music, therapy, and me

I am a bullet journaling music therapist. I pepper my posts with all sorts of references to how I use my bullet journal, but this seems to be my most effective system when it comes to being a music therapist, and I'm going to show you a bit why in the following paragraphs. I do this for one simple reason... It works for me. Now, this doesn't work for everyone. Not everyone needs to write things down to remember to get them done, but if you are looking for a way to organize your life, and if writing things helps you to remember, then bullet journaling may be a good system for you to use as well. If you prefer to use your computer or your phone, then this post is probably not for you - and that's okay! In fact, that is wonderful!! Find what works best for you and then do that! Don't go out and do something just because someone on a blog somewhere says that you "should" try something! You find what works for you!! Now, I've always had to write things d...

I am starting a new routine. A new bullet journal. A new way to organize my tasks. Now, I am someone who likes lists. If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I often have to-do lists and not-to-do lists. I make lists when I need to concentrate and when I have lots to do. I love my lists. Now, I also love the idea of a bullet journal. I look at all the pretty layouts and creative ways to display different things, and I just fantasize about being someone who could spend the time to draw cute banners and make gorgeous calendar headings. I am not that person. I just don't have the time! So, most of my journeys into the world of bullet journaling have resulted in glorified to-do lists. I a modified bullet journal set-up for session strategizing and long-term planning. I use my student planner for organizing my thoughts, but I also use pencil and don't do the fancy coloring and pretty things that I want to do.  I'm going to change all that. I returned...

I am a bullet journaler, and I use one for both work and for home - well, kinda. It's been an interesting journey through the world of bullet journaling for myself, and I'm still finding my way to do things. Reasons Why I Like Bullet Journaling as a Time Management Technique (for me!): My to-do lists (which I HAVE to have) are in one place. My journal is my own - no one else has to see it. I can change it up to accommodate things and situations in my life. I'm using up all the journals that I seem to be compelled to collect in my life. I get to use my fancy markers to write, draw, and record stuff. I have a record of things - especially in my work journal - so I can track the use of certain TMEs or instruments or songs. Reasons Why I Don't Like Bullet Journaling: I haven't really found what works for me the best way...yet. I compare my stuff to that of others - and I always come up short of my expectations for myself. I can see what I have failed to d...

I have been spending WAY too much time on YouTube watching bullet journalers set up their journals. Every month, people who are way more into this organization system than I am spend time putting together videos about their themes and set-ups. Then, they post their offerings on YouTube for the rest of us to see and think about. After that, people like me go and watch their videos and then feel like there is so much more that I could/should/would do with my own journal if only I was dedicated enough... This is not one of those bullet journal posts. First of all, I am a functional bullet journaler only. I use the idea of a bullet journal to organize what I want to get done. I don't think that things have to be all pretty and perfect, though I do like things to look nice. I don't watercolor pictures for my journals, but I do use the fancy pens that I already have in my craft room. I'm still finding my way into doing things in this world, and I find that it really helps me ...

As you know, if you read this blog post on a daily basis, I am a fledgling bullet journaler. I have my personal/home bullet journal and a session/music therapy bullet journal that I use to strategize. I am not very fancy, but I do love using my markers and making things look coordinated. Lately, I've been a bit obsessed with Plan With Me videos on YouTube. These are videos where people film themselves drawing their bullet journal pages. They are usually very artistic and pulled together. The people who make these videos usually only show their hands and there is usually stock music and sped up video formats that go along with the discussion about which pens were used and why the person chose to go with the kites as a theme. I'm addicted to these videos. They have become my evening event. My own journaling journey has been a bit less coordinated, a bit less nifty, and a lot less time-consuming than the videos that I just can't seem to stop watching. I do what works for m...

I have been really using my work bullet journal lots and lots in the past several weeks. I have been setting up my day each morning and then checking things off as they happen. I have been using my ideas journal as a companion to the bullet journal. It has been very satisfying to check things off and see that I have accomplished tasks. My home bullet journal has been another story completely. Let me explain a bit more... I have a work journal and a home journal. I do this because I try my best to separate work from home as much as possible. Work things belong at work - so, work bullet journal. Home things belong at home - you get the idea. I bring my work journal home with me, but the home journal stays at home.  Here are some examples from a long time ago that show you my pages in my home journal. (Don't worry, there is nothing strange or overly personal in these pictures...) I do more decorations in my home journal than in my work journal, and I set up the planning part about thr...

Old Faithful! Isn't this a cute book?? It is time. I have spent about a year and a half in my old bullet journal, and I have about 40 pages left in this one, but it is wearing out, and I have decided to move to something new. I'll be using the rest of my first journal (my beloved R2-D2 journal) to take notes for Rock That Practice. I have a new journal that my sister gave to me (she's a regifter), and I'm starting to get things set up in that book. I have to set up some information that I have in my old book into the new one, so that's what I'm going to do this morning before I can do other chores. I know, what does this bullet journaling thing have to do with music therapy? Well, it's definitely a peripheral topic, but it does affect my organization and task completion rates. I know that many people don't do this sort of thing, but I do, and it works for me, so my recommendation is to find what works for you and DO IT! Bullet Journaling works f...

