Bullet Journal

[poky]

I need this. How do I start?

Read the blog post spotty_dog posted, read some others if you want some other perspectives, get a journal (I can recommend the moleskine large grid one, but whatever works for you. I've seen some others recommended). I also bought a pen loop to attach to it, so I'm never without a pen.

[spotty_dog]

The original site at bulletjournal.com is a wealth of info. Good luck!

[medpedspouse]

This reminded me...
Soooo, DH (Mr. or maybe I should say Dawkter of never remembering anything and having untimely follow through when he does) does not want to write anything down. He makes fun of my lists and is always trying to sell me on some app that can track/do/whatever. Pointed out that the to do list on my phone will work with the GPS and note when I am near the cleaners, store, etc. so it can remind me. YET, dude still has not submitted his reimbursement for mileage since January 1st and has yet to turn in his travel reimbursement for a trip mid February....to name just a few unfinished tasks. I wish there was an app for a swift kick in the but.

Any of your dawkters have adopted some of these habits?

BTW - been reading a lot about Physician burn-out for a paper I am writing. Guess what? One of the methods for fostering resilience is journaling.

[Sheherezade]

Funny topic. My DH adapted a version of FlyLady organization when he was struggling through his fellowship years. I was using that system to keep my head above water with no spousal or family support and two kids under five in a city apartment. He made up his own daily routines for the hospital floor, rounds, OR etc and claimed that the routines and checklists made his life much less stressful. He still keeps a list in his pocket most days, but he's not as rigid now. He has more time to think, though. Fellowship was brutal.


Angie

[spotty_dog]

My guy relies heavily on his iCal. He puts to-dos in the "events" section. He has his methods and doesn't really ever forget a thing. He tried for years to get me to adopt something like it, and I had a Palm when he had a Palm, then an iPod long before I ever had a smartphone, but it was never intuitive for me.

He's read the Checklist Manifesto and has helped put some evidence-based checklist procedures into place at the hospital, which is cool.

[OrionGrad]

This thread inspired me to dig out one of my unused moleskin journals and move my daily to-do lists back to paper form. I've been using a combination of Google Calendar and the Wunderlist app for a while now, but there's nothing quite as satisfying as checking off a to-do list by hand.

[HouseofWool]

My journal arrived today. I had managed to schedule a half day of work because the kids got done early. My mom swooped in and took them and I was able to set up the journal and start tackling some of the tasks.

I have been feeling panicky lately, fearing that I am missing something important. Now at least I can dump it on paper and address it as needed.

[scrub-jay]

What did you get [MENTION=1421]HouseofWool[/MENTION]? I got a royal blue Leuttchurn1917 but haven't had a chance to set it up yet! I hope I can this weekend.

[HouseofWool]

What did you get [MENTION=1421]HouseofWool[/MENTION]? I got a royal blue Leuttchurn1917 but haven't had a chance to set it up yet! I hope I can this weekend.

I got the Leuttchurn1917 in black. I had to order from Amazon as no one carries it locally that I could see. I looked at Moleskine but the pages felt really thin.

[spotty_dog]

I used Moleskine for years but my current book is a Leuchtturm. The paper difference is there but it is minor; I mostly appreciate the pre-numbered pages. The form factor is nice too, it is a little wider than the MS.

I love that feeling of no longer wondering, "what am I missing?"

[MsSassyBaskets]

So, I've only just started. I've always been a checklist-maker, but lately I only do it for work. My work list tends to sit around and get stale for a while, and I only refresh it every week or two. And outside of the office, I feel like I'm juggling too much in my head. I think the BuJo method is really close to what I already do, but it will give me a kick in the pants to stay up to date more.

I'm going to do separate notebooks for work and personal. I thought about doing one and color coding, but I really like having a clear barrier between working and personal life, and I want the BuJo to allow me to leave work at work without worrying that I've missed something. I'm thinking that notebook will stay with my laptop in my work bag when I'm not at my desk, while my personal notebook will live in my purse/on my nightstand.

I've always been super simple about my lists - check boxes and dashes for tasks and notes. I'm not going to elaborate too much in transitioning to a BuJo, so I don't burn out on it. But I like the daily migration and more clear symbols for what I've finished or carried forward. Makes good sense.

I'm using an old notebook now, but I'm ordering two new ones with better paper so I can write on both sides (too much bleed through in my cheapie). And nicer pens, because I can't resist a good pen.

[spotty_dog]

I hope it works really well for you! And yes, doesn't everyone love a new pen.

Something I'm really appreciating lately is the planning aspects. It's one thing to put out urgent fires, but another thing to step back and assess the not-urgent but important things. For example, I have two (TWO!) recall notices on my minivan, both over two years old. (One is only an issue if you drive in a lot of road salt; the other only causes your brake lights to malfunction.) But I figured out what was holding me up, and put the task on my monthly list, and by golly, I'm making progress!

[niener]

I'm only just reading this thread -- HOW did I not know this was a THING?! I've basically been doing some version of this for years but OH my gosh at all the ideas and layouts floating around! That bullet journal junkies FB group may ironically be the death of my productivity. I stopped keeping my planner/journal thingy after DD was born but just last week had been looking into reviving it and brainstorming ways to reorganize to accommodate those life changes, so I stumbled across this at exactly the right time. My new Leuttchurn 1917 arrives Friday!

[spotty_dog]

Welcome to the obsession. Try not to let the BJJ FB group overwhelm though! Having it turn into a productivity suck is exactly what happens to a TON of people. Not gonna lie, it really gets under my skin that a certain very artistic blogger has become such a BuJo guru, when she's been using the method less than a year, and the only thing she needs to be productive about is keeping a blog about productivity. How does THAT even make sense? Ennyhoo...

[niener]

Haha I'm pretty sure I know exactly who you're talking about, as half of the results in a Google search about BuJo turn up with her pages. I do find it terribly ironic that some people appear to spend so much time decorating their to-do lists that it actually becomes an item on said list . Good thing about me though is my handwriting/doodling skills are so lack luster I can't even pretend to make mine pretty! The ones that do it well are nice to look at though.