December in My Bullet Journal & the Plan With Me Challenge

December in My Bullet Journal

Happy December!  I’m having a hard time reconciling myself to the fact that it’s December already.  I’m pretty sure this year will go down in history as the fastest year ever.  In fact, so much has happened that I really don’t remember much of it.

If I had to sit down and tell you what all happened in my life this past year, I’d be able to pull out a few highlights.  However, most of the year blurs together in my mind and I would not be able to go month by month and make a cohesive list of what happened.

Lucky for me, though, in December, one year ago, I came across a post on Pinterest that introduced the concept of the Bullet Journal.  I clicked…and I was hooked.  A few weeks later, I had a notebook and was bullet journaling my little heart out!  And because of that notebook, I was able to maintain a little bit of sanity in the middle of everything that has happened this year. 

Now, I can look back through my journals and tell, pretty much to the day, exactly what happened.  In May, Adam and I celebrated the 5th Anniversary of his proposal by going back to the place he proposed and having a picnic.  I noted down what happened that day, and now I will always remember!  In April, we took my Gramma to see the Jungle Book in the theater.  During June, we visited family and I wrote down some of my favorite recipes.  In July, we went to see the fireworks on the 4th with some good friends.

I’d forgotten all of that until just a few minutes ago, as I was flipping through my journal.  Even more practically, though…my bullet journal goes with me everywhere, and I write down my work schedule and everything I need to do that day and that week.  I keep track of habits I need to build, our finances, and so much more!

So, without more ado, here is a peek into my journal for December:

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A few notes about my bullet journal.  I use the Miqelrius journal, available from Amazon and occasionally from Barns and Noble.  After going through two journals in three months, I knew I needed to up my bullet journal game.  So, after some serious research, I decided to go with this particular journal and have not regretted it once.  It’s softbound, but sturdy enough for daily use.  The pages are strong, the grid is light and small, and it has 600 pages.  Yes, eight months later, I’m just passing the halfway mark.

I also use these lovely Stabilo Fineliners to add color and doodles to my monthly pages.  They don’t bleed through the pages (unless you color over the same area a lot), and they have small points that write a fine, tidy line.  I use the Triplus Fineliners by Staedtler in black for everyday writing.

Also, each month I use a different pattern of washi tape to line the edges of three sheets of paper.  These include the monthly calendar, financial overview, habit tracker, and extra notes at the end.  This makes it super easy to find where the month begins.  Definitely my favorite hack ever!  Well, maybe next to the paper clip I use to mark the current day.

Monthly Set-Up

Each month, I set up a calendar page for the month in my journal.  I tried the recommended bullet journal monthly list, but my brain doesn’t work that way.  This takes a little longer to set up, but it’s not bad and I love having the ability to see my upcoming month laid out.  On the right, I will put down my to-do list for the month, and below that, I have started using a box for noting down dates and things to remember for next month.

This could include upcoming birthdays to plan for, Holidays, big events at work, baby showers – whatever I need to keep in mind when next month rolls around.  The area at the bottom of the page is for notes.  Sometimes nothing ends up there, and other months I pack the space.  Just depends on what I have going on!

I write my work schedule in on my calendar after it’s all drawn out, then add in anything else important that I need to be planning for (like whatever was in my “next month” box the previous month).  I do have a separate calendar set up just for blog tasks, so those don’t go here.

Anything more detailed than an overview gets put into my weekly spreads (post on those coming soon!).

The next two pages include a financial overview for the month and my “Habit Tracker.”  The finance page is super important.  Once I fill it in, it will include a list of the month’s bills along with due dates and a place to check off when they’re paid.  It also includes a place to list our income for the month, blogging expenses, unusual or unexpected expenses, an overview of the month’s income vs. expense, and notes.

This is as far as I track our money in my bullet journal.  Detailed expense logs and budgets don’t seem to work well for us, so I track spending online through an app that makes it easy to check where we are at any time without taking the time to write it all down and add it up.

Next up is the ubiquitous “Habit Tracker.”  I’m pretty sure it’s obligatory for every bullet journal…I’ve tried to leave it out a couple of different months, but I always end up going back and drawing one in.  I’m not sure I’ve really developed any great habits out of using a habit tracker.  However, I do know it keeps me on track for chores and healthy habits, like taking my vitamins.  Some of the things I track include cleaning the cat box, buying coffee, and exercise.  It’s helpful to review at the end of each day whether or not I did certain things, and over time I can see trends that I may need to address in my lifestyle.  At least, I’m working on that!

The last two pages in my monthly set-up are ever changing.  I’ve had grocery lists here, book lists, project plans, and random notes.  This month, since I’m getting pretty serious about this blog thing, I’m putting in a new blogging contact spread so I can keep track of the people I connect with and if I need to follow up with them.

To the far right of the page, I put down my blogging goals for the month.  I hope this inspires me to keep track better and move forward on some blog projects!

And, of course, it wouldn’t be a planning session without one of my furry “helpers” putting in an appearance.

No, Spock.  I definitely was not using that notebook.  Or the pen.  Or the ruler.  You’re good.

The Plan With Me Challenge:

I was introduced to this challenge way back last spring, and I have thoroughly enjoyed walking through the daily prompts.  I learned a lot about bullet journaling, and about what works for me by doing this challenge.  Kara of Boho Berry, Kim of Tiny Ray of Sunshine, and Jessica of Pretty Prints and Paper are the three lovely ladies who manage the #planwithmechallenge.  You can read about the challenge on each of their sites.

These three ladies have challenged and inspired me, and I hope they can inspire you too!  Follow along with the challenge on Facebook and on Instagram with the #planwithmechallenge hashtag or follow @planwithmechallenge on Instagram.  I’ll see you there!