Hi! We are officially a few weeks into 2018 and unlike other years I get the feeling that the buzz around resolutions is going to stick around for quite some time. Everywhere I look there are people fasting, doing detoxes and taking up working out. I have never really been one to dive headfirst into an intense New Years resolution. Instead I am all about small changes(because small changes are actually sustainable!)

Towards the end of 2018 I continued to dive into the personal development world: books, podcasts, you name it I’m interested. I am currently re-reading You Are a Badass because I loved it that much.

Within the personal development world one habit/topic popped up everywhere: Bullet Journaling. So over the past weeks I have dabbled into the bullet journaling world. My plan is to continue this for the long haul to see what type of impact it will have on my life. I plan on checking in with a detailed post every few months to let you know what I have learned and what has worked best for me.

Bullet Journaling is essentially taking a blank journal and using it as your personal “hold all”. I knew bullet journaling was for me, because I am obsessed with making lists. I have lists all over the place from work to-do lists, personal to-do lists, places I want to eat in Chicago lists, and even lists showing the last time I bought new mascara. Because I love lists and tracking things I know immediately that lists would be a big part of my personal bullet journal.

Typically a bullet journal will include the below things, as well as all the things unique to you that you want to include:

-Index: complete the index as you go, this helps you keep track of all the different things going on in your journal
-Future Log: a future log is basically the next year or six months laid out on a page or two. I left mine pretty simple and jotted down upcoming big events like vacations and birthdays(be sure to leave extra space to update as you go!)
-Weekly Log: this is a breakdown of your upcoming week, made on a rolling basis

In addition to the above standard items I have added the below:

-Restaurants to Try in Chicago
-Bars to Try in Chicago
-Breweries to Try in Chicago
-Half Marathon Training Plan(with each day laid out and a space to regularly update how I am tracking)
-Debt Journaling(*see below for more on this)
-30 Days of Meditation Log(*see below for more on this)
-Work Pay Schedule

*Debt Journaling: Amidst all the personal development reflections I have had, it has become very clear that debt is causing a major mental blockage for me. What I mean by this is on a daily basis I think about my student loans and feel weighed down. It feels like no matter how hard I try I am barely making a dent in my total sum, and I am surrounded by people who are instead using their hard earned money to save for their future as opposed to paying off their past.

Now how I just phrased my debt is a perfect example of a typical thought about debt that goes through my head. It is dim and involves a lot of comparing. In 2018 I want to cut out the comparing and focus on MY situation. Most importantly I am going be kinder to myself. Making large monthly payments is hard and I plan to be grateful every single month as I make my payment and continue to move forward.

*30 Day Meditation Log: Meditation is something I have always been very intrigued by. I am simply fascinated by the conversations around meditation and how it has changed lives. I have decided to complete 15 minutes of meditation a day for 30 days. So far I have enjoyed my time meditating and have noticed I am less up and down with stress throughout my day(here’s to hoping this will continue long term!!).

In the midst of my mediation I have selected a mantra to use for my 30 days(hint it goes in hand with breaking down my debt blockage). The mantra I have been repeating is “I am worthy of financial freedom”. After 30 days of working with this mantra I am excited to see how my outlook has shifted.

I will share more photos of my bullet journal as I dive deeper. Especially since I just purchased some stencils and stickers that I cannot wait to use!

If you bullet journal let me know any best practices you have below!