I use a myriad of things to TRY and keep myself organized - at least at work. My job requires me to juggle many tasks/projects/events/grant deadlines at a time - my weeks are ever changing.
use google calendar synced with phone
use “sticky notes” app on my desktop for reoccurring tasks/projects
keep a notebook to jot down thoughts on phone calls/webinars
keep a couple daily to-do post it’s in front of my keyboard for day to day “must do’s”.
I could do better to keep track of home tasks.
Have been exploring Bullet Journals/Journaling and wonder if this might eliminate a step or two above. Just curious about anyone who uses it. If you use another method like Trello or something - great - but bullet journal methods is what I’d like to try and keep the topic on.
I have not tried it, but I have followed the topic with interest as one of the blogs I follow has discussed it on several occasions. I have a May Notes calendar with bullet pages behind the calendar and use those for lists I want to keep (such as flex spending charges), but not for organized daily/weekly tasks. Here is a link to one of the bullet journal posts from Modern Mrs. Darcy.https://modernmrsdarcy.com/bullet-journal-tips/
I didn’t know what this was, so I Googled it. Apparently, I’ve been doing this for 30 years and had no idea (although I use my own made-up symbols) that it was a real thing.
So, to answer your question, yes it might help you. I use a weekly planner that has room for notes, which is where I do my bulleting. It works for me. I do like to have a calendar where I can also see the entire month so that I can mark in DD’s A and B days. That way, when I’m scheduling her appointments, it’s easier for me to quickly figure out which days she has a study hall or an easier class to miss.
I’ve been doing this daily for about 25 years with a week-at-a-glance planner. Plenty of room for notes, comments, appointments, thoughts, events, BDs, etc. I store cards, tickets, photos, programs, notes, etc. in the pages, and each planner then becomes more of a diary than a to-do book. Anything that I need to track is written ahead in the appropriate space. Anything I need to track that will occur in the next year, say a dental appointment six months from now or a reminder to send a card to a friend or family on the anniversary date of a loved one who just died, goes on a slip of paper between the last page of the planner and the back cover (or I just put the appointment card or note or bill, etc. there). Sometime in December each year, I buy a new planner and transfer all the items from the last page of the old one to their proper place in the new one as well all the BDs from the old to the new. This planner lives, open to the current week, on our kitchen counter. DH and DS have been using it forever as well to jot down their own appointments, to-dos, love notes, anything I need to know about in advance, etc. It’s our organizer, communication tool, lifeline and a condensed story of our interwoven lives. We all understand that if it’s not in the planner, it didn’t or won’t happen. I love opening to a new week and finding a note from one of them placed there weeks or months before—they know how to use this thing. I have a special box where I store each planner when the year is over. Occasionally, I’ll take an old one out just to “remember.” Sometimes low tech is the best.
I use Google Keep, which lets you make lists that synch on computer and phone. You can do them with checkboxes you can check off or just a plain list. You can have a Google Keep for every gmail address you have.
I thinking about the BuJo and might try it. We had a whiteboard system that worked really well until we remodeled the kitchen and eliminated all the stuff stuck to the refrigerator.
My husband makes the meal list because he is more invested in dinner than I am. He could make notes on the meal after it is served, because he often doesn’t know the meals by the name on our five page list.
I do use some online methods that have their place - desktop post it notes, Google Calendar and of course for work Outlook calendar. But I admit to just preferring organization to be hard copy - in front of me to add to, scribble in or out, etc.
Are there any stickers or stamps for weekly and monthly items? I don’t want to spend hours to create a system. Drawing boxes on a grid doesn’t work for me, but I love checking items items off/done.
Before seeing the original post I had never heard of bullet journaling. After I spent some time looking into it, I really liked the organization of it. Today I spent about 20 minutes setting up an index, future log, a couple of collections, and my March monthly spread in a dot grid notebook, using some fine tip markers. I was surprised how quickly and easily it came together. Thanks for the idea @abasket!
I think part of the point is creating a system that works for you and includes components that are important for you. You could certainly use stickers/stamps if that works for you but the design and what to include etc. should be personal to you.
