Brain dumping allows for better sleep and rest which is really important to health. So why not grab a note book and see where the journey take you.

So happy daily planning and journaling!