My Life On Paper – How a Visual Journal Changed Everything

Disclosure: This is a sponsored blog post in partnership with BIC. All opinions expressed are, as always, my own.

We’ve all got a million things on the go and with multiple kids, activities and events, it’s important to find a way to stay organized. Until recently, I relied on my phone’s calendar to keep our family organized, with a back-up family calendar on the door for everyone to see. For the most part, this worked, though I was often adding sticky notes to the door calendar, adjusting the phone calendar, or simply forgetting to add something in! Random thoughts or reminders that popped into my head throughout the day would be scribbles in the margin of a day planner.

I had heard and seen all the buzz online with visual organization journals (trademarked names out there include bullet journals or bullet diaries) but truth be told, they seemed really intimidating because they all looked Pinterest perfect. I also didn’t know where or how to start.

What I discovered is that there really are no rules for visual organization journals, but there are some helpful tips and basic ideas to get you started. I’m absolutely not a Pinterest worthy guru, but the basics that I learned to get anyone started include:

1. Pick a journal that’s lined or unlined, it really doesn’t matter, and some writing tools to get you started. I opted for BIC Cristal Up ball pens because of their simplicity in design and of course, the quality that comes with a BIC pen. The colours are vivid, don’t bleed and yes, they all match in the set so everyone knows they are mom’s pens (no touchy!)

2. Next, you’re going to create 3 logs throughout the journal. First, you’ll have a monthly log which is a great way to step back and look at the month ahead. This can be a one-pager providing an overview of your to-do list of plans, goals, and events in the next 30 days. Second, you’ll have a weekly log which is what’s shown here! I use two pages for the week and as you can see, the weekend doesn’t require as much space because there isn’t as much craziness happening. That also leaves me some room each week for a look-ahead to-do list with important highlights from my monthly log, and a reminder list – it’s also a place for pretty quotes and other doodles. Finally, you’ll have your 3rd log which is the “Everything Else” or “Goal Log”. I keep this page towards the back and add to it as needed. Here, you may pop in things like a list of books you want to read, movies you want to see, or maybe a list of ideas for future blog topics (if you’re a blogger 😊).

3. Finally, commit to your journal! Make time every Sunday night to sit down and plan your week. As you journal more, your weeks may start looking more Pinterest worthy, and you may add more embellishments, colours, doodles and more, BUT THAT ISN’T NECESSARY. This is your Visual Organization Journal and no one else’s. In fact, no one else has to see it so it can be as messy or colour-coordinated as you’d like.

If you’re like me and love pretty pens, paper, doodles and putting your thoughts to paper, a visual organization journal may be just the thing missing from your life! I truly didn’t realize the change it would make when I first attempted it, but it has helped me tremendously in my “brain-dump” at the beginning of the week. It’s a weird sense of relief to put everything down on paper, and give my brain a break not having to remember EVERYTHING!

Do you have a visual organization journal? If not, have you been apprehensive to try it because of the drive to make it Pinterest worthy? With the holiday season upon us, I encourage you to give it a try, or perhaps set a goal for the new year to make it happen. I think you’ll find, like me, that it can make all the difference in bringing some peace to your busy life, and might even help you sleep better at night, too! – your brain knows you’ve got this, mama.