One week in the Bullet Journal I am getting into something (that I've always done, but now it's a trend and has a name). Bullet Journaling! If you don't know what this is, I recommend that you don't go on Pinterest to find out. It gets kinda overwhelming when you start to see what people do with their bullet journals - they are so creative and make very pretty journals. Mine are not as cool, but they do the same thing. Basically, a bullet journal is a to-do list system; a way of being organized (Hooray!! I love organization!). Lots of people use their journals to keep track of more than just their daily to-do lists. They have all sorts of tracking pages and stuff. They track what they read, progress towards goals, and use lots of colors. I'm not there yet. September's Monthly Page My bullet journal is pretty basic right now. I actually have two of them - one for work and one for home stuff. They are set up the same way, in the back of some half-f...

My secret shame...I watch too many YouTube videos! Everyone has at least one weakness, and mine is that I am currently spending WAY TOO MUCH time watching bullet journal planning videos. If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know that I use the bullet journal method for my life - personally and professionally. I enjoy watching what others do with their journals - mine is definitely NOT fancy or pretty. It is functional, and I have FINALLY found a system that works for me, but I still get pulled into the YouTube world of Bullet Journal Plan With Me videos. These videos all happen the same way. A person with a great manicure focuses the camera onto a wonderful background where the journal is featured. There is almost always a cat who shows up to see what is going on (so far, I only have the cat to contribute - my manicure is never GREAT!). There is a cute theme that is accompanied by a variety of artistic skills - watercoloring, stickers (often designed by the star of the v...

So, I started this thing almost a year ago (I think I started last September). I became part of the bullet journaling movement - sorta - kinda - well, not really. I wanted to be part of the bullet journaling movement. I was seduced into trying to make my weekly pages all cutesy and full of stickers, but it became quickly apparent to me that none of those things were me. As a result, my bullet journaling became lots less like the cute journals that are featured on Pinterest and became much more of a monthly collection of appointments and thoughts. I decided that this way of doing things is fine for me. Fast forward to early last month. I got a coupon in the mail for a free teacher planner if I spent at least $20.00 in the store. That really wasn't a problem - I needed some specific headphones to go with my listening station, so I received a new teacher planner. Now, I don't usually use planners. None of them have ever really given me what I need in order to make my sessi...

It is official - I have filled my R2 bullet journal completely and have now moved into my other journals. Yep, that's right, I now have two journals at home that I am using. In this picture, the one on the left, my trusty R2-D2 journal is full of calendars, collections, and the first portion of the CMTE course that I am taking on business practices. Since I was almost finished with the pages in the R2 journal, I moved my calendar and important information pages into the bullet journal pictured below, a Passion Planner. I've never used one of these before, and I'm finding that it helps me keep track of the things that I want to keep track of! I think I may get another one of these once this one fills up. My new journal (upper picture, on the right) is reserved only for CMTE things right now, but who knows what it will morph into as I keep using it?? I enjoy using my journal to keep track of things that I need to do. I also enjoy watching what very creative people do with...

My new Bullet Journal - Courtesy of Music Therapy Mailings! It is a new month. October is here and I am ready for it!! I've been doing a bit of experimentation with organization lately, using a very simple bullet journal to keep track of things that I need to do. To start with, I used a small book that my mom or sister gave to me that I used for therapeutic music experience ideas at the beginning, but that was the perfect size for me to use to get started. That book is almost full, and I was in a bit of a dilemma about what format to use next when this small journal arrived as part of my mailing from Music Therapy Mailings . I love getting my envelope every month - which reminds me, I need to up my subscription. I missed a mailing this month... This small book arrived just about the time I was starting to look around for something to use as my next bullet journal. I think Tracy reads my mind sometimes - it's spooky! When I started to use this format for organizing my...

Today is the start of a new routine for me - mainly because tomorrow is a return to my regular 9 hour work days with little to no changes except that I will have to wear a mask for twice as long...oh dear, hadn't thought about that. Here come the headaches. I am taking this change as an excuse to start some other new routines, and, you guessed it, I am using my bullet journal to organize myself. I finished up my last journal - actually, it was a Passion Planner that I got as a gift. It didn't really do what I wanted it to do, but it was absolutely beautiful and I learned quite a bit from using it. I learned a bit about what I wanted to do with my planner as well as what I didn't want to do with my planner. I looked at the website to see if I wanted another one from this company, and I like what I saw - they donate one planner for every planner purchased - but I decided that I just didn't use the one I had enough to justify getting another one. I had a different idea in...