Most of you with older kids have sent them back to school already. Or maybe you will next week. This means new schedules to make, new routines to implement, and lots of things to remember! Although my Roo is not attending a formal Preschool right now, the beginning of the school year is an important time for me to get organized. My job as a dance teacher follows the school year and begins next week.
Bullet Journaling is fast becoming a very popular method of staying organized. It is a tool to not only plan your day/week/month, but track your budget, keep your meal plans, or track your mood. Typically this is all organized in a “Bullet Journal” which is basically a notebook with dots on a grid instead of lines or blank space. Here is a great example!
(photo credit to Rachel Watts, Author of planningmindfully.com)
My example is more DIY and suited to my needs. I use a small three-ring binder with loose sheets of both lined and blank papers. This allows me to remove, add, and organize my papers. Usually, I buy a new notebook each back to school season to keep my choreography notes, schedule, and other teaching information handy. Last year, I ended up transferring is to a large three-ring binder after my pages started tearing from so much use!
I’ve been fascinated by bullet journaling and the number of things people keep organized in them. So this year, I got a small three-ring binger (it fits in my work bag better) and some loose lined paper for keeping noted. I added some copier paper that I cut with decorative scissors to size and punched the holes myself. These I use for sketches and brainstorm bubbles and anything else that needs more free space.
Roo is starting her second year of homeschool preschool, so I’ll be keeping her school notes and curriculum ideas in here too. Of course, the whole blogging thing is becoming a full-time job and needs its own organization, so there’s a space for that too. Lastly, I have a space for personal things like a cleaning schedule, budgets, and running to-do lists.
Each item is color-coded with tabs so I can flip to them easily. The post-it notes and banners have been used for information that changes. For example, my cleaning schedule includes when I last did things like bathed the dog or changed the sheets. The post-it banner holds that date and can be replaced when I do it next.
I’m having a blast staying organized with all aspects of my life in one little bundle! Back to school was a perfect time for me to begin this. And I love that I can add a section or tracker whenever I want!
How do you get organized and ready for the new school year? Do you bullet journal or use another planner style? Do you begin during back to school season or the beginning of the year in January? Send me your ideas! I’m a geek for organization and love trying out new techniques.