***This is a guest post written by Beth!! I’m so thankful she was willing to share her talents and designs with you all! Learn a little more about this sweet friend here.***
Happy New Year! As the ringing of fireworks and party horns begins to fade, I still stand in awe that 2017 is over and done. It’s rather bittersweet; 2017 was truly a wonderful year. Nonetheless, I am super thankful for a chance to start fresh and to begin again. The New Year is a perfect opportunity to challenge yourself to try new things, to set higher standards for yourself, and to leave old habits behind (besides, they were so last year ;)).
And while we are on the topic of new habits, how about bullet journaling? Bullet journaling is a customizable organization system where you can essentially design your own planners/calendars, to-do checklists, or sketch in a dotted journal. Now, now, don’t panic. While bullet journals may strike fear into the hearts of many, I assure you that they are not as intimidating as they seem. I had the opportunity to begin one this past September, and it’s been a rocky, slow-going, and rewarding experience. Initially, I began because I needed a school planner, but the activity has evolved into more of a practice of self-love. I always look forward to plopping myself down with my journal and micron pens in front of an Office episode or just with quiet worship music playing in the background. It’s taken a ton of work and lots of patience, but I highly recommend it.
Bullet journalling really can take any style, shape, or form. I wanted to focus on creating cute calendar type spreads to help me organize my schedule, school assignments, and to-do lists. Let me tell you, YouTube and Pinterest were a fantastic help in starting out and in inspiring my own designs. So do not be ashamed to look at others’ creativity!
I began with a “future plans” spread where I could record any engagements that were too far ahead to put in a current month/week spread. I created tiny calendars of each month of the next year and left a large blank space next to it to record trips, events, and other important dates.
After that, I created a full page spread with the beginning of every new month. One thing I love about the process is that you have the freedom to consistently take a different approach to every design (and to switch them up if you’re bored :)). I followed a similar pattern with my weekly planning pages; I created a new one at the beginning of each week and changed my style every single time because I wasn’t finding one I loved. Now that I’ve had several months of trial and error, I’m much happier with the overall look and function of my journal.
With that said, my biggest tip is to make sure you’re giving yourself grace and enjoying the process, no matter how messy and imperfect it may be! I understand the frustration, but do not stress if it doesn’t come out the way you hoped the first time. Keep trying :).
Have fun playing with other sorts of organization. I made a birthday calendar, which is not only super cute but super helpful (I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of terrible at remembering birthdays, haha!).
I also made a “healthy habits” spread, where I can begin to keep myself accountable with all the beneficial habits I want to start with the New Year.
Try different layouts for keeping track of school assignments; I made a completely separate calendar page for assignment deadlines and I now swear by it. I’m an extremely visual person, and having a place to see how every requirement overlaps makes my life much less stressful.
I hope this gets you excited for the New Year, new challenges, and new beginnings! If you decide to try bullet journaling, I encourage you to have fun with it and look at it as an opportunity to grow and to rest. Take your time and enjoy the process. Let it bring joy to your soul!
Happy New Year!!
Love, Beth
Supplies: Sakura Pigma Micron Pens (A.C. Moore) of assorted colors and sizes (use whatever pens you like, but these are my absolute favorite), BookFactory Ghost Grid Dot Journal (Amazon)
All photos courtesy of Elisabeth Kreider.
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