Bullet Journaling for Greater Clarity, Intention and Alignment with Purpose

November Review and December Set Up

I was introduced to Bullet Journaling in October 2016.  I was attracted to the idea of being able to keep everything, all aspects of my very full life, in one place.  I’ve become a Bullet Journal evangelist because in addition to helping me manage my entire life, it helps me expand my quality of life.  Every month I share how the Bullet Journal helps me live with greater clarity, intention and alignment with purpose.  I hope you discover at least one idea that helps you live more grounded and true to you.

* Background photo credit: LadyDragonflyCC

* This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or purchase something through the links provided.

November was an interesting month.

I’m a creature of habit.  I’m at my best when I’m able to get into a routine.  Anyone else like that?  I traveled to Austin, TX for the Tableau Conference for my day job.  While I’ve loved attending the conference the last couple years, I find the disruption to my routine, well, um, disruptive.  Toward the end of the month, I found myself a bit overloaded with school deadlines and learning goals.  I just never got myself on track this month.  One of the things I love about this create-as-you-go system is that you’re sort of forced to review and evaluate the previous month, and you get to hit reset on the new month.  For me, that’s very powerful.

Here are my main takeaways from November:

• HABIT TRACKER, FOOD LOG, AND GRATITUDE LOG – I’m going to start referring to this as my Clarity and Intention Trifecta.  The Habit Tracker gives me quality information about how I’m caring for those areas of life that are important to me.  Do you ever find that weeks can go by in the blink of an eye, and you’re not really conscious of what you’ve done and what you haven’t?  Giving daily attention to my self-care habits (Habit Tracker) and my intake (Food Log), helps me stay in reality (instead of fantasy-land, do you feel me?) about how I’m living.  And the Gratitude Log keeps me grateful.  It’s so funny how we can get so caught up in the “struggles” of day-to-day existence and lose site of the big picture – how much we have to appreciate.  This is one of the key ways I stay centered (grounded, clear, tranquil).
• MEMORIES SPREAD – As someone high in Achiever, I can get quite focused on pursuing my goals.  While others might be recharged by stopping to smell the roses, I’m energized and recharged by getting stuff done!  So I have to be careful to make sure I’m also out experiencing life.  It may seem trivial, but the memories spread let’s me see at-a-glance how I’m maintaining that balance.
• WEEKLY TO DO LIST – When I started my Bullet Journal, I was tracking my to do items daily.  I very quickly recognized that for me, a weekly to do list was going to be much more effective.  I found myself combing through all my notes (I like to take comprehensive notes where necessary) to find my remaining to do items.  Now I keep my tasks in a weekly list.  I started November color coding my tasks according to the different areas of my life.  Now, I segregate my tasks by the different areas of my life – all my work items are in one place, business items in another, and personal items in yet another.  The thing I love most about my weekly to do list is how I’ve been able to get things done in little unexpected windows of productivity.  For example, I find myself on a commuter bus with WiFi.  I look at my list, and there’s something I can get done and cross off on my commute to work.  When I was keeping my work tasks on my work computer and my other tasks on my home computer, these little windows of opportunity were wasted.

Looking forward in December:

• Later this month I’ll publish a post about why I don’t set resolutions, and I’ll create a spread in my Bullet Journal to help me prepare for 2017.
• My intention has been to send real birthday cards through snail mail rather than sending birthday messages by text or Facebook.  So far, it’s been an epic fail.  In December, I’ll be including upcoming birthdays in the “Coming Up” section of my weekly spread.

Check out my YouTube video for more information on how I use my Bullet Journal to live with greater clarity, intention and alignment with purpose.

I’ve listed below my go-to bullet journaling supplies:

• Notebook: Leuchtturm 1917
• Black Pens: Faber-Castell  Pitt artist pen; Uni-Ball Jetsetter
• Colored pens: Tombow Dual Brush Pens; Staedtler Color Pens
• Movable tabs: Avery Printable Repositionable Tabs
• Washi tape
• Ruler: Westcott Technical Drawing Template

Loving the journey,

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Everyone Focuses on Material Gift-Giving. Instead, Focus on Giving Gifts of Wisdom.

