It really isn't that time consuming, or at least, it's as time consuming as you want it to be, like any hobby. I spent maybe an hour setting it up because I wanted to take my time and make it look nice. I spend 5-10 minutes a day, and that's because I like doing it. It calms me down, it grounds me, and it's positively impacted my anxiety.
Besides, my daughter goes to bed at 7 and I go to bed at 10. And people come and clean my house for me.
LOL. It saves me time overall because I'm not constantly thinking about those things or looking for my list. It took me a half day to set up the year and collections. It takes 10ish minutes to set up the week and another 10 setting up a month. I enjoy it, so it just seems like no time at all.
For people who don't work this way or enjoy it, I imagine it would be stressful, a time suck, and make them miserable.
Mine takes like 5-10 minutes a day with an additional 5-10 min at the start of each week and a few more minutes per month. Mine does not look fancy like the ones above. It is all about function for me, although I did get some colored pens just for fun. But basically I just do each page a different color.
I think I am going to take the plunge. Not H&F related as much as organizing my life. I've lurked on the MMM threads about this. Thanks @sessalee Bought planners have never worked out for me. I've spent money on the Erin Condren ones, and never use them enough to justify the cost.
When I look at some of the examples, I have been doing this on my own in a way for years. I've used Moleskines off and on since college, but I will use it for a week or two, then get out of the habit.
I own ALL of the 'S' pens already (Stabilos, Sharpies, Sakuras, Staedlers), so I am set that way. I don't see myself getting fancy with washi tape or adornments, or tracking a lot of habits, but the yearly layouts and monthly layouts appeal to me.
I think I am going to take the plunge. Not H&F related as much as organizing my life. I've lurked on the MMM threads about this. Thanks @sessalee Bought planners have never worked out for me. I've spent money on the Erin Condren ones, and never use them enough to justify the cost.
When I look at some of the examples, I have been doing this on my own in a way for years. I've used Moleskines off and on since college, but I will use it for a week or two, then get out of the habit.
I own ALL of the 'S' pens already (Stabilos, Sharpies, Sakuras, Staedlers), so I am set that way. I don't see myself getting fancy with washi tape or adornments, or tracking a lot of habits, but the yearly layouts and monthly layouts appeal to me.
I think I am going to take the plunge. Not H&F related as much as organizing my life. I've lurked on the MMM threads about this. Thanks @sessalee Bought planners have never worked out for me. I've spent money on the Erin Condren ones, and never use them enough to justify the cost.
When I look at some of the examples, I have been doing this on my own in a way for years. I've used Moleskines off and on since college, but I will use it for a week or two, then get out of the habit.
I own ALL of the 'S' pens already (Stabilos, Sharpies, Sakuras, Staedlers), so I am set that way. I don't see myself getting fancy with washi tape or adornments, or tracking a lot of habits, but the yearly layouts and monthly layouts appeal to me.
Stabilos... tell me more.
I have this set. They are a fine point felt tip. I think I got them at Dick Blick, where they also sell individual colors
Post by hurricanedrunk on Sept 7, 2016 10:04:53 GMT -5
This is why you are my people. How have I not started doing this yet! I have tons of blank notebooks and am going to start one of these this weekend. I am such a list person. I got sad earlier this week when I realized I didn't have access to data (times, distances etc) from when I first started running. I can't even remember what the app was called that I used on my phone to track works outs pre-garmin.
Thank you for sharing your photos and tips @sessalee, SallyJ, runaways, I may be back with more questions
Post by katinthehat on Sept 7, 2016 12:21:01 GMT -5
So my notebook will be here Friday for weekend set up.
Link me if you can or just help me think this out. I've got a few yearly things I need to probably combine into one.
School schedules for the kids (we have holidays, projects, parties etc for the whole school year already) I need an overview of my racing schedule - all the races I want to do and then making A, B, C races. Plus the usual birthday/holiday/vacation tracking.
(also, is there a bujo board on here or a big thread somewhere?)
guys, I am so confused. Legit. And I do not mean this in a snarky way at all. Help me understand, because I love me some lists.
But wouldn't a calendar just make the most sense? You write the events (school events, holidays, races, etc) as well as what prep is needed?
I am trying to justify in my head why this makes more sense. Not at all criticizing, just honestly feel like I am missing something. Help?
As a fellow new person to this concept - the reason this seems most appealing to me as a calendar and list lover - is that it allows me to keep my various random lists of to-dos vs. ideas vs. plans and calendars all in one place.
Like if something pops into my head - I just write it down. Right here in this little book along with all the other details relevant to my life. Instead of on a postit or the back of an envelope or that random google doc or an email to MH or any one of the many many places I use to keep track of random things. And if I hear about a new book I want to read, I just flip to my list of books (page location noted in index) and add it. Then if I read it and have a random thought about it that I want to jot down - I can do that there too.
It lets the chaos that is my brain just be a little bit chaotic in that the daily log can be a total mishmash of things, but imposes some order through the monthly spread and index.
