Bullet Journal - planning for 2017

Bullet journalling has helped me a lot this year.

I started my bullet journal in May and I found it much more useful to me than a traditional diary or journal.

Being able to add things in whenever I need or think of them has helped me clarify what is important to me. Being able to drop items that I don't use frees me to focus on other areas. Having the space and option to journal in the midst of planning means everything stays together and I can track what works and how I'm doing in a simpler way.

As I only started the journal in May I still have space in my current notebook so spent some time deciding if I wanted to start a new one or keep going and how I would use my daily spaces.

I've decided to start a fresh book in my new Fantastic Beasts notebook. I've checked through my collections a page options and decided what I want to continue and focus on.

I've setup a year at a glance page to help me check up coming dates and I've also setup a future log to help with forward planning.

A Goals page will help me focus on things I'd like to achieve this year and the Wishlist will help me keep track of things I see or think of that I would like or need.
As my first Goal is weight loss I've setup a weight log to keep track of downs and ups :)

 I'm wanting to keep track of TV shows, movies and books I'd like to watch or read and these tracker pages may help.

Fun things is to help me remember to take time for other fun things in life like visits to friends.

 My monthly page list is for regular monthly shopping lists to help me with menu planning and eating properly.

Project 333 is for my clothing challenge I follow with 33 items of clothing for 3 months.

Next comes my regular monthly pages with a calendar list and tracker, my gratitude pages and then I'd like to continue using the photo challenges and my existing daily log pages. 

I'll see how I go with these pages and the beauty of the Bullet Journal system is if I don't find a page useful I can change it any time and add new pages as I need them.

Baby steps in Bullet Journalling

I like to think I'm organised. I'm not!

Over the past couple of years I have got less and less organised.
I learned a while ago that diaries, calendars and planners are no use unless you write in them and then check them regularly.

I started last year with 2 diaries and 3 calendars it didnt help.

This year I have one diary and haven't written in it all.

I've tried notebooks and writing out monthly calendar spreads but couldnt keep up with any of them. I always end up with notes in more than one note book, post it notes, backs of envelopes or scraps of paper.

Recently when I had a bit of down time to just browse the net. I came across Bullet Journals on pinterest and then blogs and now they're everywhere.

Find the Basic idea here http://bulletjournal.com/get-started/

Then some good explanations and videos here http://bohoberry.wpengine.com/category/bullet-journal/

Then just jump in.  I'm  sharing this for Kat as she wants to stop collecting and get started as well.

I have a ton of crafty stuff and blank notebooks already. Although I always thought my notebooks were too pretty to actually write in, nuts I know! I'm learning.

I decided to use a note book I bought  a year or more ago from my local book shop and the hi tec point pens I bought to zentangle and the colour pencils I have for the grown up colouring books.
The only thing I've bought new is gold and silver sharpies to write on the cover.


I'm also trying to let go of my perfectionism. I was so busy thinking of pretty lettering and fonts I wrote the wrong year. I spent ages thinking of ways to cover it up and redo it but then thought, Sod it. It's my journal and I don't mind so I changed it and wrote oops.

The next page to setup was my name page this is in case I ever lose it I've added contact details but not my address.

I came back and added the key and the why later.

The Index is the main way to keep the journal organised. Instead of writing in specific sections of a preprinted planner you add to the index whenever you start a page and then if that section spans several pages you can extend the entry and even start again pages and pages later.  I'm liking the idea of only starting pages as you need them not months in advance.

 The Future log is the section to put upcoming tasks, events, dates, meetings things you want to start planning for. You can put exact dates or just list things inthe months you think they'll happen. I have two spreads of 4 months each to fill in the rest of the year.

This means I can add things even if I'm not sure exactly when I'll do them.

Then I have a monthly page. Again a little mistake as I had turned over two pages at once when doing my future log and split this page in half. I did debate ripping the pages out so it would look better but again Sod it came to the rescue. 

I've listed the days down once side and the tasks or goals on the opposite page.

Then I get to start on my daily logs. You just start at the top of the page with the date and then bullet your tasks or events or meetings. you can change the dot . to a X when its complete or if you need to move it to another day you can change it to > to show it has migrated or if I need to rethink it and reschedule it I can use <

I've added hours at athe top and weather info taking a hint from Boho Berry's planning but I may not keep it up as most of my days will be the same as working 8.5 hrs a day same hours Monday to Friday.

I've setup a couple of extra pages so far one for a Gratitude journal with two things to be thankful for each day. another oops I didn't count the lines properly so had to add two days side on. My perfectionism is pretty much out the window by now and I'm just letting go and finding something that works. 

The other is a Books list, Books I've read this year and books I want to read. This may be easier to keep up than Goodreads.  If  my kindle could just connect to Goodreads for me and tell it when I finish a book that would be great. Or I may have to start using the tweet function to share when I've finished a book as that would give me a timeline. 

 
So there you go my shot at the Bullet Journal, I'm only three days in so far but I'm liking it and it fits in my handbag so I can carry it with me and just jot things down as I think of them.

It does mean I have to work a bit more on my handwriting and maybe try out some lettering styles I haven't done since buying Becky Higgins Creative Lettering like a lifetime ago but I can handle that.

Let me know what you think, have you tried it? is it working for you? how would you have coped with my oops moments? I think the main thing is have fun and don't sweat the small stuff.

Half Term Report

Ok February and most of March seem to have got away from me.

