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jadesfire1. The weekend...happened. I think. We did chores mostly, and actually. You know. Talked to each other. Which was weird.
Context: since 2015, on and off, J has had to spend pretty much every weekend studying for exams. The last set was in October, and we were busy for literally every weekend down to Christmas. So staying and home and doing things and having conversations is kind of new again at the moment. It's good, but feels kind of weird!
2. I wore my new boots out and about both days, and couldn't be happier with them. They are worthy successors to the Awesome Boots!
Context: in January 2016, I had to make a work trip to Prague, which I knew was going to be cold and probably snowy. I also had no suitable footwear. The Awesome Boots were my first pair of proper boots in years and years - I have oddly large calves, and nothing normally fits - and were just the job for the trip. As I was on my own for 4 days in a country where I could only say 'Please' and 'Thank you' in the language, they and Instagram were excellent companions (the tag awesomebootsontour takes you through most of those pics).
3. Below the cut are, as requested, various pictures of my current notebooks and planner layout. I haven't actually started the new notebook yet, because on Friday, in a bit of a stress-haze, I bought myself yet another one to manage the current Big Project. Having only bought from Bureau Direct before, I didn't know there was a wider range of colours, but Cult Pens had one in silver. The one I'd been planning to use is a nice dark blue, but I want to see them both before I decide which to use for what. So as the old planner has more than enough pages, I'm going to carry on using it until the other arrives.
This arrived this morning, and has already been distributed into the appropriate places!
My main notebook this year has been a Rhodia Goalbook. They're pretty widely available, in lots of colours, so if you want one, I suggest having a bit of a hunt around. Or if you like the Bureau Direct colours, wait until their 10% off week!. The pen loop is a Leuchtterm one, and I've been using them for years in various notebooks. The pen is a fairly cheap one, a Lamy Noto ballpoint, but I like the feel of them.
Inside, there are two types of perpetual diaries, which I use very differently. The day-by-day one is my 'proper' diary, with what's happening next in. One aspect of Bullet Journalling I strongly disliked was that if you wanted an overview of the year, you had to write it all out yourself, and I need that overview. So having it done for me was much easier.
The other diary is more of a month by month summary. In here, I've been putting things that happen every year, like birthdays and anniversaries (off of the left of the picture). In my new one, I'm also going to put annual bills and reminders in.
Then the rest of the notebook is just blank, dot-grid pages. I've found I prefer dots to squares or lines, as I don't feel as constrained, but can still write in a straight line when I need to. The pages are all numbered, and if you are a more organised person than me, you could use the contents pages in the front to track things. In 'proper' Bullet Journal fashion, I started doing this, but quickly found it wasn't something I wanted or needed.
Through the year, I experimented with different ways of doing to-do lists and reminders, and finally settled on this. Before I discovered Washi Tape properly, I just drew the lines, but I'm finding using the tape much more fun. I don't need much space for the diary part - I don't get out much! - and I have a separate work diary for work things. The long 'to do' space is for single tasks that need doing this week. The 'ongoing' list is for bigger projects that we're chipping away at. Things like tidying the garage or tidying the file structure on our iMac. It's also single tasks that have to be done at some point, like my getting a new passport, but which don't have definite, necessary dates on them.
It's not a hard and fast distinction, and eventually, some of the stuff on the 'ongoing' list will migrate into the 'to do' list, but it helps me prioritise.
I should add that I like to have my weekly layouts on the right hand page. Being right handed, they're easier for me to write on. I quickly found that was useful, because I use the left hand page for time-sensitive notes, or to write a 'Today' list. Last week's 'to do' list was literally the entire length of the page, so I found it helpful to just pull out what had to be done first.
You can see that the Goalbooks have 2 markers, which is also incredibly helpful! One goes in the diary, the other in this week's layout.
What I love about this set up is that I don't feel bad about making rough, scribbly notes, and because it's just a blank notebook of a decent size, I can use it for everything. Before, if I just carried a diary, I wouldn't know where to put notes. And as I never got on with online calendars, if I just carried a notebook, I didn't have my diary. I've used this for everything from writing fic longhand (a great way to break writer's block) to planning fic or charting fests I'm signed up to.
I also bought myself a 30-day stamp, thinking I'd use it at the start of each month for planning. Instead, I'm using it as a habit-tracker, ticking off days going well or badly, which is very satisfying!
For work, I use a large Moleskine diary, just the fairly standard layout with the week on one side and notes page on the other.
The numbers at the top are to show which Oxford Term week we're in. Technically, there are notes pages in the back of it, but I've never found myself using them. This is strictly a desk diary, and when I want to take notes, I use a Field Notes Steno Book. I discovered them two years ago, and find them perfect for brain-dumps and general note-taking.
