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 )!

Loving this. So organised today that not only did I manage to get off mumsnet completely deep clean my kitchen, do a supermarket shop and finally sort out the understairs junk space, but I also magically turned some manky bananas into edible muffins.

I've got guests staying over from Monday so have been racing to get the house in order. Don't think I could have done it so efficiently without my lists, although I am backwards planning from their arrival to now to work out what I can fit in.

Now got my feet up with some vino and cake while I plot tomorrow.

I printed a mini calendar - actually covering 1 Feb to 13 March (becasue it fitted) and taped it in. WIll put a pic on when I have time another day.

I do a six mmonthly future log which just has key dates like holiday and hospital appts. I have too many work appts to include them, I still track individual work appts though outlook calendar, though I put any full day meetings in my forward planner.

Think I will find a 5/6 week planner instead of a month helpful - it's a bit trial and error to start with to see what you really use I think.

I was a bit less efficient today, but in my defence I had a really crap night's sleep. Never mind. Wardrobe sort-out tomorrow and the rest of the housework that I didn't manage to do today. Off to admire my BuJo a bit...

OK I think I am going to print a mini calendar and put it in.

Another question - what do you do if you have a job for a specific day, eg I need to take some stuff to the charity shop but I won't be going past till Monday. Is there a way to record this? All I can think of is to write it down today (but then I'll have to copy it over every day), or stick a reminder on my phone (but I thought the point of this was to have all my to do lists in one place). Thanks!

I write it on my calendar page. That's what that page is for - writing any appointments, events and things on specific days.

CutYour - I'm not putting calendar events in my book (I use my phone very happily for all that and am not going back to paper) but am putting weekly planner pages for to do lists in, so that would just get written in for Monday. It's the things that need doing sometime but aren't urgent or time-specific that I'm having problems with (eg take things to the tip, which I can do any day if I have a spare 15 mins).

I've been following this thread since almost the beginning - had seen bullet journals mentioned a few times in various places and was sort of intrigued, but finally thanks to this thread looked at it all properly and have been converted. I had a big notebook (A4, one of the soft cover Ryman's ones, which are very good and excellent value) that I'd started using back in November, with a few different labelled lists in (holiday, Christmas, etc), plus daily to do lists, so reading about bullet journaling kind of brought it all into focus for me. The index is such an obvious thing to do once someone else has told you to do it!

Anyway, although I felt like I'd written loads of stuff in this notebook, it was only a few pages, so I carefully cut them out (couldn't start not on a first page!), and have started my bullet journal. A4 is fine because it sits on my desk - I keep a calendar on my phone to add things to whilst I'm out, or I'm at work and have a diary and notebook for there too. Planning to get bullet journaling for work too, but haven't started yet.

I've got a key on the inside cover, then an index. Realised I am definitely going to need more pages for my index! But that's ok. Then have a double page spread of the next 6 months. Then facing pages of a February calendar, and a February to do list - so CutYourHair this is where I would write down "stuff to charity shop - Monday?" - and I cross these tasks off once I have assigned them to a daily log. Obviously I also have my daily log pages, then I also have some pages about work placements, books read/reading challenge, megalist, and financial planning, so far.

Sitting down for 5 minutes or so each evening to sort out my next day has become quite a pleasure! So thought I would finally join in and say thank you for giving me the final kick to get BJing

Morning all,

I had a near miss with my 4 year old DC and my Bullet Journal last night. Luckily I caught him just as he was getting the pen out of its holder.

Atia - you've encouraged me to come out of hiding too!

I've also been following along avidly, and have somehow managed to order a lovely grey Leuchtturm notebook from Amazon (with matching pen loop as well, of course).

To avoid falling into the trap of not daring to use such a beautiful notebook and just keeping it to look at occasionally (I have form...) I have decided to get straight in and start writing in my usual handwriting. It was a wrench to start with, but I'm glad I did as I've got over the not wanting to ruin it stage and am now copying over all this lists I have scattered on my phone, laptop, scraps of paper etc.

My big list is the moment is Ideas for Half-Term - it includes places to check out for free events on over the week, ideas of things to do in the park/outside and crafty/cooking/making-a-mess-at-home-while-I-MN ideas. It's starting to expand into multiple lists...

I'm feeling a bit bereft now because I can't think of any more lists!! The last one to complete was my freezer list which was very satisfying and I binned a load of stuff that had been sitting there!!

