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 )!

Ok here goes...

where's everyone gone?

here

Hi all,
Thought I'd pop in to say I am still here mostly lurking and checking for messages everyday.

I can't even begin to say how much I have benefitted from being a bujo wanker! This time last month I was on the edge. It felt like an epiphany when I saw the link to bullet journalling on the other thread that tehlu mentions in here op. I then added on this thread about starting using a bujo and it was me who mentioned the lightbulb list amongst others.

I did a big brain dump in mine of all the little jobs I needed to do from sch admin, birthday cards and presents, work stuff, diy jobs, decluttering, sewing patches onto brownies uniform, PC tasks, so many different things, in many different aspects of life, it filled six pages!

My bujo is only a cheapo notebook, with wide lines as i have big handwriting. In the month I have been using my bujo, I have gone from a stressed fishwife to a calmer, more serene human being. This in turn makes me feel more productive.

So my list of accomplishments: I now have a new boiler in my house, after organising and preparing the house for it. I have remembered each birthday with no last minute panic dashes to post a card or buy a present. I have known exactly what to buy and prep for a healthy dinner each day and haven't once thought "sod it, beans on toast". I have decluttered slowly but steadily, still loads to do but delighted with progress so far. This week my hall stairs and landing are being painted. I haven't forgotten any of the children's events or equipment needed. Because all my to-dos are written down, I realise just how high my expectations of myself are and realise I am setting myself up to fail. Before I always used to think " argh, I still haven't done xy&z". Now I realise that I have done from a to x and that is plenty achieved for one day. Because my to-dos are written down, my brain isn't cluttered with them all popping into my head and desperately trying not to forget them, rendering me incapable of concentrating on any one thing. Because of this I am so much better at finishing a task, and am delighted when I can put an x through its tick box.

I still have loads I want to put in my bujo. I still covet a leuchtturm, (in purple obvs) I have bought pens and the kids know they are mummy's pens. I have pretty magnetic bookmarks, and all stationary makes me happy. I am artistic but am not even thinking about decorating it. For now I see it as the best method I have ever had at managing my diary and to do list. It feels like my brain is there, in a book, and by not having my real brain working as hard as it used to, it is working better. If I have five minutes I can look and complete a quick task rather than spin about like a whirling dervish achieveing nothing. I am also using it the method in a work diary with the same clarifying effect.

I saw a friend last night. She often talks me through my frazzledness. Last night she asked me numerous times if I was OK. This perplexed me as I feel better than I have in a long long time. I replied "I'm fine, why?" She told me I was very quiet and that worried her that I was more stressed than usual. After thinking for a few moments I realised that I was in fact quieter than usual because I feel so much calmer than usual. I just answered "i feel calm, really calm." So I shared my magic secret of bujo. She looked at me sideways (she's a born organised person) and said she couldn't see the appeal but was glad I had found something that worked so well for me.

It's put me off exclaiming its benefits to others just yet, but the kids have seen its effectiveness and DD has started similar list keeping for her homework, music, and sports tasks.

I am a true convert. I can see bujo helping me to find my way out of the hole I feel I have been in for at least 5years. I can see that it won't be much longer before I can tackle bigger harder goals like health and weight loss. I have a lot still to do, but now I actually doing it, instead of just repeatedly chastising myself for not doing it. I may not have posted much, as I am easily distracted, but let it be known that if it hadn't been for all of you on this thread, I probably wouldn't have carried on with it long enough to see the benefits. Ready for thread 2...

What a wonderfully inspiring post to finish the thread. Thank you zapp.

Zapp great post.

What an amazing success story! I am feeling similar a couple of weeks in and, in fact, inspired by your post, I have just referred to my To Do list and booked my boiler service!

zapp that's fantastic! Love it when stuff like this helps people!

loving some of the midori suggestions on here, especially the nice little packets

but where on earth do I buy them?! It looks like midori takes you to another online outlet, which then takes me to a page of UK sellers who mostly just sell that midori item that contains a notebook (which confused me more because is that called midori or is it just one item of midori..)

lorelai they don't sell direct in the uk unless you buy from their Japan based shop which might be online but not sure. Thejournalshop.co.uk has most of the Midori range though and are good prices. Or go to etsy and you will find sellers with all manner of travelers notebooks which is the generic term - sometimes also known as a fauxdori - they do leather/fabric/customised options and inserts (the notebooks too). There's a range of sizes so you need to make sure you are getting the size you want. Or if you want to lust after something beautiful look at Gillio Giramondos - but be warned they come with a hefty price tag (but are worth it!)

Ok, so having lurked and read, and re read and lurked a bit more I have just spent time a a couple of stationary shops and bought:

Leuchtturm dotted
Washi tape x 3
Mini pack of highlighters
reinforced tabs for sections
Also a pack of stickers specifically under the filofax name and they are little dots with pics of stuff on them designed for organising: i.e. martini glass for social, a house to indicate domestic, a plane for holidays etc
A pencil case and two pens, black and blue.

I did see a woman look knowingly at me clutching washi tape - none of you lovely ladies have been in Tottenham Court Road PaperChase today?

I have and I think this is key to the whole exercise and the most exciting is that I am completely free all weekend (well one thing to do early tomorrow morning) so from 10am tomorrow I am going to become an Expert BUJO wanker I am stupidly excited

I did a trial during Feb, in a notebook I already had, just to ensure this was going to work and it did - I luffs is - no stress trying to remember, just write it down and then thats it - 30 mins in bed each evening just checking stuff, or moving forward I am so happy

Plum welcome to the world of BuJoing. There is a second thread we are posting in now. I can't link to it as I'm on my phone, but it's called something like BuJo wankers.

Thanks Mook - I have found and copied and pasted!!

Thanks smurf. I'm a frugal one so I might have a go at making those little packets myself....

Link to new thread is posted by mercifulTehlu just before Zapps.
The time stamp is 23/02/2016 21:39

Hope this helps!

I find Bullet journaling really helps me to prioritise what I am going to do on my "working from home" daysto make sure I get work done, but also get some of my other priorities off my desk too....you know, ringing the plumber, booking the dentist and doing the washing...etc., and to stay calm.

I have found a way around the Rewriting the "to do" list, using a method called "dutch doors". I use an A4 spiral bound book in landscape. Essentially I write my "to do" list about every three weeks, and refer back to it from my day log. A "to do" list page stays full size, but I cut the subsequent pages down, so they are about square, but I can still see my "todo" list peeping out underneath. The back of the three weekly long page also works well for a habit log...i know where I can find it, but it isn't open on my desk. When I get bored of my todo list ...either I have don't everything on it (haha) or I have deprioritised the things on it and recognised I am never going to get round to them...I turn a new page and write a new list. Very therapeutic. I am new to mums net, and don't know if I can post a picture?

I just needed to watch this thread but wasn't sure how to do it!!!