The week of Thanksgiving in the US through January 1 is my absolute favorite time of year.  I love how genuinely kind and concerned people are for one another during this season.  I also love the spirit of renewal and fresh beginnings that accompanies the turning of the calendar from one year to the next.

* This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or purchase something through the links provided.

What I don’t love about this time of year is the frenzied shopping that has led to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which is now officially a thing.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the discounts.  But this idea that we’ve gotta spend heftily to enjoy the holiday is as disconcerting as it is deep-rooted.

I’ll admit, I remember as a small child the absolute joy I experienced on Christmas morning when I got to the living room to discover a green stuffed dog larger than me one year, or an abundance of wrapped gifts overflowing from the tree another.  I know it must have made my parents even happier than it made me to see that joy on my face.

Mine was a working class family.  We had abundant years, but we also had lean years.  The lean years are the ones I remember most, not for the lack of presents, but for the disappointment my parents experienced not being able to “make it rain.”  The thing is, I didn’t need the presents.  I was just so happy to be together on Christmas morning in that spirit of love and gratitude that was unavoidable that time of year.  That’s what I truly cherished.

A lot of us love the spirit of gift-giving and save all year so that they can celebrate the holidays the way they’d like.  I applaud that.  Seriously.  However, some of us go into debt to celebrate one day of the year.  If you resemble that remark, this message might be for you.

We sometimes get so caught up in a desire to show our love by showering each other with gifts.  Here are some important questions we might consider:

• Think for a moment about your most meaningful holiday experiences.  What are they?
• Think about the past two holiday seasons.  How did you feel at the start of the new year.  Were you at peace?  Were you stressed?
• What patterns might you be repeating from your family of origin?  From your partner’s family of origin?  What wrongs might you be trying to right?
• What is your intention for the holiday season?  How do you want your people to feel?  How do you want to feel?  What do you want to communicate?  Celebrate?  What’s the best way to do that?

If you answer those questions for yourself and determine that you need to make a shift, your strategies moving forward might be very clear.  Here are a couple additional strategies you might consider to keep the season in perspective:

• One year I wrote a poem providing an update on my life, printed it on a card and mailed it to everyone I love;
• One year I gave everyone in my life a copy of Secrets of a Millionaire Mind to help them think differently about their financial health;
• Every year, the adults and teens in my family do a Secret Santa drawing at Thanksgiving for a Christmas gift exchange.  That way everyone can focus their discretionary funds on buying gifts for their young children.

I like the idea of focusing on quality and significance over quantity and grandeur.  Books are not the sexiest gift for the holidays, but they have the potential to have a large impact on quality of life, especially as compared with the latest electronics or fashion trend.  Below are three books that have had an impact on my mindset, and by extension, on my quality of life:

• The Power of Now – Participating in the Landmark Forum was a turning point in my life.  I got to see the relationship between my decisions and my results in life.  The Power of Now is like that full weekend workshop captured between two covers of a book.  No wonder it’s sold over 2 million copies.  My dad has read his copy multiple times!
• The Compound Effect – My dad gave me this book.  My sister introduced it to him.  In a different way, The Compound Effect reveals how the decisions we make day after day turn into the habits that produce our results in life.  For a while, I used to punctuate all of my conversations with my boyfriend with “The Compound Effect”.  Fun times!
• Soar With Your Strengths – Soar With Your Strengths is a quick easy ready by the creator of the CliftonStrengths assessment.  The book reveals the wisdom of focusing on your strengths rather than keying in on weakness and trying to be something you’re not.  It’s such common sense, but so counter-intuitive.

However you decide to celebrate the season, I hope you enjoy a time filled with love and gratitude.  Also, it would make my day to hear some of your most meaningful holiday experiences.

What I Learned My First Month of Bullet Journaling

I was introduced to bullet journaling by a co-worker who’d heard about it on a podcast.  She sent me the link to the official video which does a fantastic job of describing the core principles behind the brilliance of the system.