On my monthly task list I have a box for 4 fun things we have done as a family to try and get us more organised! This month is easy as I have a few half term things planned but I hope it encourages us to get out more - even if it's just for a walk in the woods

Woo hoo! More converts! StillSmall - I love your username. From the hymn, I presume? It was my beloved granny's favourite and it was played at her funeral and my wedding .

Ooh, lots of new converts. This is Day 5 and I'm still really enjoying this.
I've always had a thing for stationery but now you lot are making me lust after new pens as well.
As a leftie with a very awkward writing style, I can't use a fountain pen or anything too inky. I did get a purple and red eraseable pen set from Tiger but I'm not hugely impressed with them so far.

I agree with merciful that making the journal just a little bit colourful makes it more attractive to use.
I'm currently thinking about how what kind of logs I need as writing a list of tasks for the month doesn't really make sense for work and a weekly task list might be better (although is that too many lists, as the tasks will most likely be taken from a master list?).

I read on the bohoberry blog that she doesn't worry about making mistakes and just crosses things out, so maybe it's better to dive in and see how you get on.

(I also read that she has lots of different bullet journals, which was a bit of a disappointment )

I've had a very very busy couple of weeks and haven't touched my Journal . I had m Mum and sister stay with us in an emergency.

I thought I'd work a little more on my BuJo and have come to this thread. Everyones talking about pretty pens and washi tape and gettin all organised. Wait for me!

Can I also throw in - I use it to stick random stuff in like notes I make outside of the journal; double sided sticky tape is used to scrapbook them when needed. Or course notes I have made in mind map style. That sort of thing. I fold them up and stick them in so that when I need them, I can unfold them and refer to them.

This blog post and links are fab for inspiration.

www.tinyrayofsunshine.com/2016/01/notebooks-other-links.html

Hi, can I join?
I'm a convert, especially as earlier this week the to do list that I had on a scrap of paper on my desk ended up in my students book! He then took it away with him. Luckily, this was after I had started BuJoing and I had coped all the tasks into my journal and there wasn't anything too embarrassing on the list
I bought the LT1917 and it is a thing of beauty. I am mainly writing in black fountain pen, as that is what I normally use for writing anyway, but have some coloured pencils that I already owned for shading in boxes when I have achieved a target.
I'm trying to achieve a balance between making it pretty, so it is a joy to use and not being afraid to make mistakes. I have crossed something out yesterday, so I think that is a step in the right direction.

I have finished designing my weekly planner. It's based on the Chronodex but I don't need anything too detailed so mine is just hours and AM (outer circle) and PM (inner circle). The idea is you just draw an arrow to the time slot and write the appointment somewhere on the page. I've scanned it to my computer so I can just print out a new one each week and it's held into the front of my book by an elastic strap I threaded through the spine.

It also allows for a 10 minute colouring in session at the start of the week...

Wow, SoupDragon that looks beautiful! I have Chronodex envy now...

I'm currently experimenting with splashes of colour, but trying not to get distracted too much - I love some of the journals on Instagram, but I need mine to be useful day to day for me, rather than pretty enough to show off to other people.

Yes, merciful, I'm named after the hymn. I'm not really religious, but as I get older I seem to find myself humming old hymns from school as I potter around the house. Hope it brings you happy memories of your wedding as well as bitter-sweet ones.

Thanks - I'm hoping it's functional as well as pretty!

The pencils are a tin of 120 Faber Castell polychromos - they were my Christmas present to myself.

I find I need it to look pretty as it makes me happy.

What I really want is a journal like Indiana Jones's notebook

I bought my 13 year old the tin of 60 Polychromos for Christmas. She nearly died of happiness Now she wants the 120 in the wooden box!

My 17 year old dd is a notebook/stationery addict too - last year she had everything in her Filofax, but I'd noticed it hadn't been around this year, and she admitted that she hadn't set up the 2016 diary. Then last week she went to a uni offer holders' day and got a nice A5ish notebook (with ribbon and elastic) as a freebie ... so I told her about bullet journaling and she's another convert!

I tried to interest my DD in it but she is only 10... She does love a notebook though!

Wow soup that is very neat and artistic. I was going to ask you about the coloured pencils in the photo to but someone beat me to it! Just had a look online and I so want some but dont think I can justify to DH why I want them!

My journal looks so boring and blah I'm comparison.