Sentimental Sunday: Post 2243 - A New Bullet Journal - July 25, 2019

Today's sentimental post comes to us from July 25, 2019. It is on a topic that makes up the cornerstone of my organizational system - bullet journaling. If you are interested in reading this particular post, here's the link. 

I am currently starting the process of migrating into a new bullet journal, so this random selection is interesting to me. It is interesting that this came up (I use a random number generator, so I didn't actually select this post, it was selected for me) this week. I sat down on Friday and selected my next book from the stash of blank books that I have available at all times. So, when this was the post that my generator selected, it seemed to be a good time to review the reasons why I do what I do...

I have always had a planner of some sort. My aunts and uncles gave me planning systems from the time I entered high school until I graduated. After that, I used my own calendars to keep track of assignments, tasks, appointments, etc. I use this planner system to keep up with things and to keep from having to remember everything. The book helps me keep track of what I need to do when. It always has.

My first real bullet journal was one that I had sitting around. (If you are not familiar with the concept of bullet journaling, Ryder Carroll was the first person to put these ideas onto paper. I recommend that you look into his system a bit more. I use parts of this system, but I've morphed into my own ways of doing things.) It was a journal with an R2-D2 word graphic on the front. The book was lined, which I have discovered that I really don't like for my personal journal, and it was the place I first developed my own system.

This post talks about switching from the first journal to my second journal which was The Passion Planner. This was a structured planner as opposed to my first one which was completely hand-drawn. I quickly found that I was not as interested in the structure as I was having the ability to change things when I wanted. I really would like having something a bit in between the prompts of the passion planner and the blank page of the journals that I use now.

At the moment, I am getting towards the end of my current book. This past journal has had a Star Wars theme. Each week, I have a different character that I research and explore a bit. I try to do something decorative (though that has been lacking lately). I also use the same format every week.

So, what does this have to do with music therapy?

This has very little to do with music therapy but has lots to do with being a person in a profession who has things that need to be done. This is part of my organizational structure. I have a bullet journal for my full-time job. My personal journal contains everything else.

So, when I sit down to set up my journal, I start by drawing a box for each day of the week. (I do this in both of my journals - work and personal.) I use different colors because I like color in my journal. I tend to color-code lots of things, but I don't really color-code in my journal for tasks or things like that - perhaps I should (goblin). I have a monthly calendar that doesn't really get used. I am evaluating whether I need those pages or not. The nice thing about having a blank book is that I change things up as I want to try out new formats or elements. I use pictures or I draw or I just leave things blank. I also practice my lettering on these pages.

My journal/planner is a place where I collect ideas, thoughts, and tasks. I dream a bit in these books.

My next book has a very light green cover. It is similar to my current book except for the cover color. There will be some things that I will do to decorate the first pages that don't really work in my system. I usually include my school calendar in the first few pages because my personal journals tend to span the academic contract year. The light green journal will start on July 1, 2023 and will stop on June 30, 2024. The first few pages include some stickers or collages for aesthetic purposes - I like to see something and do not always have the interest in watercoloring or drawing something original. I use stickers and pictures to make my own cover pages. I always put my index page at the back of the book because I just like to have that information in the back rather than saving space in the front. It makes more sense for me to use the last pages rather than waste pages in front if I don't use the index much.

I include tasks, appointments, menu ideas, and any ideas that arrive in my brain in my weekly journals. There are times when I don't use much of the space on the pages, and there are other times when I spill from one page to another.

This last journal was the first one where I had a theme. I liked that structure. It gave me something to learn about and kept me going. I have learned so much about the Star Wars universe, but there is so much more to learn. I am torn between continuing my Star Wars explorations and doing a different theme. I am still pulled towards Star Wars and may shift my focus from characters to 52 weeks of watching episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars...hmm. This is a new idea, but one that I could accomplish with about 45 minutes of dedication each week... There are 133 episodes of The Clone Wars, so I could do two episodes per week. Lots to think about...

This post reminded me of the joy that I get when I am organizing information. It is something that gives me a feeling of control over my life and the things that I select as my focus. I will continue to set up my journals every week because it is something that I enjoy and that I think helps me. There you go.

Time to get my next book started... Happy Sunday!