I was initially attracted to the idea of having everything in one place.  I have a full-time job, a part-time business, I’m a student, I participate in personal development courses, and I wanted to keep a journal.  I’m high in Achiever, which means I’m energized by having a lot on my plate.  It’s not likely that my life is going to get less busy.  The thought of having everything in one system took me to my happy place.  Discovering the flexibility of the system is what has turned me into a bit of an evangelist.

Typical of someone who is high in Learner, I dove head first into learning about the system.  I watched video after video, soaking up as much as I could from the brilliant bullet journal community.  I learned so much from Kara at Boho Berry, Christina at Christina77star.co.uk, Kimberly at Sublime Reflection, and a whole host of others.  Then I got started.

* This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or purchase something through the links provided.

Here are the top 3 things I learned in my first month of bullet journaling.

1. Tools matter.  I spent exactly one day using a notebook I grabbed off the shelf at work.  One day was long enough to realize I needed something better suited for the purpose.  I settled on an Orange A5 Leuchtturm 1917, Square.  I love the Leuchtturm, though a couple weeks in I thought I might like to try a spiral bound notebook so that I could write on a flat surface.  I picked up a Miliko Transparent Hardcover Square Grid A5 Wirebound to try it out, but as I reach the end of my first Leuchtturm, I think I’m going to stick with it.  It’s just so solid and sturdy, and a good number of pages.  We’ll see.  Maybe I’ll change my mind down the line, but for now, we’re sticking with the Leuchtturm.  I also needed to find the right pens.  I tried several, but ultimately landed on my go to’s for comfort, lack of smudge, and lack of bleed-through:
   • Faber-Castell Pitt Artist pen (M) for creating my spreads.  I also use the S when I need a thinner line.
   • I use the Uni-ball Jetstream for my everyday writing.  It’s hands-down the winner for me because of the easy glide.  I was doing my morning pages with a Pentel ball-point pen, and my hand was just sore at the end.  That doesn’t happen with the Jetstream.  I’d tried the Paper Mate Inkjoy, which also has a nice glide, but it takes longer to dry than the Jetstream, which dries instantly.
   • For writing in color, I like the Staedtler Tri-tip pens.
   • For filling in lettering, I like the Tombow line of pens.
2. The bullet journal isn’t just a day planner, it’s a life planner.  It’s tremendously effective for helping me stay on top of my schedule and my to do items.  But it’s the most valuable for me in how it helps me manage my quality of life.  The spreads I didn’t expect to love as much as I do are the habit tracker and the gratitude log, both monthly spreads for me.  And what makes these two spreads effective for me is the habit of completing them.  My morning routine now includes quality time with my bullet journal.  I start with morning pages (inspired by Julia Cameron), then spend time with my habit tracker and gratitude log, then I review my schedule all before I get out of bed to get ready for work.  I feel centered and grounded, and I take good care of myself.  I loved the habit tracker so much that I expanded it in my second month.  For me, these two spreads are key.
3. The perfect bullet journal is the one that’s perfect for you.  As I’ve mentioned, I’ve become a bit of an evangelist for the bullet journal, so I share about it in real life A LOT!  Most people are intrigued by the idea of having one flexible system for the  many areas of life most of us are managing.  But common feedback I hear is that it seems a little overwhelming.  I’m no artist myself, but I was really inspired by all of the beautiful bullet journals I viewed on YouTube and Pinterest.  I can’t really draw, and I don’t have time to learn, but with little splashes of color and washi tape, my bullet journal is pretty enough for me.  However, I’ve seen minimalist bullet journals, as well as very ornate bullet journals.  The perfect bullet journal is the one that’s perfect for you.  There’s no standard to live up to.  The core system is simple and brilliant.  However you choose to spice it up, or not, is really up to you.

If you’re thinking about starting a bullet journal, I invite you to jump in.  We’ll call this lesson 3a.  You’re going to learn as you go.  As I’ve said, the core system is simple enough.  What you’ll be learning is what really works for you.  What’s going to provide you the most effective support to live the life you want to live.  You can’t figure that out until you get started.  So jump right in.

In my first YouTube video, I shared more about how I modified my system from day one to the end of month one.  Check it out if you’re looking for ideas.  In the meantime, happy bullet journaling!!