I have managed to scrap some more of the Vegas trip photos but not any of 2015 yet.

• I’ve manage to get in a couple of walks but not managed to get for a run or a swim.
• I’ve taken some photos but not managed to keep to one a day.
• I didn’t make any cards but have found the Easter ones from last year so will make sure they go out this year.
• I have done a bit more cooking, still loving the slow cooker but remembered how much I love the simplicity of stir fries and made scotch broth (ish) for church.
• I’ve not managed any baking but have been playing games with the Youth club and decorating cakes.
• I have managed to declutter more of the living room and the bedroom cupboards so another pile of bags for Cancer Research.  However the craft room is still a chaos zone.
• Not visited anyone since the new year but have had regular dinners with Dad and calls with Mum and occasional chats with Brother.
• Shortly going on holiday to visit family and friends take in a trip to the beach and sing my heart out at Spring Harvest.   

So half term report, not a complete disaster but could do better :) 

Thinking of my holiday I'm trying to work out a capsule wardrobe

5 vest tops, 4 t-shirts, 3 bottoms, 2 long sleeved tops, 1 dress and 1 skirt for 14 days to include travelling, sightseeing, working, poss beach and church induction. 

Any thoughts?

Decluttering - Phase One - Clothes

I decided it would be easiest to start my de-cluttering with clothes as really there's only so many choices to make.

• They either fit or they don't 
• They either suit me or they don't 
• I'll either wear them (like them) or I never will (hate them, even if they fit)

My clothes have been piling up on the bed, dressing table, chairs and floor as my wardrobe and drawers were full and going through the piles, drawers, cupboards and wardrobe in my bedroom I seem to have had a lot of clothes but nothing to wear. Sound familiar?

I made the decision to do one drawer/cupboard/pile at a time and not try and pull out everything at once.
I tried everything on even if I was sure it would/wouldn't fit.
And to make myself happy I started with my 'to slim into drawer' - I'm sure everyone (women at least) has a drawer like this in their house.

It was actually a lot of fun, helped by finding six, yes SIX pairs of trousers I can now fit into properly and wear in public :-)
It was also a bit like journeying through my past as I found outfits and items of clothing from years ago 80's and 90's that brought back lots of memories.  I'm keeping the memories and ditching the clothes :-)

I put everything that was going into big black binbags and when each one was full moved the bags out of the room and refused to look in them again as I know from experience if it sits there I'll start taking things back out and inventing a reason to keep them.

Several days and lots of clothes and dust later I won the battle of the wardrobe.

I had SIX black bin bags and one carrier bag to go to Cancer Research.

I didn't even have to worry about what was good enough to donate or not as they also get money for rags so anything they can't sell in the shops is still useful.

And they even have an option to Gift Aid it now.

My friend Hazel helped me take all the bags to the shop in one go so I wouldn't be tempted to start rummaging :-)

No more piles of clothes on the floor or surfaces, my clothes now all fit in my wardrobe and dressing table drawers.
However, I admit, I have started a new 'to slim into drawer' but its a lot smaller than the previous one.

Next phase - books!

Serious de-cluttering time

I have way to much stuff, all types of stuff and me and my house are drowning in it. 

Craft stuff, sewing stuff, genealogy stuff, music stuff, 

books stuff, dvd stuff, clothes stuff, paper stuff, 

exercise stuff, diet stuff, cooking stuff and oh yeah organisation stuff! 

Up till now I've done some minimal decluttering but mainly I've been trying to get organised more and find places and ways to store all the stuff I have. 

The problem is now every surface, corner, cupboard, drawer, box, shelf and table are stacked high with stuff. And while I do know what it all is and where its all kept and can usually find things quite quickly when I need to,  I can't really do much with what I've got as there is no room left for actually using the stuff.

My life has becoming continually maintaining the organisation of piles of stuff. There has to be more.

I've finally come to understand Flyladys comments when she says you can't organise clutter.

So, enough is enough!

I'm starting on properly clearing out years worth of stuff and as I haven't moved home since I was 3  I have a LOT of stuff and some of it is going to have emotional attachments but quite a lot of it won't.

Some of it I've kept for fear of offending the people that gave stuff to me, ornaments I don't like, books I won't read and clothes that don't suit.  

I've decided as my house is now so cluttered I never invite them round anyway how would they know if I kept their gifts or not, and would most of them even remember what they gave me.

Flylady had a little list that may help

• Do I love this item?
• Have I used it in the past year?
• Is it really junk?
• Do I have another one that is better?
• Should I really keep two?
• Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it?
• Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item?

I'll post here as I work through the various stages, and hopefully writing it down will help when it comes to some of the harder decisions of what can go and what can stay. 

Anyone up for joining me or any suggestions on making it less painful, feel free to comment. 

New Phone and a Question

I'm still working on my To-Do list from last month and ticked off a couple.

I've managed to get extra hours in the day by taking this week off work and making serious inroads on my housework and sorting all my paper clutter. I'm trying to set up proper storage spaces for bills, sunday school lessons, craft classes, magazines & newspaper clippings as well as find a way to deal with junkmail as soon as it arrives not just pile it up on the kitchen counters.

I also bought a new phone at last. Only my fourth ever mobile and the first to really do pictures and internet. So now in the midst of getting to grips with the touch screen and rotating display and a keypad that keeps appearing and disappearing I'm also trying to navigate this new world of 'apps'.

• What are they?
• Do I need them?
• If so which ones?

Any suggestions gratefully received.