Category: Bullet Journal (bulletjournal.com)

First, Let’s Return to Normal

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New Year, New Article!

This article started out as a re-boot of an article from 2018, but I have updated it so much, it deserves a new posting!

Happy 2025! My sons say 2025 is a made up number, that it doesn’t sound real. It’s real now!

I started to write this article a few different ways this morning, and I realized I was stumbling over the perception of “normal”.  I said to a friend last weekend that I am grateful that the breakneck pace of the holidays is winding down. That the last 4 or 5 or 6 weeks had been busier than typical weeks, what with travel and holidays and cooking and gift shopping and wrapping, etc., and that it would be good to take a breath and slow down.

And then, after a moment of consideration, I realized it has been longer than 6 weeks since I have seen “normal”. I have to share here, things haven’t really been normal for me since mid October.  I had diverticulitis in October and then a strong reaction to the Flu Shot, and those knocked me off my “normal” for a solid month, and THEN it was the holidays, etc.

The good news today, for me and you, though, is two fold. 

First, As the pace slows down to a more breathable and sustainable pace, you and I have more space and opportunity to add back in the habits that we know support us.  For me, my habits, when they are consistent, support me to be healthy, calm and energized. They support me to be there for and with my family, to be productive, to help me help my community here in Evergreen Park and beyond and all of you.

And the other piece of good news is that we already know what to do.

This time of year, it would be easy to say, “Know what? Change is hard.”   Saying it out loud, though, I immediately realized that I was wrong.  No, change isn’t hard.

Sometimes, change is extremely easy.  For example, as recently as last month, I was exercising daily and making healthy food choices.  And … then… the holidays happened.  And it got cold. And rainy. Which makes it difficult to take a daily walk.  And there is still holiday food and cookies in the house.  So, changing from healthy eating and exercising to… well … less healthy eating and not exercising was really easy!

While it’s easy to believe the self-defeating statement “Change is Hard”, and therefore unlikely to happen or be successful, that is all it is – a self-defeating statement lacking truth.  We convince ourselves that “Change is Hard”, and then we set ourselves up to fail by:

  • setting unrealistic goals or expectations;
  • starting a new journey without a map or plan;
  • setting the bar too high;
  • pursuing goals that are not right for us right now;
  • not asking for help; or
  • expecting big change overnight.

Back to the good news, though: We now have space and opportunity to do the right things.

And for the New Year, just getting back to what you are supposed to be doing can be a big step in the right direction.

The best part? You have already figured all of this out at least once. You have thought through the process and decided what your positive choices are.  And you’re right!

You have examined yourself and your life. You have identified areas for positive improvement, and you have determined some steps that might help you get there.

Is it health related? Nutrition related? Relationship related? Productivity? Hobbies? It is a good choice to establish and also RE-establish these habits.

Start with just getting back on track, whatever that looks like to you.  Let’s leave the bad holiday habits behind. For me, it’s time to:

  • Get to bed on time;
  • Clear that kitchen counter, and put the snacks out of sight;
  • Take that January list I always recommend making, and add action dates to it;
  • Unsubscribe from advertising emails;
  • Work back in working out; and
  • Re-boot my morning meditation / routine / reading hours, etc.

And from my Facebook community:

  • Ignoring the answers to my question from my brother and his friends, they like to have fun at my expense.
  • For reals: my friends plan to add back in:
    • Lap swims, getting in the pool every day
    • Biking
    • An earlier bedtime
    • One hour a day for me – nails, hair, walk – just for me
    • Morning meditation
    • Spending time with and better supporting my spouse
    • Getting out of bed everyday at the same time. Waking up is consistent, getting up is inconsistent.
    • Nightly skin-care routine
  • (I know such amazing people)

As we look at habits and routines, we need to cut ourselves some slack, too, and remember that this loosening of habits and then reassessing and returning to them is a normal part of their life cycle. 

We can reassess and determine if the habit was good and we just fell away with implementation, or if we need to actually rethink or tweak the habit. This is that opportunity. 

I am so happy for us!  Know why?  WE KNOW HOW TO DO THIS!  We know what to do.

We know what healthy habits are, and how to re-establish them.

We know how to be productive, we just need to get back to it!

We know how to be good to ourselves, so let’s be good!

This year, let’s start the year with returning to what we know.  How about we review our good habits that may have gotten a little lax over the last few months?  Let’s start the year strong, with realistic expectations to build a strong foundation, and then climb from there!

Ask Yourself: 2024 and 2025, Do? Learn? Grow?

I just sat down in my office to write this content, and the first quote I see says
“Be an encourager. The world has enough critics already.”

