(A Blog Post)

I am wrapping up my fifth bullet journal — all but the first holding 6 months each; for the first I used the back of an old notebook I’d had lying around (everyone has those, right?) as a test.

I love it.  

I mean, considering I’ve kept something up for over two years (other than writing and roleplay) pretty much consistently (not so good at tracking things on vacation), that ought to be an indicator that I really, really like it. I don’t keep up anything for that long consistently.

But I really do love it.  The daily/weekly page helps me keep track of work tasks  and things like Did You Post Something?, doctor’s appointments,  and chores I’m ignoring ( need to get my oil changed, need to pick up my prescriptions), so they don’t fall in the endless abyss of  holes in my memory /anxiety avoidance cycles.

Well, less so, at least.

Wait, Lyn, hold up.

What’s a bullet journal?

I’m glad you asked!

It’s got nothing to do with guns and a lot to do with

• Bullet
• Points
• In
• Lists

This — https://bulletjournal.com/ — is the original.  Basically, it’s a completely customizable planning system done in a blank (generally lined, grid, or dot gridded) notebook.  

The idea is that you have yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily pages.  I skip over weekly pages, have 3 pages for my month when I’m on top of things (a list of days, a symptom/pain/meds log, and a goals page that I print off of this site –https://sheenaofthejournal.com/, which is just too gorgeous not to use).

Glue sticks are my friend.

And then you have “collections,” and this, this is what I LOVE.

Basically, they’re lists you want to preserve or refer back to.

Authors people recommend me to read.
Writing Ideas (this one I copy and glue into each new bujo*. It keeps getting longers).
A calendar of Patreon posts and a list of Patreon obligations by month
My quest goals for 4theWords; my dragon goals for Flight Rising; Trades for Minecraft
Lists of Projects I want to take care of
Movies T and I: Want to See, Missed, Want to Netflix later.

Then there’s other things, like

The invitation to my Grandmother’s memorial service
My list of topics for RainbowFic
Coloring pages ( I really like coloring pages)

I use my bujo for keeping track of doctor visit information, things I want to ask/mention to those doctors, tricks  for managing my mental health. I wrote my own 1-10 pain scale for reference. (7 is “crying”.)

I used it a lot when I did LetterMo and probably will again if I do Month of Letters/International Correspondence Month this year.

And, of course, I use it (mostly on a Future page that lists 5 months and then “after that”; for example, the bujo that starts in Feb would list March, April, May, June, July,  Future) for tracking future appointments and important dates. Like, for instance, my godbaby’s baptism.

I used it for a packing list to the Grand Canyon— and for a post-trip listing of what I  was glad I had with me, what I missed, and what I didn’t need the whole time.

(Note to self: pack husband next time.)

In short,  the bujo serves as an external memory aid for anything I think I might need later.   And an excuse for practicing my handwriting and my decorating (banners everywhere!) and for using washi tape.

And now I can X off “blog post” in my bujo.  Yay!

* in this case, bujo is short for BUllet JOurnal.