Happy Saturday! It's a New Month AND a New Bullet Journal!

www.musictherapyworks.com
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 time and events, I made the fatal error of looking for information on Pinterest. This was a bad thing for me to do because it showed me lots of wonderful drawings, formats, fancy things that are not really part of my repertoire yet (or may never be). There are so many different things that people use their journals for that are just not all that practical for me.

So, I am finding my own way.

What is happening right now is that my bullet journal (or bujo if you're part of the creative crew) is a glorified to-do list. I have started from both the front and the back of the book, and I am trying to organize what I need to do, what I actually did, and ideas that I want to work on into the pages. My calendar is at the front of the book and the idea pages are in the back of the book. I did some blog rejuvenation creativity work earlier this week - the journal gave me a place to work on my mind map and keep it with everything else.

This format is starting to work for me, and I'm going to keep it up.

One of the topics that I talk to music therapy interns about is Time Management. During our discussions, I stress that one size does NOT fit all when it comes to finding a management strategy. What works for me may not work for you - and THAT'S FINE! 

For me, this is working. I don't always put things on my list, but when I do, I pay attention. Today's list? Blogging (check), blogging on a new website (not done yet), OCMT Board of Directors meeting (in about an hour), cleaning something here at home (TBD, but I'm thinking the living room needs some desperate attention!). That's it.

Folks who are hard core bullet journalers use theirs as journal and mindfulness tool as well as a task manager. I haven't started those things yet, but I think I will try it for this new month. I'll spend some time every day thinking about what has gone well and what needs some attention in my life. I also think I'll write something about each day - a way to keep track of me and my moods during this new month. 

I'm also on the lookout for another journal to start in about four months or so - depends on how fast I can fill this book!

Off to start my tasks and to get ready for the week. Happy music therapy-ing, all!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dear AMTA

Dear American Music Therapy Association: I am debating long and hard about remaining in this relationship. I have been in this relationship since college, and this is not a decision that I am taking lightly or without great cost.  I am not happy with what you are bringing to this relationship. Now, I have been a selfish partner over the past several years - mainly because I am not feeling like we share a common mission anymore. It is easy for me to place the blame on you, but I know that this is not all on me. I have tried to be invested in communication and support and understanding, but everyone comes to a time where enough is enough. I am trying very hard to decide if the benefits that you provide to me are worth the feelings that I have about where I think you and I are going. I am not sure that our destination is the same anymore, and this makes me sad. To be completely honest, I am only in this relationship these days for the music therapy interns. I don't think that is a hea...
Read more

Songwriting Sunday: Repetition

Image
One of the things that I find to be helpful with my client population (children, adolescents, and young adults with dual diagnoses) is repetition of phrases, lyrics, and music. As a result of 30+ years of working with this population in various iterations, I have found that my clients respond the most to songs with three repeated phrases to prime their responses with a different phrase to communicate the important part of the experience. DISCLAIMER: This is not a definite way to write music for clinical interactions. This is what seems to work well with my particular group of human beings. Don't go to your supervisors and tell them that I told you that this is the ONLY way to write music - It is NOT! You have to find what works for your clients and for their clinical goals. Since my clients respond well to this type of song, I tend to write songs in this format more than any other. What I have found is that my clients remember these songs more than the ones that I do in different f...
Read more

Being An Internship Director: On Hiatus

Image
It has been long enough since I have had an intern that I am seriously feeling like I have little to say on the subject. At the same time, I am currently writing Chapter 5 of my general internship handbook, so I am able to write about being an intern and what types of things to think about during this important time in our professional development. It is a strange place to be in, and it is one that is a bit challenging for me. Right now, I have had three vacant internship positions since the beginning of the calendar year. I will have a vacant position next month and that will be an entire year of rejected offers. In the past nine months, I have offered positions to three applicants who have declined. It is interesting how people complain that there aren't enough internship programs, but programs like mine are empty. I guess there aren't enough internship programs that pay large stipends (which mine cannot) out there. I get it. It is interesting to me how we have moved from an ...
Read more