A bullet journal is a book of paper with many small bullets in a grid-like pattern. The most popular bullet journal brand is the Leuchtturm 1917 which is about $20. Then you’ll need fine-point colored pens whose ink will not bleed through the paper so you can color code things. These pens range between $7 and $20. Then you can get fancy and creative by picking up things like sticky divider notes, stencils, ruler, stickers, washi tape, and stamps with ink pads. In the end, you’ll spend more time and money on a bullet journal than a traditional planner, but it may be worth it. View the setup time as a creative outlet and some well-deserved “me time.” When you plan out different aspects of your life you’ll feel more in control and content. There aren’t many planners out there that can satisfy all of your needs. If you’re tired of looking in many places to keep things organized then bullet journaling may be your answer. Are you unsure how you should use your journal? We have some suggestions but please note that your journal doesn’t have to contain all of these items. Include what is important to you because that’s what special about a bullet journal, it’s all about you. Here are seven reasons why a working mom should start a bullet journal.
Keep All of Your Calendars in One Place
First, decide who’s calendars you need to keep track of and what color will be assigned to them. You probably have your personal calendar that includes parties, appointments, and your exercise plan. Then there are the kids with their school activities, sports, and parties. Don’t forget your spouse’s calendar like their appointments and business trips. Then you could include work deadlines, trips, or conferences. How do you prefer to view your calendar? Do you like an overall monthly view or weekly? You will need to draw out your calendar view and then fill it in. You can use stencils so your numbers have a certain look and use stickers for birthdays or important dates. If you’re the creative type you’ll enjoy every second of this.
Organize All of Your To-Do Lists
After your calendar, you could use a sticky divider note, put some washi tape along the side of the page, or fold a page in half to introduce the next section. Then determine which to-do lists you’d like to keep in your journal You could have a section for each workload you manage. One section could be for your self-care plan. The next section could cover things you need to do for the kids like school supplies that need refreshing or things to pack for summer camp. Next, could be the weekly things to do around the house or home projects you’ve been dying to tackle. And last can be things you need to do for work or to build your career. Now that your lists are made, you head back to your calendar to figure out when you’ll get them done. This is the whole point of keeping a bullet journal! All of your lists are in one spot with your calendar so you can keep your thoughts organized and get things done quicker. Are you tempted to start using one yet? If not, keep reading.
A bullet for each taskTurn your bullet into a slash “" when the task is in progressThe slash turns into an “X” when the task is completedNeed to reschedule the task? Turn the bullet into a less than symbol “<” which means " and copy it to your next to-do list.If needed, migrated the task to another to-do list with a greater than symbol “>“A note is symbolized with a dash “-“An event is marked with an open circle “o”
Track and Reach Personal and Professional Goals
A working mom is busy taking care of her responsibilities and sometimes forgets to think of herself. This is why self-care, exercise, or “me-time” is usually last on her list. Are you looking to make some changes in your life? Have you had a hard time setting and achieving goals? Then start a new section in your bullet journal titled “Goals.” What do you want to accomplish a year from now? Let’s say you’d like to lose 30 pounds – this is your yearly goal. What would you need to do each month to attain this goal? You could write down find an exercise program or activity that you love. Also, you may want to change what you eat (we’ll get to meal planning in a bit!). Last, what can you do each week to help you reach your goal? Maybe this is workout three times per week and buy certain foods each week. With your goals clearly written out you flip back to your calendar. Based on your schedule, when will you fit in workouts? It’s pretty easy to map this out when your calendar is in line with everyone’s activities and your to-do lists.
A Place For Journal Prompts
Writing things down not only gets things done, but it can also help you relieve stress. Keeping a journal of your thoughts doesn’t have to be in a separate book. If you aren’t a big writer here are some quick journal prompts you could follow each day when you’re creating a daily to-do list. In your next section, you could write daily to-do lists that consist of a few things from your quadruple workload. Then on each of these pages, you can write about a few things you’re grateful for. You could search Pinterest for motivational or inspirational quotes that will help you get through your day. Or if you feel like it’s going to be a hard day at work, write down a mantra that will push you along.
A Small Space to Scrapbook
Who has time to scrapbook when you’ve got so much work to do! Wouldn’t it be great to have a place to keep those small mementos that you really don’t want to recycle? Your bullet journal can be your mini-scrapbook! If you don’t want to keep a whole section for scrapbooking, glue your mementos to the pack of your daily to-do list or on the last page of your scrapbook and work your way backward. This gives your journal a personal touch. Also, it sounds like you’re making your bullet journal a memento as well. It’ll be great to look back on what you accomplished and where you went.
Meal Plan Like a Pro and Keep a Food Journal
If you don’t meal plan a bullet journal is a great place to start! Fist, you can keep your food shopping list in it. Also, you can keep a list of your favorite easy to make meals and lunches. When you make your shopping list you can use this menu as your guide! One section can be for your meal planning and the next one can be a food journal. It’s known that if you want to lose weight, write down what you eat! This can include some scrapbooking as well, like when you visit a restaurant and discover a new meal!
Keep a Reading List for When You Have Time to Read
Keep your bullet journal in your purse so that when a manager mentions a hot new business book you can jot down the title, author, and who recommended it. Then when you finish reading it, you can go back to your work friend and chat with them about it. This will enhance your business relationship, too!
A Word From Verywell
Imagine how life would be if you felt organized and working toward goals. This process is super efficient and makes things seem more possible when you have a blank book crafted to fit your life. Yes, setting this up will take time and effort. But for every minute you spend planning you save more time later. If you’re excited to get started, go check out YouTube for bullet journaling ideas and start shopping for your bullet journal!
