Long Time - No Write!

Time to Clean up!

It's been several years since I've written on this little old blog.  So much happens in the intervening years.  

I'm 60 years old now and don't really spend that much time worrying about bullet journal stuff.  I do still keep a to do list in a pocket notebook and a calendar as well, but don't sweat about getting stuff done as much as I used to.

I've not been very successful at remaining retired and am now teaching 7th grade science.  12 and 13 year olds are a hoot to be around and they will keep me young.  I don't need to keep a bullet journal for that and just live with a DIY teacher planner in a notebook.  My calendar has stuff like keeping score at the volleyball games and well, dates and camping and whatnot.  I rarely have to write down the fact that I have dates because we remind each other. 

But I did have a task to accomplish this evening.  We were down to our last load's worth of laundry detergent.  I've been using homemade laundry detergent for quite a few years.   A couple of years ago I made the mistake of buying some name brand stuff in pods or something or another and was not satisfied with how it cleaned my clothes and was shocked at the price and the fact that I had to get a walmartian to unlock the shelf so I could buy it.

So I went back to a recipe that my ex-wife made.   Its pretty darn simple.  Grate up a couple of bars of Fels Naptha or Zote soap, mix it in with a box of washing soda, a box of borax and a container of oxy-clean, then mix in a container of laundry scent booster (I think we'll be frolicking in lavender fields now) and use about half a cup per load.   

I expect we're set for at least 9 months at a cost of about $35.

  

Bullet Journal - Follow-up

I've continued to use the bullet journal idea to try and keep most of my stuff in the same pile on most days.  I don't have an "important" job with tons of appointments, but I always have little tasks and priorities to take care of.  I no longer need that big old Daytimer binder with the pre-printed pages and since I'm becoming more of a free spirit as I get older, I really enjoy the free-form nature of the bullet journal idea.

I spend a couple of bucks in May and bought this leather notebook cover from Gearn8tion at All Day Ruckoff.  It seems to be well made and who doesn't like a nice leather notebook?

I pondered using a larger notebook but realized that I needed something I would carry with in my pockets or drop it in my briefcase.  So I settled on the Field Notes notebooks for my preferred planner.  I originally just carried a notebook in my pocket, but found the cover coming off well before the notebook was filled up.  The leather cover solved this problem.

I put 2 notebooks in the cover and am happy about the size.  My idea is to use the left hand notebook first.  When it is full, I'll just start on the right hand book and then, when I no longer need quick access to the left hand book, I'll archive it, move the right one over and insert a new one on the left side.

Following are some of the pages and how I use them.  The daily pages are generally a running log of what I need to do and what I've done or noticed or whatnot.

I've experimented with different calendar layouts and have settled on this style for now.  It is pretty conventional but still allows for some customizing.  I primarily put appointments or deadlines here.

I'm experimenting with a weekly layout to give me a little more room for information about appointments or big ticket items.

I've stuck with the bullet journal idea for at least a year now and I think it might work for me.

Bullet Journal - Week 1

As threatened, here are some of my thoughts after trying the bullet journal for about 1 week.  I am including some photos of my notes before I tried this method and what they look like after just a few days.  

I chose to use the Field Notes book I started using on October 8.  I anticipate that this particular notebook may not be large enough, but, I really like the portability.

Here is the pocket notebook I am starting out with. The pen is a TWSBI Diamond 540.

This is what my notes typically look like.

Another shot of my notes. Most of what I write is pretty jumbled.

This spread was from the time I decided to try out the bullet method.

This is my first index and calendar layout.

This is my first "daily" use of the method. I want to make sure my notes are not scattered out over many floating slips of paper, so everything will go in this book.  I need to determine how much I really need to write down. Oh, in case you wonder, the mechanical pencil is a .5mm Waterman I have carried for years.

This is a typical day's notes.

I have a few issues to work out with how I use this technique. The first is determining how much I will write as far as meeting notes. Secondly, I want to wrap my brain around using only a few symbols for prioritizing. Third, I need to decide if the pocket size format is right for this use. I think it would be really neat if some of the makers of pocket notebooks would send me a few samples to try out;)I mean, what company would not want to expose their products to my massive readership of my wife and maybe 1 or 2 other people?  

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Bullet Journal

I am trying out a new organizational strategy called Bullet Journal. Check out the link and let me know what you think.

I will be sharing a few pictures of my approach in the next few days. I may have shared in the past that I am a planner geek, but I have discovered that I really don't want to keep carrying around that big old planner binder anymore. So I am adapting this method to a simple yet pretentious Field Notes pocket notebook. This method is part of a feeble attempt I am embarking on to trim the internet tether I seem to find myself on. Technology can be a little too distracting for me at times and rather than use it as a tool, I tend to use it as a crutch.

Yes, its been too long since I last blogged. I hope my legion of follower is still paying attention.

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