Create Assemblage: Bullet Journaling

Easy to have on hand wherever or whatever I am doing

Looking back on the time when I had stopped blogging I noticed that my making and creating frequency also slowed. The blog itself was a great reminder to keep making. Setting up time for yourself to do something is a really important step in actually achieving the creative goal.

Lists are something that I love for keeping on task with goals. The trouble is in keeping all the little scraps of lists organized in a meaningful way. In addition to lists I would use sketch books for larger project ideas (and still do) but never knowing how many pages a project would need in a notebook led to disorganization as one project page clashed into pages set aside for another project. The other issue I struggled with was trying to keep a system for each of the hats that I wear - work, creating/making, home tasks, scouts etc. Finding one system that would work for all of those would be an asset for sure. Something that I could have with me at all times would also be a plus.

Enter the Bullet Journal.

The current answer to my nerdy organizing needs.

Scrolling through my Instagram feed I came across images of orderly, colorful, visual notebooks that caught my eye. As I clicked through hash tags to see more examples I stumbled onto the Bullet Journal system. As it so cleverly described on the homepage:

For the list-makers, the note-takers, the Post-It note pilots, the track-keepers, and the dabbling doodlers. Bullet journal is for those who feel there are few platforms as powerful as the blank paper page. It’s an analog system for the digital age that will help you organize the present, record the past, and plan for the future. - See more at: http://www.bulletjournal.com/

I watched the demo video and was hooked. This looked like something that could work well and was worth testing out. So I decided to give it a try. Ryder Carroll (inventor), you are a genius! There are so many things that I love about this system - the personal adaptability being number one.

personal adaptability :: start with the basics of the system and then scale it up or down to fit your needs.
a blank page :: every entry starts on a fresh blank page.
an index :: easily find things with a quick index system
mix and match :: easily combine all facets of your life in one book. no need to have a journal for personal and professional - just create a fresh page - index and move on.
portable and paper :: i do love a good old fashioned pen to paper note, list, date book etc. no plug in needed.

Recently I had ordered a journal book online and when it arrived I noticed that I had ordered the wrong inside pages (I had been looking for a piece with pre-made project pages). I had held onto this piece (with just lined pages) and thought that I could use it to try Bullet Journaling. The notebook has turned out to be perfect for this. I love the large elastic band on the front that allows me to tuck in pens, markers, stickers etc.

Since starting this system I have seen that I am actually getting things done. The list making is not meaningless. You can see a week in advance as you make achievable steps to complete tasks. What I think I will really like is looking back as a year in review.

Index pages helps keep everything organized. STICKERS!!! Did I mention playing with stickers as an adult is just as fun as when you were a kid? That and washi tape are reason enough to keep a paper calendar/journal/diary.