This year I'm trying a different approach to keeping track of my progress with personal and business projects. Instead of keeping a regular journal, a writing idea journal, a business journal, a quilt journal and a weight loss journal, I'm keeping notes on everything in this one notebook. So far it's worked pretty well. It saves time, as I don't have to switch between journals to check on something else. I won't misplace the notebook because I carry it around with me all day whatever I'm doing. I can also schedule ahead with more confidence because everything is in one spot. I've never journaled like this, so it feels a little weird, but I figures I'd give it a couple months and see if it works better than my old system.
Right now I haven't planned any of my schedule except for work, my weight loss finish line, and a family visit in March, but I'd like to put some full-month pages or dated bullet lists in the notebook so I can look at the entire month in advance. 2017 already feels like I should be keeping things open and flexible, too, so I plan to save at least one day a week as an anything-goes spot. In between all the work, family and home stuff I'm also tinkering in the notebook on my secret project for 2017, which makes it a little more fun.
How are you dealing with 2017? Planning or no planning? Any tips on how to keep on track? Let us know in comments.
Your new approach reminds me of Leonardo da Vinci and the 50 notebooks he wrote during his lifetime. While he didn't include any personal information, he did use his notebooks for everything from math, to science, to art.
ReplyDeleteThere's not a fan alive who doesn't wish he had included his daily thoughts about his life.
I keep a general notebook for "everything". I am doing more planning for my work this year so I have a 5 section huge notebook with grid/lined, blank sections for the various work processes.
ReplyDeleteKeeping on track? well, it's only 8 days in. So we'll see. So far, so good.
Sounds like the Bullet Journal approach. Have you seen that on Google? (a few years ago, but the blogs are still up). I am considering that plan. The only difference to what you're doing is they put an Index in the front and number the pages, so you can find stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe bullet journal doesn't seem that much different from just keeping a notebook, except you get to buy cool things to play with.
ReplyDeleteAfter a couple years soloing, I still playing around with a good plan. I realize I need structure and feedback, two things I used to get on the job. Now I'm trying to restructure this at home, trying to work from 9 to 5, keeping track of word count and projects, and holding weekly meetings with the co-owner (a.k.a. the wife).
A pretty good article on how they work and some examples from plain to really fancy:
ReplyDeletehttp://lifehacker.com/and-yet-you-don-t-in-any-way-find-butter-wrapped-sued-1786957606
If you really want ideas, go to Instagram and do a bullet journal search. Some of them are truly works of art, others are really functional (more my speed)