Instead of when I go to make the grocery list, which then becomes a list of the things I might make for dinner that week, which then also has a list of the kids I want to invite to DD's b-day in the margin - all of which is on a random scrap paper that I lose 2 days later anyway.
eta: that's what I'm hoping it will be anyway. As I sit here just having made my september page, and started my very first daily log.
guys, I am so confused. Legit. And I do not mean this in a snarky way at all. Help me understand, because I love me some lists.
But wouldn't a calendar just make the most sense? You write the events (school events, holidays, races, etc) as well as what prep is needed?
I am trying to justify in my head why this makes more sense. Not at all criticizing, just honestly feel like I am missing something. Help?
As a fellow new person to this concept - the reason this seems most appealing to me as a calendar and list lover - is that it allows me to keep my various random lists of to-dos vs. ideas vs. plans and calendars all in one place.
Like if something pops into my head - I just write it down. Right here in this little book along with all the other details relevant to my life. Instead of on a postit or the back of an envelope or that random google doc or an email to MH or any one of the many many places I use to keep track of random things. And if I hear about a new book I want to read, I just flip to my list of books (page location noted in index) and add it. Then if I read it and have a random thought about it that I want to jot down - I can do that there too.
It lets the chaos that is my brain just be a little bit chaotic in that the daily log can be a total mishmash of things, but imposes some order through the monthly spread and index.
Instead of when I go to make the grocery list, which then becomes a list of the things I might make for dinner that week, which then also has a list of the kids I want to invite to DD's b-day in the margin - all of which is on a random scrap paper that I lose 2 days later anyway.
eta: that's what I'm hoping it will be anyway. As I sit here just having made my september page, and started my very first daily log.
shauni27, This is exactly why I prefer bujo over a calendar. The calendar doesn't allow me to make a list. A planner doesn't give me room to keep track of good books recommended to me, a song I heard on the radio, what my workout plan is to do, my varied goals for the year, my travel plans, vocabulary I learned, etc. The structure of those systems didn't work for how I actually live my life and I would always stop using them. This is just a very, very personalized calendar/planner, and also a way for me to be creative which is also important to me.
I'm thinking that's just too much info for a BuJo and I should keep my long form workout binder but use a BuJo to plan it into my daily life?
I've googled the mess out of but can't seem to find any examples of how to make it an in depth fitness bujo
This has been my struggle here recently. I really want to include my workout plans for the day and keep track of my progress with weights/running/etc, but have it separate enough from my daily to-do lists. I haven't found the silver bullet yet, but I have found several small things I like. When I finally create it, I will share it. I am working on it in the next couple of weeks before I have surgery, because I want to track my recovery. I think it will help me stay focused and positive to see progress.
So my notebook will be here Friday for weekend set up.
Link me if you can or just help me think this out. I've got a few yearly things I need to probably combine into one.
School schedules for the kids (we have holidays, projects, parties etc for the whole school year already) I need an overview of my racing schedule - all the races I want to do and then making A, B, C races. Plus the usual birthday/holiday/vacation tracking.
(also, is there a bujo board on here or a big thread somewhere?)
@sessalee, I saw a bujo check-in, but I don't remember what board. Is there one somewhere?
So my notebook will be here Friday for weekend set up.
Link me if you can or just help me think this out. I've got a few yearly things I need to probably combine into one.
School schedules for the kids (we have holidays, projects, parties etc for the whole school year already) I need an overview of my racing schedule - all the races I want to do and then making A, B, C races. Plus the usual birthday/holiday/vacation tracking.
(also, is there a bujo board on here or a big thread somewhere?)
@sessalee , I saw a bujo check-in, but I don't remember what board. Is there one somewhere?
There was one on MMM but it got shut down last week during some other unrest and it's buried now (which is fine, I'm just not going to be the one to pop it back up). I'm sure it will get resurrected You can look for the august one katinthehatSallyJ
guys, I am so confused. Legit. And I do not mean this in a snarky way at all. Help me understand, because I love me some lists.
But wouldn't a calendar just make the most sense? You write the events (school events, holidays, races, etc) as well as what prep is needed?
I am trying to justify in my head why this makes more sense. Not at all criticizing, just honestly feel like I am missing something. Help?
Where on a calendar do you write your packing list for a trip? Where do you write down the shopping and to-do lists for the party next weekend? Where do you track your workouts on a calendar? What if I have a calendar where I just track workouts but I get injured and don't work out for a month? Do I just have blank pages?
This is why a calendar/planner doesn't work for me. It is just not flexible enough, or there's just not enough space. Or there's space in the wrong places. A bullet journal allows me to build exactly what I need. I can make a calendar for the big events (trips, visitors, dinner plans, etc), I can have a weekly to-do list, a daily to-do, list, etc etc etc all in one place.
Does that help? I know you're not being snarky or anything.
If you're a list person, go watch one of the beginner bujo videos and try it in a cheap notebook. It may work for you, it may not. You let the system evolve.