Truth! And I love that because I’m always trying to be an encourager, but especially today. This article and episode will drop at the very end of 2024. This is an excellent opportunity to reflect on 2024 and set intentions as we look ahead to 2025, to look forward and step confidently into the new year.

As we review and preview, I suggest asking yourself a couple of questions. They woke me up this morning around 2 am, and I liked them, so I am sharing them!

Here they are:

  • What did you DO this year?
  • What did you LEARN this year? And,
  • How did you GROW this year?

Here is how this process looked for me, consider how it will look for you.

Looking back at what I did this year, I found it helpful to start with my calendar. That gave me, at least in broad strokes, what I accomplished in 2024.

  • In January, I gave 9 presentations, the most I have ever given in one month. I started the year strong, and met and shared organization with many great people! I helped them to take care of their projects in 2024 and beyond.
  • Also in January, I started working on a project with my national association, NAPO (NAPO.net), as a Subject Matter Expert to create the Certified Professional Organizer Exam Prep Course. This was a great experience that continued until June, and it helped me get more involved in NAPO.
  • In February, I continued to teach and also had the first of 2 basal cell carcinomas removed. The surgery was more extensive than anyone expected so I hibernated for a few weeks to heal!
  • In March, a loved one had an emergent health issue that consumed a lot of time and energy. It is well managed now. My middle son started his third season with his theatre, and I attended the first of many shows for him this year.
  • In April, nothing specific stands out. I worked, I taught, I served my community through ministry and my service on my local Board of Education.
  • In May, my youngest son finished his second year of college and moved home. We traveled to Baltimore with the grandparents and attended my niece’s wedding, and I arrived home in time to deliver the commencement speech for the 8th Grade Graduation in my role as Board of Education President.
  • In June, the NAPO SME work completed – woot woot!! Some health issues for loved ones kept us occupied. I attended a conference for Board of Education Presidents.
  • In July, we spent a week in Michigan. We visited people and people visited us.
  • In August, we moved son #3 back to college to his first apartment. I had the second basal cell carcinoma removed. We flew to Massachusetts and New Hampshire to what has become our favorite music event of the year. I pursued testing for an ADHD diagnosis.
  • In September, I continued to heal from my surgery. I presented at a conference, and also attended my first conference with the Institute for Challenging Disorganization in Minnesota.
  • In October, I celebrated my birthday. Fall is my favorite. I received my ADHD diagnosis, and also dealt with a GI infection that laid me flat for a few weeks.
  • In November, I attended my annual Illinois Association of School Boards conference and then we celebrated Thanksgiving with family.
  • And here we are in December! Advent, the holidays, service in my community, so much music, so much family time.

Thanks for listening to my re-cap, I was glad to work through that as I wrote.

More importantly, what does YOUR DONE list look like? It is easy to wonder where on earth the time went. And some days, when we might be feeling down or being hard on ourself, it would be easy to say that you didn’t accomplish anything or at least not much this year, and this is where I will gently challenge you. If you need to compile your own list of accomplishments, start with your calendar. Or your email “Sent” folder! I was proud of myself as I wrote down my accomplishments this morning. I did more than I thought I did, and that shift to a clearer perspective was helpful for me.

What does YOUR DONE list look like? We start with What Did We DO? Then we move on to What did we LEARN? What did you learn in 2024?

For me, in the midst of the milestones, I learned a lot, too. I met new people. I worked with new and existing clients on in-person organizing and also coaching. I learned more about coaching to be a better coach.

I attended concerts. LOTS of concerts, and immersed myself in the music of independent artists that we follow. I learned new music myself, for performance sake. I always appreciate that professional challenge.

I prioritized my professional learning. I read books, attended conferences and earned dozens of continuing education hours to increase my skills and knowledge in organizing, productivity and coaching.

I certainly learned more about myself, through my own medical procedures, the medical challenges of loved ones, and pursuing my ADHD diagnosis. I learned even more patience, resilience and compassion.

There are specific topics that I learned about because I sought them out. Learning is seeking new information and incorporating it. Doing something with the learning, making it a part of us and our lives, making it meaningful.

What was that for you this year? What did you learn?

And all the doing and the learning leads to growth. I have grown this year. I have met awesome people and have helped others in big and small ways. I have expanded my knowledge, I have gained new skills and perspectives. I am better than I was one year ago.

So, we re-cap 2024. And then, we look to 2025. And we ask the same questions.

  • What do you want to DO this year?
  • What do you want to LEARN this year? And,
  • How do you want to GROW this year?

Let’s set those intentions for ourselves now! The looking-back at 2024 helps us to see more clearly as we set a course for 2025.

