bullet journal

Finding Gratitude in Everyday Life: You’ll Thank Yourself

These days we hear a lot about gratitude. There are apps, bullet journal layouts and journals for gratitude. Perhaps we want to live our best lives so we might give this a try.

The practice of gratitude finds us stopping to think about the simplest of things. It means accepting the life we have, flaws and all and finding things to be thankful for. Honestly what could be better than practicing gratitude? There are no negative side effects, there is no cost and the desired outcome is that you feel better about your life. According to an article in Happify research by the University of Pennsylvania showed that the effects last longer than one might think. Gratitude is a gift that keeps on giving.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow”
– Melody Beattie,  Author

Tell People How You Feel

Let others know that you are grateful for their love and friendship. You don’t need to have a special occasion just do it. In an article on Tiny Buddha they share 50 Ways to Show Gratitude for the People in Your Life. These can be people you are close to, co-workers or even people who provide a service. Just a smile or asking someone at the checkout how their day is can boost their confidence for the day.

Show Gratitude to Yourself

Be kind to yourself and show yourself gratitude for all that you are. We can show appreciation to ourselves for our own abilities and uniqueness. For example, you can be grateful that your sense of humor has helped your through life’s challenges or perhaps you are grateful that you have been able to share your culinary talents with others. Think about what makes you, you.

Do it For Your Health

There are actual health benefits to practicing gratitude. Especially relevant is research shared in Harvard Health article Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier, which supports that there is “an association between gratitude and an individual’s well-being.” Practicing the art of gratitude may increase your resilience and your energy levels according to 6 Surprising Reasons Gratitude Is Great For Your Health.

For tools and ideas on how to get started, check out our Gratitude board on Pinterest or next week’s Facebook posts. Here you’ll find gratitude printables, journal prompts, articles and Gratitude Challenges.

Bullet Journal: Getting Started

It’s back to school time and for some of us that means the start of a new year. We love all of those shiny new day planners but they are never quite right. They don’t offer enough options for the things we need to keep in one place. The bullet journal offers the individualization and organization that sets the year off right. To be honest bullet journaling speaks to the inner nerd who loves lists and planning.

What is a bullet journal?

The Bullet Journal is a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less.

The bullet journal is really quite a creative and easy way to manage our lives, create goals, track habits, and even prioritize self care. It isn’t a one size fits all solution, rather it allows each person to incorporate what they need in their planner. You create the type of journal that fits your needs.

What we love the most is that it is forgiving and it evolves each week as we figure out what it is we need and what we really love.

What do I need to start?

Start with a notebook. If you aren’t sure if this is for you, start with an inexpensive notebook that you can try for a month to see if this is a system for you. I chose to jump in an make a commitment with a Leuchtturm 1917 Bullet Journal. Inside you will find a key that is already started, pages that are numbered and have dot grids, index and future log pages and some instructions. Any notebook with dotted or lined grids will work.

Chapters Indigo has a bullet journal page with instructions and supply ideas. A ruler for creating your template, a good black fine marker pen and colored markers and pencils will help you get started. Extras include Washi tape, stickers and stencils to help create colorful layouts.

Bullet Journal Basics

There is a basic framework for the Bullet Journal or Bujo as some call it. The basics are:

Index
Future Log
Monthly Log
Weekly or Daily Log
Collections which are really the extras that make it even more personal, lists, trackers, goals

Index

The Index keeps track of what pages everything is on so you can find them at a glance. Keep your index clear and simple. The index grows as you add more things to your Bujo.

Future Log

The future log helps you look ahead to things coming up in your life. It is where you can list birthdays, events and appointments so you can see them at a glance. There are a lot of options for how this section might look in the article Future Log Inspiration.

Monthly Log

This is usually found at the beginning of each monthly section. This section is usually a 2 page spread and can be used to set and track short term goals. It is also one of the first places you can get creative and add personality to your journal. You can try a different layout each month.

There are lots of ideas to get you started on our Pinterest board Bullet Journals or in blog posts like 16 Bullet Journal Monthly Layouts.

Weekly Log

This format is often the style of choice. If your life is very full and your schedule changes from day to day and hour to hour, you may then wish to use a Daily Log. For most of us however, a 2 page week will work. An option that some have used is a combination approach. If there are some days that need their own page, then give it to them but you don’t have to commit to one style on a regular basis. Try 25 Satisfying Bullet Journal Layouts to Sooth Your Soul for some inspiration.

the_bulletjournal_addict / Via instagram.com

bujoriri / Via instagram.com

Collections

Collections are exciting and fun and what makes the Bullet Journal your own. This is where you can create habit trackers, gratitude journals and anything else that helps keep you on track with your goals.

We have filled our Pinterest board with lots of ideas to get you started. Spend a rainy afternoon and set up your first Bujo and enjoy all of the options and freedom it has to offer.

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