Sarah Clarity Studios

How To Maintain Your Bullet Journal

I would say, that if you are not in an immediate bullet journaling community, that shouldn’t keep you from journaling consistently. Yes, we need accountability. But if you’re here with me, then, aren’t I keeping you accountable? Aren’t I enough here for you?

Come back here to the website when you feel like you need a friend or mentor to be with you. A coach? Well, I can’t say do it in a week, now can I? It’s not really teaching, since you are the one creating your IP, right?

Here. You come to the website, even if it’s the home page, and you write down everything you need. It doesn’t have to be this page exact, but if you feel like you are the most supported by this page, then come and stay. Don’t X out of the page until you are ready.

I’ve done that before, going to an industry artist’s channel, putting on a video or two, and then drawing for myself. It is easier when we are close to or under the care of others online, when we are at their pages, too.

The first thing you need to know is, it is not other people who will journal for you! You are journaling for yourself. There is no other way, and even though we love looking at other people’s spreads or pages or even articles and teaching, in the end? It is on you. Where is your journal? Where are you? Do you have your pencil or pen? Water? Coffee? Tea? Sit down with me, and let’s start.

First, we review our pages. Just glance at your pages, but don’t read them. It doesn’t matter if you just started or you’ve been writing for a long time. Take your journal and look at it from the beginning to the end. Check your blank pages too, as you flip through them to give you an idea of how much space you have left.

Then, we can choose one of two options: 1) you review every page from the beginning to where you have left off, or 2) you review the last page you wrote on and go backwards. It doesn’t matter to me which way you do it. Whatever works for you.

As you read. give yourself the question, “do I need to bring any ideas to the next blank page?” Ideas, not to-do lists. When you go through your pages, you will find certain things you wrote pop out at you. It’s hard to describe, but the best way I’d say it is when you review, most things fade out in importance because you’ve done them already or put them down in writing. But there might be a line or two that still resonates with you or makes you think, “oh, I want to think about this more.”

When you see those ideas, begin to write them on your next blank page. Just the things that jump out at you. It will give you so much insight about what is still on your mind, what still needs attention. It isn’t what you have to do, it’s the ideas that are still bright.

Once you have reviewed everything you have written, and you write down all of the ideas that still are bright to you on the next blank page, stop, and only look at what you just finished writing down.

What do you see? Tell it to me out loud or in your head, just so you can put words to what you are feeling and thinking. Everyone’s may be different.

Here, you will find out that things that you felt or thought previously, may have events attached to them. An example may be, “I’m not feeling very good,” and then maybe some weeks later, you wrote, “I hurt my back. I think I was too cold. It never happens when it’s warm.” You will be able to see patterns. You hurt your back when it was cold. Your back never hurts when it’s warm. With that insight, you can take better care of yourself even as you work on your IP.

Back pain is miserable stuff! So is being sick or having a migraine. Get sick or hurt once, and we’re limping for 2 weeks straight. If this is you, with the back pain or the migraine or just plain sick, please take care of you. Slow down. Drink plenty of water. Eat as well as you can, because it’s the nutrients of the food that gets you back on your feet again. Rest, sleep, and do what you can to make yourself comfortable again.

Pain or sickness is something that can either push your journal away from you or pull it nearer. I tend to journal more when I am sick, and I make note about the times when there are pages of notes when I’m feeling lousy. If you don’t journal when you’re sick, then make note of that too.

What brings us to our journal consistently? Need. Pain. Shock. Sadness. Anger.

It isn’t the good stuff that brings us, usually, and that is important to be aware of. When you have finished reviewing your newest page, continue on with whatever else you want to work on for your IP.

It doesn’t matter to me that you come here the same time every day or every week. It matters that you come when you feel the need most and you need a place where you are encouraged to take the time to sit down and continue your IP when no one else may be encouraging you.

With that, good luck, and I will see you again soon.

Sarah