I like to switch and change a lot, as I find it stops me getting overwhelmed. Rewriting lists and plans clears my brain out, and helps me prioritise. I have an A3 blank pad and a pile of colourful sharpies for when I'm totally stuck, and a magazine file of notebooks that lives on my desk. I dip into those when I need a change, or to see things from a new perspective.
I used to be very precious about using notebooks, but I'm forcing myself not to be. They're just pieces of paper in interesting configurations, and my brain likes pretty things. If I want to start them with one thing, but change my mind halfway through, that's fine. While they're a pretty collection, I'm determined to make them a useful one as well. It's like having nice china. You can choose to keep it in a cupboard and only rarely risk it, or you can use it whenever you can and enjoy it. We haven't broken a pretty plate yet, so I'm starting to trust myself with notebooks as well.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, this is the current washi tape collection at work. I have another one of the selection boxes at home, except all the tapes are cat-themed or glittery.
Cult Pens just let me know that they've dispatched my new book, so I'll let you know which I decide to use for what! But now, I should really go and update my to do list for the week.
If you have a similar collection, or have also massively over-thought your organisational system, I'd love to hear about it!
Context: since 2015, on and off, J has had to spend pretty much every weekend studying for exams. The last set was in October, and we were busy for literally every weekend down to Christmas. So staying and home and doing things and having conversations is kind of new again at the moment. It's good, but feels kind of weird!
2. I wore my new boots out and about both days, and couldn't be happier with them. They are worthy successors to the Awesome Boots!
Context: in January 2016, I had to make a work trip to Prague, which I knew was going to be cold and probably snowy. I also had no suitable footwear. The Awesome Boots were my first pair of proper boots in years and years - I have oddly large calves, and nothing normally fits - and were just the job for the trip. As I was on my own for 4 days in a country where I could only say 'Please' and 'Thank you' in the language, they and Instagram were excellent companions (the tag awesomebootsontour takes you through most of those pics).
3. Below the cut are, as requested, various pictures of my current notebooks and planner layout. I haven't actually started the new notebook yet, because on Friday, in a bit of a stress-haze, I bought myself yet another one to manage the current Big Project. Having only bought from Bureau Direct before, I didn't know there was a wider range of colours, but Cult Pens had one in silver. The one I'd been planning to use is a nice dark blue, but I want to see them both before I decide which to use for what. So as the old planner has more than enough pages, I'm going to carry on using it until the other arrives.
This arrived this morning, and has already been distributed into the appropriate places!
My main notebook this year has been a Rhodia Goalbook. They're pretty widely available, in lots of colours, so if you want one, I suggest having a bit of a hunt around. Or if you like the Bureau Direct colours, wait until their 10% off week!. The pen loop is a Leuchtterm one, and I've been using them for years in various notebooks. The pen is a fairly cheap one, a Lamy Noto ballpoint, but I like the feel of them.
Inside, there are two types of perpetual diaries, which I use very differently. The day-by-day one is my 'proper' diary, with what's happening next in. One aspect of Bullet Journalling I strongly disliked was that if you wanted an overview of the year, you had to write it all out yourself, and I need that overview. So having it done for me was much easier.
The other diary is more of a month by month summary. In here, I've been putting things that happen every year, like birthdays and anniversaries (off of the left of the picture). In my new one, I'm also going to put annual bills and reminders in.
Then the rest of the notebook is just blank, dot-grid pages. I've found I prefer dots to squares or lines, as I don't feel as constrained, but can still write in a straight line when I need to. The pages are all numbered, and if you are a more organised person than me, you could use the contents pages in the front to track things. In 'proper' Bullet Journal fashion, I started doing this, but quickly found it wasn't something I wanted or needed.
Through the year, I experimented with different ways of doing to-do lists and reminders, and finally settled on this. Before I discovered Washi Tape properly, I just drew the lines, but I'm finding using the tape much more fun. I don't need much space for the diary part - I don't get out much! - and I have a separate work diary for work things. The long 'to do' space is for single tasks that need doing this week. The 'ongoing' list is for bigger projects that we're chipping away at. Things like tidying the garage or tidying the file structure on our iMac. It's also single tasks that have to be done at some point, like my getting a new passport, but which don't have definite, necessary dates on them.
It's not a hard and fast distinction, and eventually, some of the stuff on the 'ongoing' list will migrate into the 'to do' list, but it helps me prioritise.
I should add that I like to have my weekly layouts on the right hand page. Being right handed, they're easier for me to write on. I quickly found that was useful, because I use the left hand page for time-sensitive notes, or to write a 'Today' list. Last week's 'to do' list was literally the entire length of the page, so I found it helpful to just pull out what had to be done first.
You can see that the Goalbooks have 2 markers, which is also incredibly helpful! One goes in the diary, the other in this week's layout.