What do you want to DO in 2025? Do you want to travel? Get a new job or advance in your current role? Spend more time with family? Spend more time alone? Get fit? Relax? Write a novel? Read a novel?! What does that look like for you?

Personally, I already have some events on the calendar for 2025. We hope to head to Florida in February with family, I will attend a professional conference in March. May brings the graduation for both a niece and nephew in Michigan. May also brings the end of my elected term with the Board of Education, so I am imagining how I can continue to serve my community after that. I have presentations booked until November, 2025. And I am anxiously awaiting the touring schedules for the bands we follow, to put their local shows on my calendar!

What to you want to LEARN? Are there subject matters that you want to learn about? Other people you want to learn about? Do you want to learn more about yourself?

There are books I want to read. I own them already, I just need a habit and routine around reading them. I read voraciously, but I read fiction. I will make progress on my non-fiction reading list in 2025! That will help me learn and therefore grow. We do things, we learn new things and incorporate the new knowledge, and we grow. We can’t help but grow.

I google searched for a quote this morning, and I found two.

“You are the same today that you are going to be five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.”
― Charles Jones

“You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, the conversations you engage in. You are what you take from these. You are the sound of the ocean, the breath of fresh air, the brightest light and the darkest corner. You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life. You are every single second of every single day. So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge and existence. Let the words run through your veins and let the colors fill your mind until there is nothing left to do but explode. There are no wrong answers. Inspiration is everything. Sit back, relax, and take it all in. Now, go out and create something.” —Jac Vanek

Of course you’re going to grow. You’re going to incorporate those new things and do things in new ways that are uniquely your own. This week, look back and re-cap 2024, and look ahead with me to 2025. Let’s set our intentions. What do you want to DO in 2025? What do you want to LEARN? And how do you want to GROW?

On December 31, 2025, what do you want to be able to tell me about? A couple weeks ago when I talked about stress management, I asked you to consider what you want to do more of, and do it.

Do, Learn and Grow in 2025, and let’s work through it together. Feel free to drop me an email or private message me in my socials with your intentions. And I will hold space for you and your intentions for 2025. Maybe I’ll even check in in a few months, and see how you’re doing. I am wishing you the happiest and most joyful 2025. I can’t wait to interact more with you in 2025, that is definitely one of my intentions!

Bullet Journal: Ever Present and Indexing

Okay, next up on the list, let’s talk about Bullet Journal. Bullet Journaling. My bullet journal.

Now, this is a big deal for a lot of reasons, and I’m going to tell you why.

It’s September, and September is National Preparedness Month. I have shared a lot of information over the years about National Preparedness Month. We all benefit from that reminder that we need to have our ducks in a row, or at least know what and where are our ducks are. We need to be ready for life. And I will talk about National Preparedness Month in a couple of weeks, but that is not today’s topic.

One of the ways that I stay in a state of Ready, how I manage all the things that I manage – and there are a lot of those things – is using something called a Bullet Journal. I am going to reference now Ryder Carroll who created Bullet Journal, and also bulletjournal.com if you would like to know more.

And to give credit where credit is due, I need to give a nod to my dear friend Mark who introduced me to the idea many years ago. Mark has since passed, unfortunately, but I think of him kindly when I am working in my Bullet Journal.

I just started a new journal last week. Starting fresh is such a good feeling. A Bullet Journal is a tool. That’s all. It’s a very personalizeable tool. Mark and I taught Bullet Journaling classes over the years and it was good for us to teach it together because Bullet Journaling is so personal and individualized, it’s good to have two different people’s input.

There are many facets of a Bullet Journal that I love. Honestly, it’s a notebook. That’s it. It’s a notebook. How you use that notebook makes it a Bullet Journal. If you’d like to go to the Bullet Journal website and spend a lot of money on a very snazzy notebook – they are very pretty – Go for it. But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you why I love my Bullet Journal.

A Bullet Journal is a tool, and the concept comes with rules and suggestions, a technique, with ways of doing things, and you can choose to use it or not, and you can choose to abide by the rules and suggestions or not. I find it very helpful, and there are two facets of Bullet Journaling that I will talk about today that can be applied to any other notebook or note taking device, as well.

One aspect I love about my Bullet Journal is that it is ever present, ever ready. As I am writing this article, it is physically at my right hand on my desk. And when I get ready to go in a few minutes, I will slip it into my backpack which is twelve inches away from it at present, and it will go with me and be ever present as I go about my day as well.

I love technology, I am a tech girl. I use my phone and iPad and laptop ALL DAY. But there are also times in my day that I that I need to write something down as opposed to entering it into my phone or laptop somehow. Maybe I need to scratch a 2 word reminder to run an errand while I sit at a stoplight, right? So I do. Because my Bullet Journal is ever present. And I don’t necessarily want to pick up my phone because well, it’s illegal and ill advised.

