I love to make lists and I love to check the items off, which can be a blessing, but it can also be a BIG source of discouragement. I got into a rut with my bujo because it seemed like I either forgot to use it after I made the daily plan, or by 9 am our day was completely derailed by a meltdown or some kind of medical emergency. Which meant, by lunchtime, I felt defeated and overwhelmed, because there was NO way to recoup the morning plus get done what I planned for the afternoon (whether it was yard work, school, or house cleaning).
*sigh* The best laid plans, right?
Inspiration came in the form of Kari Denker (her blog used to be called Stone Soup for Five, but she has created a new platform called Ordinary Kari). I decided to go in a whole new direction with my journal and it made a HUGE difference in our days. First of all, I switched to using a weekly spread. I marked off the top for Sunday through Saturday - using it to track the weather, a bucket to color in if I remembered to water and a tree doodle to color in if I worked outside mowing the grass, cutting down limbs etc;. Under it I drew four bubbles to track my water intake each day. Then I made a small list of upcoming appointments and phone calls (I am ALWAYS forgetting to call in to renew a medicine, or confirm an appointment). This layout gives me a way to flip through and see how I am doing overall, plus it creates a fun memory book of sorts to look back.
(this is the first time I added the water bubbles, so I mostly forgot to track them 😕)
Second, I started using Kari's idea to make a Bible page that uses numbering one through thirty (or thirty-one) down the left side and then writing one line to sum up what you read (or didn't read 😕) that day. This is such a great way to make you think about what you read (it is hard to sum up reading if you just glaze over it) and a fantastic way to reinforce things that jump out to you as you're reading.
Third, I started using a Calendex this summer. I use it to color off the days, track when we get to church, and my steps. I am showing you December - February because September - November have quite a bit of personal information penciled in. As I complete a day, I color it in, usually a different color each day so that when I am done I have a pretty pattern.
Fourth, I pulled my school plans out and tried something completely different. The first change I made back in July was to take a separate section of my journal and loosely lay out plans for what we needed to get done. I then utilized a habit tracker to track one on one tutoring sessions - this is where we tackle the hardest subjects, the ones that encompass the vast majority of their learning struggles - math and language arts. I then made a small place for notes on how each lesson went, what we got done and what we did not get to (& why). Anyway, I have since moved my school plans completely out of my bujo and into a Mickey Mouse Happy Planner that I got for my birthday. I am happy with this change.
Fifth, I started doing an overview of the month page. I divide the page in half, the right side highlights the habits I am working on for each goal category (example - in October my focus for fitness is doing my knee exercises every.single.day. and tracking what I eat on my LoseIt! app. The left side will be for reflection at the end of the month. What did I love most about October - drinking, eating, reading, watching, listening to, wearing, seeing? So, basically using my five senses to make me think about the blessings I enjoyed most in October. What makes the month you are on unique and special? In July I was REALLY, really thankful to wear tank-top, shorts, and flipflops!
Finally, I am trying something new this week. I took four pages and went ahead and pre-drew the days so that I can track several weeks on the same page - weather, water, appts, & phone calls (working outside will be fewer and farther between because fall is FINALLY here 🍂🍁💖). I did this so that I could implement what Barb Raveling calls Truth Journaling. This is an incredible tool to have and TOTALLY worth buying her book if for no other reason than to learn how to do this!!! Journal your thoughts unfiltered (in the case of this book it is regarding food/weight loss struggles...but you can apply this to EVERY and ANY area of your life that you are struggling with). Then go back line by line and examine each and every thought. What is the truth here? She explains the process SO much better in her book Freedom from Emotional Overeating.
If you are not a list person and do not like to journal - this all may sound like just a gigantic waste of time. But I have tried digital and I have tried not journaling anything and I have tried simply using a post it note and minimal writing...the results have not been good. I miss appointments, I forget to renew meds, I forget to read the book I need to read....the very act of writing it down and/or doodling motivates me to actually get the things done.
PS please excuse my spacing errors - I try to fix them and only make them worse. Oh well, at least you will be entertained as you read - my daughter pointed this out to me 😂
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