Bullet Journal

[mercifulTehlu]

I've just found out about this fab way of organising your life, thanks to a kind poster on the 'people who are efficient ' thread. I was wondering if any other MNers are Bullet Journalers? here is the website if anyone's interested.

It's only a couple of days since I started my journal, but I can already see that it's going to revolutionise my ability to be organised. I've tried loads of apps, lists etc in the past, but have never really hit on a system that worked for me. I have very high hopes of this one though (plus it involves pretty stationery )!

It made me add a brush pen to my Amazon wish list 😇

Eek! I was just about to post and say I started last night and have realised that a fountain pen is not going to work for me with this, I keep smudging as I go back and forth from pages to index.

Telescopic pen, mine is purple and matches my notebook perfectly.

Dunno about the paper yet, it looks lovely and thick and proper, I'll report back later once I've written in it.

Fountain pens - my writing looks so much better but I am to impatient to allow the ink to dry and end up smudging and walking around with ink all over my hands.

I have decided that mine is not a Bullet Journal and it is most definitely not a BuJo. It is the Great Big Book of Everything.

and I may have purchased a large set of Inkjoy pens this morning in WHSmith

Loving my Leuchtturm too Rainbow. Haven't noticed any bleeding through pages with my frixion pens. Stuck at work so haven't got further that future log but have high hopes for it!!

Tell me about dots vs grid.

I'm leaning towards grid for my next book, currently have lines and they're all wrong but will persevere for now.

So what sort of stuff are people putting in these things? apart from dairies, which is what i have done in my little note book as i provide cover at work so i know what days i am working.

Apart from school meetings which i don't have so many of now i left the pfa (thank the good lord) I can't see what else i'd need to put in it.

Are people really putting their cleaning routines in them? i probably should

I love a list me, so maybe, just maybe i need an excuse to buy an expensive notebook

I am definately going to call mine a BJ though!

Mine is really just a place to keep "everything". Although at the moment there's not a lot in it as I am working out the best way for me. I have a page at the front with appointments on it so I can see them all in one place and change the date when the next appointment is made. I plan on having a page for the week's meal plan but I'm not sure how that is going to work just yet. If I don't plan, I panic and we end up having the same things again and again.

.

Mine's just going to be called "my purple notebook" as the only context I'm likely to be talking about it in is "have you seen my purple notebook anywhere?"

So far I have got in it

To do - Feb
Diary pages for this week and next to be used for to do lists only (events are staying in my phone)
Things to try out
People to catch up with
Daily things to do
I probably will add household routines but not planning to add many more categories, for me it really is a to-do list organiser only.

I am sat at work doing precisely fuck all because I am too excited to get home to my lovely purple notebook. I am a professional, sensible woman in my 40's ffs.

I want to write "BuJo Wanker's shiny purple BJ" on the front of mine, but see above re professional and sensible and my dc's are plenty old enough to be able to read

so that fountain pen this thread made me buy late last week. It is lost.
Luckily I still have the 50 ink cartridges

:(

Moment of silence for lovely's lost pen.

I am seriously considering changing my journal colour of choice to purple just so I can call it 'Error's Shiny Purple BJ'.

Error's Shiny Purple BJ

I'm now ever so slightly regretting my dove grey BJ

Lovely you will just have to buy another one and then it is guaranteed to turn up.

Oh oh oh!

I have just had a serendipitous BuJo/Mumsnet moment.

Scoured TK Maxx for a purple ribbed BuJo suitable notebook with narrower lines or squares and elastic markers and page numbering - nothing not even anything close

Then at home I was rifling through the big pile of crap paperwork next to my computer and found....... (drum roll)......

A pinky red journal with narrow lines, good quality paper, a book mark and an elastic book closer/page marker with only two pages used. And to square the circle nicely, it came courtesy of MN about a year ago. I was selected to do the Pru Vitality freebie and they gave us Vitality notebooks.

