August has been a crazy month of ups and downs this year. It has been filled with birthdays, work changes, and re-sparking a new joy and love for an old passion. I am beginning my journey of sharing this passion through bullet journaling. It combines two of my favorite activities: art + organization. Have you ever made a digital list, go to check something off of it, then *POOF* the thing you accomplished has vanished into the black hole of never never land. Not to be heard of, or ever remembered again. Pen to paper is so rewarding, and almost a lost art of itself. *She said typing on her expensive digital device*.
In all seriousness, I bring you the bullet journal. If you’re unfamiliar with bullet journaling I’ll break it down. It is a custom planner, journal, life organizer, anything you want it to be book. That’s right, it’s a blank canvas for you to fill with whatever you choose, and here’s mine:
Rainbows, clouds, and dreamland have been my state of mind this month. As you can see I made that my theme for this month. I think it’s important to actualize your dreams by writing them down on paper and revisiting them. I also find that by writing down goals each month it helps achieve your overall arching goals for the year. Whether that be working out, reading some new books, or starting on a passion project you’ve been meaning to start since January. Monthly goals help keep me grounded with realistic steps to achieve the big stuff.
Next, I decided to add a monthly calendar to see the overall picture. Here is where I add birthdays, appointments, and the most important to-do’s of the month. I also have a space for books on the sidebar. This will be a list of recommendations I want to get to and inspiration to grow my mind and ideas. And, yes, audio books count too!
From here, I knew I wanted to add weekly layouts so I know what I can do each day to accomplish my monthly goals. Have you gathered I am a creative type A at this point? This month I am trying out a couple of weekly layout styles to see which one works with my week flow the best. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a cat pic <3.
To finish off the month I thought it would be important to have a reflection page. This is something that does not often come standard in a typical planner, but it adds value to keep myself accountable with the tasks and experiences I challenge myself with. Now, it’s impossible to finish ALL the tasks/plans I’ve ever made. So, I added a review of things to look at as I take on the next month with an ideas space on how to accomplish the new ventures.
It’s tough starting something new, but with an open heart, a custom plan of action, and maybe some coffee + music we can all take the next step to be a better us.
Let’s do what we love, and do a lot of it. –Marc Jacobs