There is nothing like the smell of a new planner, am I right? Just kidding! I dont smell my planners, but I do really love getting them and planning out the months ahead. I mentioned in a previous post on staying busy that I recently ventured into bullet journaling and creating my own planner rather than buying one already put together. This has been a great outlet for my creative side and it has also tamed my control freak/ planner side of myself. If you are like me this is a great option to balance both sides of yourself. It's also a great challenge if you're not creative or a planner. This gives you an easy way to stretch and strengthen those skills!
One of my favorite sayings is "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". This is way to often the story of my life; nothing ever goes as planned, especially now during this COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, I went ahead a sketched out months January-May for my blogging planner. The way I structure it is through themes I try to focus on each month and May's theme for Travel/Vacay! You and I both know, nobody is traveling or going on vacation with all this quarantine still going on! So needless to say I needed to redo my month of May in my bullet journal!
I got a lot of positive reactions when I shared a glimpse of my planner for April, so I thought why not show you guys how I go about planning a month!?
1. I begin with picking a theme!
For April I themed my posts around springtime. This month I tried to stay vague and choose something that is not likely to change, so I picked summer!
2. Sketch it out
On the first page I start with the title (May) then I draw my doodles, which were lemons because what says summer more than lemons?
On the next page I dedicate to brainstorming post ideas, so I draw a image that relates to the theme and fill it with text bubbles. I drew a pitcher of lemonade and used ice cubes and lemon wedges as text bubbles. If you are wanting to mimic this and you are using it as a regular planner, I have seen people create mood or sleeping trackers, as well as write encouraging quotes in this designated area. You can also skip the second page all together.
3. Splash it with color!
You can use colored pencils, water paint, or markers to add color to your planner. I personally use markers, but it does bleed through if i'm not careful.
4. Goals/ Monthly view
The next page I drew a huge lemon wedge and used the each section of the fruit for goals and to-dos for the month. This keeps it fun and allows you to track you accomplishments! The next page I have a mini view of the month and I gave it a decorative border. Below I started the weekly view because of the way May starts on a Friday!
5. Color that bujo (bullet journal)
I add color once I'm done sketching everything out, once again. I even highlight important days on my monthly view like posting days and emailing days. I also add a color key underneath!
6. Weekly view
I chose to box in my days of the week this month and add a highlight of color behind them to bring dimension. I write tasks for each day, like posting, emailing, writing, sharing on social media, and more. I try to schedule my working days with my husbands because that is usually the most effective way to get work done for me. In the corner I have a stats tracker, this is where I document my blog's post views and shares for each post. This way I can get a good idea of what content gets the most response! If you are wanting to mimic this, that space can be a great spot for weekly reminders or even reflections on the week.
What is great about bullet journaling is that it can be whatever you want it to be! You can follow the way I structure mine or you could do it completely different from the way I do. I specifically use mine for the blog so I can keep that separate from my day to day life. This is for my sanity and to help me stay organized. There are so many opportunities when it comes to bullet journaling. You can leave room for daily journal entries or devotional notes, the possibilities are endless! If you are in need of getting organized, staying motivated, being creative or all the above I recommend trying bullet journaling!
I think I love planners because they seem so easy and perfectly structured, which is not realistic to life AT ALL, so I find the stability I need in planners! Trust me my planner and my life don't always get on the same page so if your in the same boat, no judgement here! I hope you enjoyed this DIY post and I hope you venture into bullet journaling like I did! If you do I'd love to hear about and see some of your beautifully planned weeks and months.
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