Lists and lists and lists and lists and....

 So I started making lists. Lists of lists that I want to list. Lists of to-dos, lists of ideas, and yes, lists of lists.

And it's sort of uncovered a slight 'issue' with the Bullet Journal as a one-stop life journal. I think that I could have so many lists that my daily entries will get lost. (I do love lists!).  Having poked around online for suggestions to this issue, somebody suggested keeping TWO bullet journals: One for the day to day and calendar, and one for the longer term, creative idea and project-type entries. Brilliant! So I here goes.  Once again, I turn to my favorite paper books, Miquelrius, but this time the spiral bound, polyvinyl covered 4-subject grid paper book. How perfect is this!  The page edges are in four separate colors, in the event that you want to create separate subject areas. (The pages are still white with the light grid on them). 

Colored page ends

I actually have one of these journals that I use for genealogy research, and use the sections for different family lines.  I'm thinking to use these sections in terms of the creative areas of my life - blogging, quilting, drawing, etc. 

Another very useful thing about the spiral bound journal is that the pages are not only hole-punched, but perforated, so that should you make lists that you'd like to migrate to a more permanent notebook, or even just next year's, they are cleanly removed.

Just thought I'd share these new epiphanies.

Day 1, new year, one phobia named and tackled!

Happy Happy New Year!  

I love January first -- It's the one day that I always allow myself the luxury of dreaming, planning, organizing, making lists, hoping that *this* year will be the one. You know, the year that you make the list that gets completed? The year that you set off down a path and actually make it to the destination? Yeah, no, I'm not sure I really know that one either. But again, it's January first, so I can dream.

This year I'm all ready with a new planning, organizing, journaling system - bullet journaling, or 'BuJo'. It's the simplest and cheapest 'organizer' I've ever come across, and yet at the same time allows me the opportunity to put pen to paper, lots of pens. the kind that feel good in my hand... And to hold, open, peruse a wonderful book of blank paper.  I am truly an office supply junkie, and I just love all of the accoutrements of writing!

So here's where I'm starting. I absolutely adore a certain kind of blank graph paper books by Miquelrius. They're made in Spain (which right there is an awesome reminder of last year's trip to Barcelona that I'd love to repeat).  My first Miquelrius purchase was a fluke. It was just a cool spiralbound booklet of paper with a polyvinyl cover that I found in the discount bin. But it felt so good in my hand! The paper is so smooth! The corners rounded! Oh this obsession is just pathetic, really.

my Miquelrius journal for 2015

Anyway, this year I picked out a 100-page, soft-cover grid paper folio. The cover is amazing - not really leather, but feels so wonderful, and is soft and flexible, without being wimpy. I always love the little elastic band that attaches to keep it shut. Just so many things to like about it! I opted for the smaller book in for my first run with this BuJo thing, promising myself a new book once this one is used up. There - a goal!

heaven & a zipper bag from Turkey

For Christmas I received a very generous Amazon.com gift card, which was quite quickly spent on my wish list of cookbooks, art supplies, and, of course, office supplies. Ooooooooo!  So I'm all ready to BuJo.  I have colorful, warm, smooth-flowing ink pens; erasable highlighters (pilot Frixion), a Bic 4-color pen in pastels (albeit bright pastels), and my faber-castell black drawing pens.  Plus (of course!) a varied collection of sticky tabs and flags for ideas that I'm not quite ready to commit to yet. OK, honestly, for now it's almost as if the sticky notes are winning, but I'm taking this thing head-on. No fear. No mistakes. I'd really love some washi tape, but will head to Michael's over lunch one day to pick out the perfect roll/s :)  

sticky notes first... testing the waters timidly

So my learning experience through just this set up process has been very interesting. I've pinpointed a very deep-seated phobia, and even given it a name (with the help of google and a blogger from 2008) - Atelodemiourgiopapyrophobia ~ the fear of imperfect creative activity on paper. here's something about a blank page that makes me feel compelled to only provide it with perfection. It's ridiculous, but it's ingrained.  I've got the bipolar opposite urges to both be completely spontaneous, and at the same time do it perfectly correct and tidy the very first time.  But you know what? I'm facing this, and by gum I'll beat it with a stick (or a Bic four color pastel ball point pen) if I have to. I'm accepting the fact that this book is small, and there will be another one after this. And that there is an endless supply of perfect paper and pens waiting for me to use them up, mistakes and all. 

For now, every month starts new on day 1, which gives me the new chance again to try out a different way of journaling my days until I do arrive with that which works best FOR ME!

Today I steeled myself, cleared my desk all but for the journal and my pens, and started writing on several pages. With BuJo it's really okay to be unorganized, because the whole idea is to take all that unorganization and collect it up in one place and make it organized.  It's freeing, really. Like finding a friend that you can be completely honest with, even about your stupid insecurities and foibles. Yep. I've found my newest bestie.

Starting to roll with it ~ created the symbol key