This past spring I decided to experiment with a bullet journal and two months in, I’m pleasantly surprised with how much satisfaction it’s brought to my life. A bullet journal is part planner, part to-do list, and part journal. And in the past two months, I’ve stayed on task with all of my deadlines at work and managed to catch-up on two years’ worth of overdue doctor’s appointments, which I consider a huge success. Bullet journals have been a pretty buzzy topic around the internet for a while now, but I had brushed them off as too Pinterest-ey for a busy mom like me to use. That is, until I gave it a try…
So What Made Me Start a Bullet Journal?
A few months ago my work hosted a speaker on task management and I learned that tactile and kinetic learners are more productive with hand-written lists and planners than with electronic systems like calendar and note apps. This explains why, if you’re a highly visual person like I am, you actually do feel more productive if you have a pretty, new notebook in which to write your to-do lists. I also learned that one of the biggest tips for staying organized is condensing all of the places you keep tasks – in your head, email, a notepad, sticky notes, calendars, voicemails, etc. down to just one or two of these organizational buckets. Enter the bullet journal.
Personalizing Your Productivity
Once I had a better understanding of how to tweak my planning habits to fit the way my brain works with the goal of reducing the constant feeling of overwhelm in my life, I could suddenly see the benefit of a bullet journal. While there is a simple system of bullet journaling to learn, you can tweak all of your journal’s lists, calendars, and categories – called layouts – to whatever works best for your brain, your life, and the way you want to use your journal. This flexibility is by far my favorite thing, because it’s a system designed specifically for me. In its most stripped-down state a bullet journal looks like a calendar and planner, but can evolve to help you keep track of anything and anyone in your life, from fitness goals, to books read, or changes in your mood.
Bullet Journal Benefits for Moms
I won’t get into the ins and outs of bullet journaling here. This City Moms Blog post has a great tutorial and I learned the analog way with this book, which are both helpful resources to get started. Once you get the main yearly, monthly, and daily pages down, here are some more bullet journal ideas that are especially useful for parents:
For Feeding Your Hungry Family:
- Meal Planning and Grocery Lists
- Lunchbox Ideas
- Slam Dunk Recipes
For Around the House
- Household Chores/Cleaning Schedule
- Annual Home Maintenance Needs
- Laundry Schedule
- Costco/Target List
For Your Health
- Annual Doctor Appointments
- Food Allergy/Elimination Diet Tracker
- Symptom Tracker
For Staying on Budget
- Savings Logs
- Allowance Tracker
- Bill/Payment Schedules
For Starting & Keeping Good Habits
- Family Rules
- Screen Time Tracker
- Read Aloud Book List
- Homework Tracker
- List of Favorite Charities
- Boredom Buster Ideas
For Preserving Memories Made
- Funny Things Your Kids Say
- Kid’s Milestones
- Gratitude Journal
- Favorite Memories from the month, year or a special trip
For Special Celebrations
- Date Night Ideas
- Birthday Party Planning
- Holiday Gift Planning
- Winter/Spring Break/Summer Bucket Lists
- Family Vacation Planning
For New Moms
- Breastfeeding Log
- Care Log (Diapers, Naps & Feedings)
- Baby Bag List
- Monthly Milestones
- Pumping Tracker
- Doctor’s Appointments & Shots
- Baby’s First Foods
- Potty Training Log
Do you have a bullet journal or want to start one? Is there a list or layout that helps you keep track of you and your family? Please share and let us know what methods you use to keep organized.
