A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across the concept of bullet journaling (I know, I know. I’m about 58926490 years behind the curve on this one), and my little creative heart went *THUMP*. If I could marry bullet journaling, I would. It is a whole entire MOOD. If you aren’t familiar with BuJo, it is a flexible journaling system that is a mix of planner, doodle space, list management, note catcher, and personal reflection that is mindfulness magic.
Hours and hours of time spent in the time-suck-that-is-Pinterest later, I realized that my bullet journaling dreams were probably (READ: definitely) a bit too lofty. The sheer amount of choice in a bullet journal’s format was overwhelming – so much so that my brain rejected that it was even possible with a resounding #NOPE. I so terribly wanted to be a bullet journaling badass, to create those gorgeously decorated spreads, but I know my limits, y’all. If I was going to bullet journal, I’d need time I didn’t have to suss it all out and to figure out how I wanted my BuJo to function for me. After all, I was not looking to add one more unmanageable thing to my already too busy life.
Enter Miracle of Miracles – Guided Journals
The angels sang as the trumpets played when I came across the most gorgeous, and (EVEN BETTER) simple, guided journals one day in Five Below. Yep. I shop the budget-friendly stores when I can, which might come as a surprise to some people who think I live on a champagne budget. Even seemingly bougie gals love a good deal.
I won’t pretend that guided journals are even close to on-level with bullet journaling but to this busy mom / wife / teacher / entrepreneur / absolute basket case, they were the next best thing. And sometimes, Mamas, that is all we can ask for. I found one for creatives, for mindset, for poetry, for happiness … you get the idea. Hell, I even bought Big Life Journals for my kids to practice mindfulness.
I am nothing if not self-aware.
Trying to juggle BuJo right now isn’t in my energy budget. A mom working full time in education during a global pandemic can only do so much. Ultimately, the goal is to use bullet journaling FOR REAL, so that I can really and truly prioritize my life because my family (and my kids especially) DESERVES it. I know that, realistically, that day is NOT today. I turn 39 (*gasp* THE HORROR) in a few weeks, and that means I’ve got roughly a year to figure out how to do this whole middle-aged thing. Just kidding, I’m already essentially dust.
But maybe I can squeeze in a few minutes over the next year to level up my BuJo life. Maybe. Probably not. But maybe. Until then, I will gladly and enthusiastically use the crap out of my perfectly acceptable and definitely adorable guided journals.
Do you BuJo? Drop a line and spill your secrets. A tired mom wants to know…
