Can A Bullet Journal Save My Sanity?

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Bullet journaling is something I stumbled across on one of my late-night, can’t-sleep, too much on my mind phone internet surfing sessions. Supposedly it is the KEY to really getting organized. The beauty of the Bullet Journal is that it is not JUST a journal, and you won’t have to search high and low for just the right planner. It is a hybrid of both, and you set it up the way you want it. Pretty sad that I was introduced to this concept back I would say, the beginning of June, and now I am just now starting to do it come mid-September. PRECISELY WHY I NEED TO START DOING THIS!

In the words of Bullet Journaling creator Ryder Carroll, a Bullet Journal is meant “to help you track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.” Who doesn’t like looking through old journals and calendars once in a while to reminisce? 

Aren’t we all tired of having random sheets of paper with to-do lists pretty much every day that never get done…well all the way? I want to be able to combine work and personal items in the same organizer/journal, and when tasks don’t get done, migrate them to the next section, or simply decide that they are not important and cross them off. I don’t want a million notebooks on rotation and none of them really organized like I have now. Here are a few of my current notebooks that aren’t organized or completed in any way.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

If the Bullet Journal does what I think it will, I am trying to combine and organize my life: my family’s commitments and schedules, fun stuff, Junior League, my embroidery business, Glades Day School room mom duties, PBMB post commitments, meal planning, holiday stress, and the list goes on and on.

Make sure you are using a journal that has page numbers, or step one is to add them to the bottom corner of each page. 

I have decided to keep my master calendar/schedule in my iPhone iCal still, but will put highlights of my schedule in here. I plan to still use Pinterest for my recipes. This Bullet Journal will contain everything else! 

The four main components of a Bullet Journal are:

  1. Index & Key (this is a living document that you continually add to as you add pages)         
  2. Collections (3 main types that make up the Bullet Journal include the Future Log, Monthly Log, and Daily Log) Pictured below is the Monthly Log and Daily Log.                                                                              

This is another type of Collection, the List. Just stick it anywhere in the journal and add it to the Index page for easy                       reference.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

      3.     Rapid Logging (which is the part I am the most excited about). The bottom section of this page is Rapid Logging. In my first layout attempt I made a section for each day of my current week. Now, I have decided I only want to do one page at                a time because when I’m Rapid Logging for each day I don’t know how much room it is going to take up.                                              

                                                                                                                                                                   

      4.     Migration (this is done at the end of every month to keep you organized). I don’t have an example yet of this because I just started this week!

There are so many variations of these four components, but since I’m brand-spanking-new to this Bullet Journal, I’m trying to keep it basic. I originally chose a navy blue Moleskine notebook with grid line paper. Then, I decided that one was too small. Then, I tried a plain page notebook from Wal-Mart with no grid lines so I could get artsy, but the pages were too thin and my Tombow markers were bleeding through, and I need some guidelines to keep it neat. I dragged my 1.5 year old around Wellington looking for all of these various notebooks, but then remembered, why do I even try to find these very specific items with the kiddo in tow? My constant savior, Amazon Prime. (I actually do Amazon Smile, though, which will give back a percentage to the charity of your choice. I’m keeping mine local, Junior League of the Palm Beaches). Sorry about that tangent. See again, why I need something to keep me focused? Some people prefer dot grids, blank, or lined depending on how fancy and artistic they want to go with this. 

This is the 3rd notebook I started my Bullet Journal in, and from what I have researched, this is the gold standard of BuJo’s (that’s the cool abbreviation for this organization subculture). Do yourself a favor, and just get this one! It’s a little pricey, but well worth it. Also, a little larger than a traditional journal, measuring at 7″ x 10″.

       

Alright moms, here we go! I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my first attempt at Bullet Journaling that is going to get me SO ORGANIZED. Now, it’s your turn! P.S. I am a total newbie and my BuJo is VERY basic. If you really want to see some amazing examples, do yourself a favor and go to Instagram, Google or Pinterest. Happy (brain) organizing!

 

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Amanda Wedgworth
A Florida native through and through, Amanda happily resides in Wellington with her husband Keith, daughter Whitney Kay(5) and son Wells(1). Amanda has a Bachelors Degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida (thank goodness her hubby is a Gator grad, too = no house divided). After much contemplation, she recently retired from her 15+ year career as a yearbook publishing representative to start her own Embroidery/Monogramming business, AKWedgworth Creative. (AKW Creative on Instagram AKWCreative and Facebook at AKWCreative) In addition to running her business from home, playing with her very active baby boy Wells, fill out her day in between monograms. Amanda is a Placement Adviser for Junior League of the Palm Beaches and a member of Building Better Moms at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church. Thanks to her husband Keith, who is a fourth-generation farmer in Belle Glade, Amanda is also very active in the Palm Beach County (largest agriculture county east of the Mississippi river) ag community. No land, no farmers, no food right? Amanda is the girl who thrives on being as busy as humanly possible! Some of her favorite things include pretty much anything crafty, monogramming, making to-do lists, holiday decorations & holiday candy (Peeps anyone?), HOBBY LOBBY, spending time with friends and family, being a cheer/gymnastics mom, meeting new people, being the family organizer, and strengthening her relationship with God. Oh yeah, one more thing. Trying each day to get to 10,000 steps. Key word, trying.