What I love about this set up is that I don't feel bad about making rough, scribbly notes, and because it's just a blank notebook of a decent size, I can use it for everything. Before, if I just carried a diary, I wouldn't know where to put notes. And as I never got on with online calendars, if I just carried a notebook, I didn't have my diary. I've used this for everything from writing fic longhand (a great way to break writer's block) to planning fic or charting fests I'm signed up to.
I also bought myself a 30-day stamp, thinking I'd use it at the start of each month for planning. Instead, I'm using it as a habit-tracker, ticking off days going well or badly, which is very satisfying!
For work, I use a large Moleskine diary, just the fairly standard layout with the week on one side and notes page on the other.
The numbers at the top are to show which Oxford Term week we're in. Technically, there are notes pages in the back of it, but I've never found myself using them. This is strictly a desk diary, and when I want to take notes, I use a Field Notes Steno Book. I discovered them two years ago, and find them perfect for brain-dumps and general note-taking.
I like to switch and change a lot, as I find it stops me getting overwhelmed. Rewriting lists and plans clears my brain out, and helps me prioritise. I have an A3 blank pad and a pile of colourful sharpies for when I'm totally stuck, and a magazine file of notebooks that lives on my desk. I dip into those when I need a change, or to see things from a new perspective.
I used to be very precious about using notebooks, but I'm forcing myself not to be. They're just pieces of paper in interesting configurations, and my brain likes pretty things. If I want to start them with one thing, but change my mind halfway through, that's fine. While they're a pretty collection, I'm determined to make them a useful one as well. It's like having nice china. You can choose to keep it in a cupboard and only rarely risk it, or you can use it whenever you can and enjoy it. We haven't broken a pretty plate yet, so I'm starting to trust myself with notebooks as well.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, this is the current washi tape collection at work. I have another one of the selection boxes at home, except all the tapes are cat-themed or glittery.
Cult Pens just let me know that they've dispatched my new book, so I'll let you know which I decide to use for what! But now, I should really go and update my to do list for the week.
If you have a similar collection, or have also massively over-thought your organisational system, I'd love to hear about it!
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-22 12:26 pm (UTC)I don't need much of a planner for work, but for keeping up for personal stuff, I love something with the very light grid. Might try the dots too at some point. I have Sharpies, color-coded for family members/types of events, and I may be sliiiiiightly addicted to washi tape.
All that said, I still need to put the computer down more often and actually USE the stuff I have, instead of thinking how nice it all looks and how I don't want to mess up the actual notebook...
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-22 01:56 pm (UTC)I only discovered washi tape in about November, so I'm still getting used to the idea of using it. It sounds weird, but I find the idea of using something so pretty that I can't *re-use* very difficult, but I'm getting there.
Everyone seems to have the "don't want to mess it up" feeling about new notebooks! I'm trying very, very hard to get over myself a little, and just start using the things. The real mess up is to still have them in 5 years, without having got the pleasure from them! Or at least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself...
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-22 02:32 pm (UTC)I am trying to hold on to this as a life philosophy, to be applied in every area that I can think of.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-22 08:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-23 02:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-23 05:26 am (UTC)I'm envious of all your organizing and journaling. One day I'm going to set down and get my life together and on paper. Today, however, is not that day. :(
♥♥
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-23 08:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-23 08:23 am (UTC)And don't be fooled! It took me 6 months to get this system going. You didn't see the previous 100 pages of MESS that it took to get there ;D
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-23 08:24 am (UTC)Also, not pictured are the days when I forget to even open my notebook and discover the next day all the things I was supposed to have done :D
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-23 12:58 pm (UTC)I'm with you on the troublesomeness of having to write out the year. I'm still playing around with what I want my weekly layout to be.
I really like that monthly stamp you have. I might look into getting one myself.
Washi tape! Stickers are more my weakness than washi tape currently just because of how expensive washi tape can get. I have to figure out a better way to use washi tape myself.
I'm working toward adopting your same attitude about how it's better if the notebooks are used than sitting around pristine and untouched. But it's hard!
Thanks for sharing!
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-23 01:26 pm (UTC)I'm still getting my head around the whole 'decorate a page you'll only use once' thing with washi tape and stickers. It's growing on me, but it feels kind of odd.
Having all the notebooks on view all the time is helping me use them. It's a reminder that they're there! Otherwise, they sit in a drawer and I buy new before looking for one there.
Glad you found it interesting!
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-23 02:09 pm (UTC)It definitely does. I'm still getting used to it myself. I need to start using my washi tape and sticker stash though stickers were for tracking things.
I may have to do that too. I know I have a bunch of journals/notebooks lying around. I've finally been using this A4 size moleskine for my bujo that I've had for so many years the elastic band got worn out.