Being stuck at home has given me the opportunity to pursue some more creative ways to vent, release stress and self-reflect. It’s nice to look back to see how I’ve grown in various aspects of my life and take time to lay out plans for the future.
Trackers
In my opinion, the most useful organization method in my bullet journal is my trackers. Trackers are a great way to simplify my goals and easily see what aspects of my life I need to improve on. It allows me to manage and prioritize my goals, while also feeling more productive and encouraged to remain on path. Some of my favourite tracker ideas are as follows:
Mood Tracker
I like to use various facial expression drawings, such as happy, sad, angry and frustrated, in order to display my emotion of the day. This helps me easily see what events may have triggered an emotional reaction and how to better express my feelings in a situation. I also find that I am able to improve my mental health and understand my emotions.
Water Intake Tracker
It is extremely important for me to track the amount of water I am drinking in a day, as I find that I get lots of headaches when I am not as hydrated as I need to be. Simply keeping a reusable bottle of water by my desk ensures that I am getting enough water. I am not a medical professional but when I drink more water, I definitely notice an improvement in my productivity and mood.
Monthly Spending and Savings Tracker
I, like many others, have an extreme shopping addiction and the only way I am able to combat this is by knowing exactly where my money is going and recognizing the dent it is making in my account. A tracker has allowed me to maintain some control over my finances and look into better financial habits such as investing.
Planning
I love to use my bullet journal to streamline my plans and help prioritize my tasks. I have gotten into the habit of using different colours for each course I am taking and highlighting top priority work. I find it convenient to plan using a monthly and weekly layout while also incorporating a to-do list and goals for the month list.
Monthly Layout
Personally, I prefer to use my monthly layout to jot in appointments, midterms, classes, labs, birthdays or other events. I use this as a decorative page, as I like having monthly themes such as pumpkin doodles for October, poppies during November and a snow theme during December. This page is extremely important for me as it allows me to use some of my creative energy, while also ensuring I am looking through my syllabi to keep track of due dates.
Weekly Layout
For my weekly layout, I schedule in daily study times or important assignments that need to be completed around the events from my monthly layout. I also mark due dates for quizzes and assignments and ensure to make time for myself and my family.
To-do Lists
Though it may seem simple and trivial, writing down your to-do list in a place where you can see it ensures organization. I feel tremendously accomplished and motivated when I am able to check off items, and it helps me stay focused.
Goals for the Month
I usually have a page dedicated to my monthly goals as it reminds me of my responsibilities and obligations to myself. I use it as a mental health awareness page, and I also write down some lessons I’ve learned or important projects I have accomplished in both my personal or academic life that have had an impact on my wellness and attitude.
Entertainment
When I have a lot of downtime, I usually resort to a simple doodling page in my bullet journal but I also enjoy physically seeing items such as a playlist, bucket list, want/need page or a favourite show page to look back on. I feel it is important to see how far I have progressed and grown, and a major part of that is seeing the changes in my monthly or yearly song choices, favourite quotes, favourite movie or my best day mentally or physically.
Monthly Polaroid
Every month, I print out my favourite picture or use my favourite polaroid and stick it into my bullet journal in order to display my best day of the month. This usually includes a picture of my friends and I, a picture of a new dessert recipe I have tried or a hiking picture from a day trip.
Netflix Shows
On the days that I have a break, I enjoy watching movies or shows. I usually have a list of shows, which I rate for my own entertainment and to see how my taste or perspective has changed over the years. Some of my current go-to Netflix shows include Brooklyn 99, Prison Break, The Patriot Act and Money Heist.
Self-Care
Aside from a morning and evening cleansing routine, I also like to take a couple of days of the month to really focus on my mental health. For me, this means writing down a short reflection, relaxing to some calming music, doing some yoga, playing video games or even taking a nice bubble bath. There is so much to look forward to in life and taking the time to check in on your mental, physical and emotional health can do wonders for your mindset.
Thank you for reading! I hope I’ve given you some inspiration for your bullet journals!