At the time I thought "lovely notebook but I'm never going to use it"

{cackle}

Unfortunately is is not squared and no page numbers but I like it well enough and much better lines (narrower) than my cheapie notebooks.

It's a sign I tell you - I was always destined to be a BuJo'er.

Started my weekly lists did the last three weeks with dates so could play about design. Ended up with double page per week with left side table of 7 days and right side main list.

I like to format it so if a birthday on a Wednesday I know to post card on Monday rather than find the list on Thursday. But didn't like just having daily list as not much room or room for general.

getting hang but pleased so far!

I just can't believe how much more in control of my life I feel! I mean, I'm not daft enough to claim that the BuJo is the only way to achieve this, but I guess if it suits you then it suits you. And it is definitely the answer for me.
I got a whole load of annoying little jobs done today which I would normally have left and left until they became urgent.

And even the non-important but of personal interest type stuff is making a difference too - I was chatting to my dad about a book of his and decided I'd really like to borrow it. I'd definitely forget about that by the time I see him if I hadn't written it in.

Been lurking and am a convert - though early days. I've set up a work one and a home one. Initially I found the work one very stressful - the first days tasks filled an entire page. It made me consider why I'm stressed at work (too much to do!). I did manage to do the list which was immensely satisfying. Also having everything in a single place made me prioritise properly. I also caught myself about to start separate list - which I then put in the book (love the phrase "big book of everything). Interesting my DC are fascinated by them and have both started one. There topics include : things they want for their birthday. Things the like doing (to be referred to when they say they are bored). Home one includes such things as favourite recipes mind generally goes blank when making shopping list unusual shopping items, clothing we need, DIY tasks. It also makes me do things - eg I thinking "I should write that done" but then thinking "I could just do it instead". Looked at the pretty ones online but have just gone uber functional. if I made it beautiful I've have no time to do the tasks

It also makes me do things - eg I thinking "I should write that done" but then thinking "I could just do it instead".

(Sorry derail - nothing to do with bullet journals, apps etc)
But this reminds me of '5 mins or less' one of the best things I've picked up from MN for getting things done - (comes from Unfuck your habitat I think). I think it is a life changer.
If something needs doing and it will take 5 mins or less (I've seen 2mins or less too) just do it. Don't add it to a list, don't give it space in your brain - just do it.

It stops your brain/lists filling up with hundreds of small 'I must' things.
When I first read it I spent 50 mins going round doing lots of that kind of thing, more and more as I noticed them.
The one that was most rewarding was cleaning the bird poo off my bedroom window -every morning for over 2 weeks I'd open the curtains and think yuk - I must clean that off...then forget until I went to close the curtains and then lie in bed and think about all the stuff I had to get done - and I hadn't even got round to cleaning that window...I must do that tomorrow...
The one that has become a habit is emptying the dishwasher - I timed myself once it takes 3-4 mins but it was something I would put off and think oh I must empty that ...as dirty plates piled up next to it...now I do it as soon as I notice it has finished (chanting 5 mins or less to myself if I really don't feel like it)
Sorry but it has made such a difference to my life that I just need to share
As you were....

Oh yes! The jfdi mantra (just fucking do it!). I agree that really makes a difference. Similarly, I often look at my watch and think "Oh there's no point in starting a task now. I've got to go out in 10 mins". Doh! Just think of all the little tasks which each take 10 mins or less. Think how those unused 10 minses add up. Much better to put your empty 10 minses to good use all week, then benefit from the time you've saved by putting your feet up and MNing or colouring in your BuJo ir having a soak in the bath with a gin and tonic on Friday to reward yourself for being so damned efficient!

Just got a leucht after using a random one. Still thinking midori would be better as I could have a permanent collection

I dunno. I somehow like the idea of starting from scratch in a totally empty journal every six months! Improve my set-up a bit each time, put my old BuJo on the shelf to be looked back at sometime...

I really need a jfdi policy. I'll make a note of it in my Bujo