Living Shotgun-Style

My journals have always stopped dead-ended, unfinished, miserably vacant. In desperation, I've become a bit obsessed with a new way to journal. It only took one mention and one click over to that website to inspire me to gain control of planning my day and journaling about it without concern for tidiness, neatness, screwing up, starting over, eliminating, or discouragement.

It sounds like an all-forgiving way to plan and live.

Katherine mentioned Bullet Journaling and I decided...but! of course. My life has gotten so busy that I live in bullet points. Maybe it's not a good way to live...shotgun-style...but for now it's a sanity issue.

I'm living in the mist of a large extended family. All my kids live nearby. The grandkids have started to arrive---large family-style. I'm always in shotgun mode, whether I want to be or not.

We came home from Florida last night and the house was clean and clutter free and I was ready to sink back into family living.

This morning the demands started singing again and by afternoon, I'm feeling flustered again.

Most of the times I embrace it. I love large families and the lifestyle that comes with it.
Sometimes I run for the hills...or at least my office. ;-)

And so...I'm taking words and consideration from a wiser friend (this one) and (rather than stress and run for the hills) I'm doing a lot of intentional thinking about what is healing, rewarding, and sanity-securing for me in the mist of this crazy new life of mine.

I will not attempt to explain it but Bullet Journaling is what I plan to use the remainder of 2014 and see how it goes and where it leads me. I need to visually see my progress towards projects I have sitting on my shelves.

All my journaling projects tend to become written essays because I write in completion fashion. I edit as I write and I can never rewrite what gets lost. I've tried. I'm old enough to know that once something is written it is the finale' for me. Good or bad, I must move on. I cannot stay put. I never imagined that I was a bit ADD. In the second half of my life, I'm beginning to wonder.

Is it possible for a body to be lazy while the brain is forever cutting flips?

This looks and sounds promising. If I can find the perfect journal for it, I'll be good to go. That's my biggest hurdle is finding a binder/journal I love and that loves me in return. I have til December to be sure I find the perfect paper partner.

In the meantime, to start the new school year, I ordered this planner. Since I have to have a calendar at my finger tips in clear writing (smart phone calendars are too small for my big plans, ideas, and schedule), I'm very happy with it.

I also ordered the Well Planned Blog Planner which I love. I've mentioned it before. It's more of a writing plan than a blogging plan because I am an inconsistent blogger. I love the articles, the lists, the layout, and the potential found in this blog planner.

Hedua offers bundles that are valuable blessing to the homeschooling parent and student. What I like the most about their planners are (why, yes, I made a bullet list, I did) :

• articles
• quotes
• month @ a glance
• household projects list
• bills to pay tally
• important date reminders
• Bible reading in one year guide
• pretty boarders (attractiveness is a bonus!)
• yearly plan sheet
• It's attractive inside and out (did I mention that already?)

I've been watching too many journaling/planning vidoes on youtube but tomorrow is July 1st.

It's time to claim my life in the middle of tending to my family.

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{Speaking of planners and journaling combined (which I think is a win-win for my lifestyle and homelife), I found that Arwen Faulkner has a beautiful, inspiring mission going at The Journal Project. You can link in to their FB page to get updates. Check it out. And, while doing so, I'd love to hear what planners/journals you're using and how you're using them. Any good ideas and/or videos for bullet journaling? I'm all ears.}