My husband get’s these wonderful notebooks (WITH GRAPH PAPER SHEETS!) from work. Of course, I steal them from him, since he never uses them! I also found the best use for them, so he can’t steal it back.

Because I’m an avid Pinterest peruser, I came across a Bullet Journal(R) pin. Ryder Carroll invented this ingenious journal method. You can watch the video here.

I started my journal in December, and it has helped me so much! I know it’s not for everyone, especially since we live in an electronic heaven. It’s easier to use your phone, computer, or a blog as your journal then to have to lug a notebook around with all of your goals, dreams, and secrets in it!

I keep mine at home. I use it every other day, or when I’m good, daily. It keeps me motivated, and organized. I have tons of things I like to do, want to accomplish all at once, and I also have a toddler. The journal helps me stay focused. It also helps me be real with myself. I want to do 10,000 things, and because I can’t do them it stresses me out! I also find myself doing everything and not completing a single one. With the journal, I’m aware of the crafts I want to complete, and move it to the next month if I haven’t started it. I also just drop it, while I complete something else. It’s so RELAXING!

HERE IT IS:

Since it’s February, I’m showing the current journal. I forgot January had 31 days, so I started the month on Tuesday. I couldn’t rip the page’s out because of this following grid:

This grid idea from here. This site also helped me develop all the things I love about my journal. I made the mistake of using a sharpie ultra fine point and the ink leaked through the pages, ugh.

I also found cheap mini calendar stickies at target (I LOVE Target). This is my Goal sheet and first journal of the month:

January’s journaling helped me identify strengths I feel are beneficial in my parenting, and today I followed through by adding a post it with my plan throughout the month. I also created a page where I can brainstorm how i define, and how I will execute each strength. Here are the pages:

This journal helps get my creativity out and helps me stay away from my phone. Originally I wanted to transfer it to an electronic format, but using a pen and paper really helps ground me and also helps improve my chicken scratch handwriting.

I haven’t added the yearly goals, but, I do have a books to read sheet:

That book list is my favorite! Don’t use that sharpie, unless you have thick pages! I prefer this one:

(affiliate link)

That picture also shows my first January grid. It’s pretty pathetic. I had to switch it to vertical instead of horizontal because my dates did not fit.

This journaling method is adaptive and beneficial. I hope you find it useful and can let me know if you tried it!