Just How Do You Get Everything Done?

Okay, so here's the question I get asked most often: "How are you getting so much done?"

Do what? I feel like most of the time I am simply spinning my wheels getting nowhere really fast! But then, I take a look back through my "War Book", and I see that in reality, I have got so much completed in some days that even I am amazed at how much I was able to complete!

The truth is, I do have a "War Book". It's simply a journal/planner. I am really big into Bullet Journaling (I won't go into how to set one up; Google it for goodness sake!)  And I am a list maker.

(This is my War Book. I use one every 6 months. I buy these from Amazon and they cost about $11 each. Lealther-like cover. Great paper quality. And I keep EVERYTHING here.)

First, I have a monthly daily task chart:

This page covers two pages actually, and is broken down into routine daily housecleaning and work related tasks that MUST be done daily to keep my ship sailing smooth! I do a lot of writing, so my blogs are all there, as are tasks for genealogy business and new business matters.

I make sure I start my day with prayer and Bible study. It's what keeps me going strong! So each day I write down what I have gleaned from my Bible Study.

This section can take anywhere from half a page to up to 4 or 5 pages. It's the largest part of my War Book. I have this under a section marked "These Things I Know To Be True". It's kind of a spin off of Oprah Winfrey's monthly editorial page in the "O" magazine. My faith keeps me well grounded, so it's a must for me.

I also keep a list of family birthdays and anniversaries, so that I don't forget to send birthday or anniversary cards!

As each month ends, I simply draw a line through it. 

I use the back cover page and the back of the journal as a pocket (I use a binder clip to make the pocket.)

In this pocket go my many receipts, and bills that I must pay. Along with contact cards. And anything special I may want to keep as a memento from the 6 months - birthday cards, special notes or drawings from my grandchildren, a card from a bouquet of flowers, a book mark from a friend, etc.

I also keep blank pages for my little doodles.

Just silly little line drawings I make with ink. Nothing fancy here! Just something I do if I have to sit in on a conference or lecture that I find particularly boring. LOL No one knows if I'm intent on taking notes, or simply scribbling my little doodles!

Not shown is my checkbook register. Yep. I keep it hand drawn in my War Book, because I have my War Book with me at all times, and not my check book, since I am a die-hard Debit girl! (How did we survive before the debit card?) And there are pages for my personal diary.  Again I didn't picture that either.

I have probably a hundred or more of these books. From the simple diaries I started at 14, to the more sophisticated War Book I carry today. I draw out a month at a time using a ruler and templates. You can also get free templates to just print out your journal/planner, which may be better for some. I enjoy the creative side of doing it myself. But to each his own.

The idea is to make a list of everything you need to accomplish daily. Check it off as you do it. And then nothing is overlooked.

Yeah, I could probably do the same thing simply using a cell phone app. But there are some things simply more fulfilling than using an app to me.

If you'd like to try the very journal I use, you can order it below directly from Amazon.

Making Monday Memorable

Making Monday

(and every day)

Memorable

Do you ever wish you knew more about your ancestors? Of course you do! We all do! For a very few, a very lucky few, their ancestor was kind enough to have left a diary, or a journal behind that filled in the gaps, and let them know more intimate details about their ancestor.

But, how many of us have been thinking about our descendants? Would they be interested in finding out about us?

Hmmm?

Well, fortunately for those who follow me, my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, etc., I have been keeping a diary, and now a journal, since I was about 8 years old when I received a diary for a Christmas gift from my Aunt Ethel. (She's gone on now, but my diary remains!)

Simple diaries, with a notation once a week would be nice. Just a run down of what you did for the week. Or you might want to wax poetic! Write a few poems, or songs, for your descendants. You might make daily entries. Tell about how your day went, what you did, where you were. That was my diary until just recently.

Oh yes, I finally discovered the beautiful art of bullet journals. I keep a daily bullet journal that includes my To-Do-List for both personal and work. It includes my daily Bible study notes, it includes 30-day journal challenges, and it includes my diary. That's not all. It also includes my budget. My correspondence list. And my checkbook register. My menu and my grocery list. And so much more! Even my mileage, and gas fill ups! And reminds when to get my oil changed, or tires rotated!

Yes, I have found the wonder, of wonders, in a bullet journal! And I am totally smitten!

No longer do I miss birthdays, anniversaries, or have late bill payments, but I need only gather my journal and I can even tell you what I'm having for dinner tonight, because my menu planning, and even my grocery list, are in it as well! And I carry my journal with me everywhere I go. It makes life so less complicated for me!

I not only have learned to become so organized, but it finally dawned on me, that I am leaving behind as about as much information as anyone can possibly know about me for my descendants! It will show them EVERYTHING there is to know about me! The good, and (ahem) the bad! Not so sure how happy they will be when they find out I overspend on my credit card, or that I binge watched The Tudors for the 10th time! (Ha ha)

Here's the last full journal I have. (I am working on another, that's nearly full already!

This is a handmade leather, embossed journal. It was from my Dad for Christmas this past year. (I usually fill up anywhere from 1-2 diaries in a year, but bullet journals are taking up about 3-4 a year!)

Here you can see the lovely Tree of Life embossing on this journal. 

It's pages were a handmade paper, and were blank, which I really loved!

Some people like lined journals. And still others use graph paper, or the dot graph paper. And others print out combinations of pages and put them in ring bound journal binders. I like this much better!

This gives you an idea of my doodling on the left, and my Bible study notes on the right.

Some of my doodling becomes colored. I love using colored pencils, especially on good paper. It doesn't bleed through, or fade onto the facing page.

And here is an example of my bullet journaling. It shows my To-Do-Lists, as well as some small doodles.

Well, now, how many of you have considered that your descendants would one day get a look at your diary? (I know I'm not the only one who keeps one!) Or better yet, what about your journal?

Of course, if they are smart, when I pass on my family will consider them a bunch of nonsense and simply throw them out in the trash. 

But with all sincerity, they do keep me organized. And with even more sincerity, I do wish my ancestors had thought to keep one!

Sigh!

But, then, what would I be doing now if they had? And isn't it so much fun trying to locate information on them?

Do you keep a diary or a journal? What do you think about your descendants reading them? Knowing that someone will one day read them when you are gone, will you censor what you write in them? Will you address your descendants? Will you leave them special messages as you think about them reading what you have written?

We'd love to know what you think! Please leave your reply in the comments! Or visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/cyndi.beane.henry