Whenever a thought strikes me, I can quickly jot it down, and I recognize there are many opportunities in my day where those thoughts to strike!

And this is why I am sharing. I know many people, clients and colleagues, who write down notes on whatever is handy. The back of mail envelopes, shopping bags, the margins of a book, on a newspaper, on their hands. (Yes, their hands, 25 years ago – I worked for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at the University of Illinois, Chicago and yes, our residents would sometimes jot down lab results on their hands because that’s what was available when they took a call from the lab about a patient.)

If I am already on a call, sometimes it’s just easier to write the customer service reference number or my family member’s hospital room number. And sometimes, I don’t want to get distracted by my screen so I will make a note to “look up jar salad recipes”, or write a really cool quote that I read in a devotion this morning.

One client in particular asks as we discover notes on note paper, receipts, envelopes, whatever – “What is wrong with me!?” Nothing’s wrong with her. But her notes and therefore her thoughts end up a hodgepodge, which makes it difficult to retain or review that information or get to what is really important. Whenever we’re working on her papers, we find notes all over the place but without context, they are difficult to process.

Which leads me to the second thing that I love most about my Bullet Journal and that is the Index. Which is just what it sounds like. Read any published material and it likely has an index. So you can find what you need when you need it.

On my Bullet Journal next to me, I have today’s date listed, and some notes below. Later today, I have a doctor’s appointment and I’m going to have some notes from that in my Bullet Journal. Later still, I will run a rehearsal for my choir and I will surely add more thoughts and tasks to the page.

In a couple of weeks, if I want to refer back to what we talked about today with my doctor, I’m going to be able to check the index and flip to the page from today.

My index pages, the first 4 pages of a Bullet Journal, will have three columns for page number, dates and then topics per page. So I can readily find information again if I need it.

And – you can do this with any notebook you already have, too! (I rocked a client’s world a few weeks ago with this concept – she was so excited to add an index to existing note books to make them make sense!!)

Yes, you can take an existing notebook, number the pages and if it is too late to add an index to the front, add it to the last 4 pages instead. Three columns for page number, date and topic. Sometimes my topic is “Life”, and sometimes it is “Dr. Appt, School Board Meeting regarding Finances, blog article ideas, etc.” Let’s say, on pages 13 and 14 are notes from the special board meeting regarding finances and in a month or two, I want to go back and look at that, I can flip to the index, see pages 13 and 14, and can flip to those pages with consistency, confidence.

I usually fill up a Bullet Journal in 4-5 months, but the notes and index still exist, so I can always go back and look for things if I need to.

A real life example, I had a client who was moving cross country. She called about apartments on the west coast and she had a notebook full of notes. But when it came time to actually travel, she was worried about being able to find the specific places and people that she had talked to, to reference while she sat in the office with the people. She had a notebook full of information, but it wasn’t as useful as it could be. I suggested she go back, and number the pages of the notebook, determine what date (approximately) she spoke with people at each apartment complex, and add that info to an index at the back of the notebook. She spoke to so and so on this date regarding these apartments, and this is how much a 1 bedroom costs, or a 2 bedroom, square footage, amenities, if there is a garage, how long is the waiting list, etc. And then, when she sat in the office on the west coast in-person, she could easily flip to that page easily and say, when we spoke on this day, you mentioned x, y and z” that conversation would be that much more fruitful. It really helped with the home search to be able to find that information again.

Another real world example, inspired by a conversation with my college student son. My son is taking a philosophy class this semester and his professor does not allow electronic note taking. I wish I had known about indexing when I was still a student, because, um, it’s so helpful. So, you know, on the back page of his notebook, on the first page, if he’s thinking of it, but definitely on the last couple pages, he could absolutely, you know, again, number the bottom of the notebook pages, and then pages one and two, or pages, you know, page one was first day of class. Page three, two, three and four were second day. And we talked broadly about this and this, right. And, uh, pages five through eight, we’re studying for the first quiz, um, on such and such a date regarding, um, such and such a topic, right. So you can index anything, and it’s so helpful.

Bullet Journaling for goal setting, time management and productivity!

This is definitely an article about my love for Bullet Journaling but I suggest that you consider how you could apply the idea of one ever present notebook and the idea of indexing to your current methods of note taking, if you have them. These ideas are specific to Bullet Journals, sure, but the two ideas that I’ve mentioned today can be used independently of bullet journaling as well. Give these ideas a try, and let me know what you think!

Peace-mck