I'm thinking that's just too much info for a BuJo and I should keep my long form workout binder but use a BuJo to plan it into my daily life?
I've googled the mess out of but can't seem to find any examples of how to make it an in depth fitness bujo
This has been my struggle here recently. I really want to include my workout plans for the day and keep track of my progress with weights/running/etc, but have it separate enough from my daily to-do lists. I haven't found the silver bullet yet, but I have found several small things I like. When I finally create it, I will share it. I am working on it in the next couple of weeks before I have surgery, because I want to track my recovery. I think it will help me stay focused and positive to see progress.
Try a few systems and see what works. Right now I have a page with my 3 primary workouts and on the bottom I track the weights I'm using. You could also track time/distance/energy/mood/etc on those pages. Or you plan out the workout on a page (page 12, let's say), then as you do the workouts, make notes on your current daily log (page 17). Then, back on page 12, you can put the pages or dates that you did that workout. So something like this:
Workout A
Bicep curls Squats Dips Run .5 miles
9/1 (page 28) 9/3 (page 30) 9/7 (page 32)
OR
9/1 - good energy, 3:42m run 9/3 - omg tired, 4:12m run
So after reading a bit about these I think it seems like something that appeals to me in theory, because I'm anal and creative and OCD like that. But it also seems like the kind of thing that will get neglected after the first month if I tried to maintain it. Also, the volume of lists i make seems like it would consume a thousand moleskines over the course of the year...
The thought of having everything in one place and having it be a physical item vs my current digital form does appeal to me though. But what if it gets lost? No cloud backup!
This has been my struggle here recently. I really want to include my workout plans for the day and keep track of my progress with weights/running/etc, but have it separate enough from my daily to-do lists. I haven't found the silver bullet yet, but I have found several small things I like. When I finally create it, I will share it. I am working on it in the next couple of weeks before I have surgery, because I want to track my recovery. I think it will help me stay focused and positive to see progress.
Try a few systems and see what works. Right now I have a page with my 3 primary workouts and on the bottom I track the weights I'm using. You could also track time/distance/energy/mood/etc on those pages. Or you plan out the workout on a page (page 12, let's say), then as you do the workouts, make notes on your current daily log (page 17). Then, back on page 12, you can put the pages or dates that you did that workout. So something like this:
Workout A
Bicep curls Squats Dips Run .5 miles
9/1 (page 28) 9/3 (page 30) 9/7 (page 32)
OR
9/1 - good energy, 3:42m run 9/3 - omg tired, 4:12m run
Does that make any sense?
Sort of? I'm visual so I need a picture.
I am thinking of doing the page referencing thing or I change my weekly set up to give myself more room for workouts and add a collection for progress tracking.
guys, I am so confused. Legit. And I do not mean this in a snarky way at all. Help me understand, because I love me some lists.
But wouldn't a calendar just make the most sense? You write the events (school events, holidays, races, etc) as well as what prep is needed?
I am trying to justify in my head why this makes more sense. Not at all criticizing, just honestly feel like I am missing something. Help?
Where on a calendar do you write your packing list for a trip? Where do you write down the shopping and to-do lists for the party next weekend? Where do you track your workouts on a calendar? What if I have a calendar where I just track workouts but I get injured and don't work out for a month? Do I just have blank pages?
This is why a calendar/planner doesn't work for me. It is just not flexible enough, or there's just not enough space. Or there's space in the wrong places. A bullet journal allows me to build exactly what I need. I can make a calendar for the big events (trips, visitors, dinner plans, etc), I can have a weekly to-do list, a daily to-do, list, etc etc etc all in one place.
Does that help? I know you're not being snarky or anything.
If you're a list person, go watch one of the beginner bujo videos and try it in a cheap notebook. It may work for you, it may not. You let the system evolve.
This is the exact answer I was looking for.
I am not sure it is for me, but I do understand the idea now
Try a few systems and see what works. Right now I have a page with my 3 primary workouts and on the bottom I track the weights I'm using. You could also track time/distance/energy/mood/etc on those pages. Or you plan out the workout on a page (page 12, let's say), then as you do the workouts, make notes on your current daily log (page 17). Then, back on page 12, you can put the pages or dates that you did that workout. So something like this:
Workout A
Bicep curls Squats Dips Run .5 miles
9/1 (page 28) 9/3 (page 30) 9/7 (page 32)
OR
9/1 - good energy, 3:42m run 9/3 - omg tired, 4:12m run
Does that make any sense?
Sort of? I'm visual so I need a picture.
I am thinking of doing the page referencing thing or I change my weekly set up to give myself more room for workouts and add a collection for progress tracking.
shauni27 - I use a planner and a bullet journal. The calendar has lesson outlines, family stuff, dinner plans, and workouts.
The bullet journal, for me, is more of a creative outlet. I take 15 minutes at the end of the day and list the major things I did plus things I sill need to do. I have pages with ideas for races, books to read, dinners to make, etc, all indexed with washi tape tabs.