I don’t tend to be a hype product person. And when it comes to planners, I have seasons where I find them more useful. But earlier this year, after reading the wisdom and uses some of my favorites bloggers shared about their bullet journals*, I joined the club. I’ve watched their videos, done lots of googling and just generally worked out what fits for me. So today, whether you’re looking to figure out if a bullet journal is right for you or want to be inspired by it again, I’m rounding up how I plan to use my bullet journal in 2018.
Meal Planning
The last few months have been a bit of a wash as far as meal planning goes in our house. But as always, I’ve grown bored and I’ve been looking to try new things. I tend to meal plan with only a few items on the menu and let the other days just flow. I love that with my bullet journal I can plan and make my shopping list side by side.
Tracking More Goals
One thing I’ve been focused on lately with both S&S and my personal life is looking at what my goals are for 2018. I think sometimes when it feels like nothing is changing it’s great to be able to see how far you’ve come. I have a few monthly goals that I track but I want to use my bullet journal to track even more. The great thing about it is that you can track them in so many different ways. Plus, I love the idea of checking things off a list. And having the ability to see progress on paper is a good self-motivator.
Centering Myself
Over the years, I’ve found it’s easy to quickly get overwhelmed by all the things I need to do. And the last few months when I’ve felt pulled in a million directions, my bullet journal has helped. I use it to recenter myself. Some times this means just getting my thoughts for a post down on paper. Other days I use it to schedule and prioritize what needs to get done. It’s great for keeping me on track and helping me focus when I feel like I’m all over.
Weekly Goals
I’ve tested a few methods for my week over the last few months in my journal. From daily to do lists to just giant lists, I’ve tried and failed with several. But the one thing I’ve found works best for me is a list with weekly goals next to my daily breakdowns. Instead of constantly pushing things to the next day, I can realistically breakdown what needs to happen. The combination of both lists per week has helped me feel like each day is more manageable. And now I can feel like I’m doing one big task a day instead of trying to do them all at once.
Gratitude Journal
In the chaos of life, I know that sometimes I forget I have so much to be thankful for. So this year I want to be intentional about writing down one thing I’m thankful for at the end of the day. It can be as simple as I’m thankful for sunshine today. But I really want to use my journal to help me be in the best mental place possible. A daily reminder of all I have in my life is one way to do it.
Content Planning
Part of the reason I opted for the bullet journal was to organize my blog & Youtube channel. But one thing I’ve found is that I don’t quite use it the way I thought I would initially. I like to plan out my content in my digital calendar so I can easily move things around. Then I use my planner to track where I am in the process of a post or video. When I first started, I thought I had to be all digital or all paper. However, I’ve grown to adapt them both to what works for me. And I’m happily using a combo.
If you’re considering using a bullet journal* in 2018, I’d highly recommend it. And the best part is that if you don’t like the way you did something one month you can change it. My journal is filled with so many attempts at things. Don’t feel like it has to be perfect. It’s only meant to work perfectly for you.
*Outbound links are affiliate links. This means that if you purchase the item from this link I make a small commission. This in no way changes the cost to you but allows me to share the things I love most with you all. Please know I only post the things I love and only share items I truly love and recommend with you. Thank you for supporting Savee & Savory.
