Bullet journals are kind of a fashion statement for those who love organizing things. And, let me get on the record to say: I don’t organize things. I am messy, and moody, so it’s hard for me to predict what I can manage to do next.
But, I had started my bullet journal in August of 2017. I think it has helped me a lot, and I am sharing my experience with you today.
2017 lessons on bullet journals
I did not know much about bullet journals early on. Here is a nice link on what these journals’ functions are. Anyway, I have seen many posts on YouTube and Pinterest regarding ideas on how to set up a bullet journal. Essentially, I have been trying out different set up formats and pages.
My favorite way to use the journal is to track my daily activity, mood, and set up a list of the books I got for the month along with the ones I did read as well.
I found that my bullet journal has helped me look forward to my day a little better, for simple reasons. When I decorate my journal for the next day, I find myself decompressing before bed while working on them. Even the simple act of adding stickers, or changing the color of the pen would give me a little boost–I know, it sounds silly.
2018 ideas for my bullet journal
Part of the journal’s charm is to add awareness to one’s daily activities. I noticed that my days tend to be repetitious in terms of the individual tasks. As a result, a sense of hopelessness has been festering along the way.
So, I am thinking of changing my goals for each day. For instance, I always try to write a post on my blog each day, but, instead, it takes me all day, staring at a blank screen. Sometimes, I think I am really clever and attempt to multitask. Let me tell you something about me: I don’t get much done when I am trying to do more than one thing at a time. Therefore, I need to stop trying to go on YouTube, and write a post, while tweeting. It’s not working for me at all.
How does this relate to bullet journals? Well, I am thinking of using mine to also include reminders. Like, “Hey, if you finished this task, give yourself 10 minutes on YouTube.” For a while, I used to designate Pomodoros for each day, and that worked well. I am thinking of going back to that.
Another really neat use of bullet journals is that of trackers. I have slowly been integrating mood trackers, as someone who has a milder form of bipolar disorder (it’s called cyclothymia). I want to cross reference my journals, though. I keep a journal for therapy, and I am thinking of including a short description of how I am feeling, accompanied with why I think I feel that way.
In addition, tracking reading time (in Pomodoros, for ease) sounds like a good idea, because I don’t regulate how often I read. Instead, I try to rely on my mood, which is not such a good idea. Anything that involves me sitting still for a long period of time intimidates me. I think scheduling a time for me to get off the Internet and read will help me disconnect.
Finally, I want to use my bullet journal as a practice in accepting imperfection. I tend to beat myself up for not drawing the perfect shape, or messing up the spelling of a word. For the new year, I want to embrace these flaws and carry on with my journal without ripping pages (that’s why the page numbers help me).
10. Graceling by kristin cashore
9. The Hunger games by suzanne collins
8.The vanishing throne by elizabeth may
7.harry potter and the order of the phoenix by jk rowling
6. A Darker Shade of Magic by v.e. schwab
5. the demon king by cinda williams chima
4. Vampire academy by richelle mead
3. the darkest minds trilogy by alexandra bracken
2. The name of the wind by Patrick Rothfuss
1. legacy of kings by eleanor herman
T5W, or Top 5 Wednesday, is a meme that is run by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. The Goodreads Group is right here, for you to check out topics and participate with us. This week, my T5W is about authors I want to read more from. Some of these authors, I have not read anything from at all. Others are ones I have read a work or two by them, and I want to read more. But, over all, they are authors I would like to read more from regardless of how much I have read from them already.
Welcome to my first Disability Diaries entry for 2017. Over the next week, I will be dedicating my blog to discussions regarding disability (more than usual)). I am joining awesome hosts: 
When I got sick, it felt like a death sentence to all contact with humans, a comfort and consistent torture. But, I met Bronwyn through her blog about horror things. Incidentally, I am easily frightened, yet we connected and she has never batted an eye at the weirdness of me switching blogs, usernames, accounts. She supported me. Oh, and she introduced to my Megassaur.