Many of us have been in a place where we have many things we need to do or finish, but don’t know where to start, so we end up feeling overwhelmed. In a situation like this, one could easily fall victim to procrastination. One might think it would be easier to leave all that work for another time because tackling it in the moment is tiresome or bothersome, but piling chores like that is also harmful, as it can inevitably come crashing down on us.
So, how could this all be prevented? How can you stop feeling so unmotivated to do your tasks and start feeling in control of your life? Truth is, all you need is a pen and a journal to start your journey of change. Bullet journaling is a method of self-organization that could potentially improve your ability to stay on track with your chores, tasks, and even life goals.
Created by Ryder Carroll, the bullet journal is a method that helps us make good decisions and helps focus the mind through the use of a journal. In it, you can build your own schedule, calendar, reminders, to-do lists, or goal-trackers that help you track your productivity in order to create a healthy habit. In an interview in TEDx Talks, Carroll talks about how his method can “declutter your mind” to “remain focused” by creating a mental inventory. This last one is a map, as he describes it, that reminds you of what you need to do by creating a mental picture of how you’re spending your valuable time. Carroll explains how, in order for this to work, we need to update our maps with all the new information we’ve gathered into a list that consists of the “things we need to do,” “the things we should do,” and “the things you want to do.” By recording and modifying all that new data into your journal, you’re able to remind yourself what tasks need to be completed.
“Intentional life is the one you want to live; not the one you’re enduring.”
Ryder Carroll
After completing the mental inventory, Carroll tells us to ask ourselves why we think we need to do the things in our list one by one. If they’re important, then those should be dealt with immediately. Also, the bullet journaling method advises us to dedicate our tasks or any hobbies for at least 10 minutes a day in order for our mental inventory to keep updating until it slowly becomes a habit. By discovering how one can pursue one’s goals and interests by committing to a daily routine, then we won’t endure decision fatigue, or simply feeling overwhelmed. People have adopted the bullet journaling method in different ways while others have modified it to suit their needs, but in the end you should choose the right organization method that best suits your needs as you progress with the bullet journal method.
