There is a super nerdy fad gaining traction out there called The Bullet Journal. And of course, I can only resist a nerdy fad for so long.
“It will revolutionize the way you get things done!”
“Get your life together with the analog solution for the digital age!”
And so on. What is a bullet journal, you ask? I pity you for not being in the know, so let me explain. It’s all of your information in your phone, written down on paper for your redundancy…ahem, convenience.
Wait, wait. Just listen.
It has a calendar like your phone, except it must be hand drawn in a way that is completely different from the traditional calendar you’ve been staring at your entire life, because that has not been working for you, has it? Instead of a baffling 4-rows-of-7-days grid, a bullet journal calendar might be a meandering path of days, with woodland creatures drawn in the margins, or thirty-one sunburst rays in random order.
Let me break it down.
It’s your brain on paper. You buy a little notebook, and you write down everything in your head. But only if the notebook is artisanal – preferably leather-bound and sold on Etsy, and only if your utensil is a fountain pen, or better yet, a quill. And you need a tiny ruler to draw straight lines. And special paperclips and stickers and stencils and washi tape.
I am not explaining this right.
There are Collections. These are really just lists, but not boring lists. For instance, if you have books that are on your to-read list, you look carefully at your bookshelf, and draw an exact replica of the actual bookshelf in your bullet journal, including book titles and authors. This is scientifically proven to make you read more. Oops. I think I might be describing Trackers instead of Collections.
But that’s not all.
The best part of a bullet journal is the Daily Log. You make a list of all the stuff that needs to get done for that day. Or any appointments. And major life events, feelings, water intake, weather, self-care, prayer requests, and flashes of inspiration. Oh, and don’t forget to log your gratitude. Everything is done in a bullet list fashion, with its own bullet point. Except sometimes it’s a hollow circle, or an eyeball, or an exclamation point. Or a heart – that’s such a good one for logging gratitude – or a little frying pan for your meal plan collection. If you don’t get some of your bullet points done, don’t worry. You can migrate them. Let me say very sternly: this is NOT procrastination! This is migration and it’s TOTALLY different. I’m serious – just picture my stern face right now.
What I am saying is that I invite you to embrace a trend that will cut down on the clutter of your computer passwords, clothes dryer heating element specs, phone numbers, birthdays, and chore charts scrawled on random post-its, because it will all go into one beautiful little book. A book you will carry everywhere you go. In fact, one day you will lose it while on a grocery run, and you will sprint around the store backtracking your shopping route with a burning panic rising in your throat. You will arrive breathless at the customer service desk, and they will take one look at your wild eyes and hair, and wordlessly hand you your sleek, gray Analog Solution. How did they know?
And you will cry tears of joy.
The Type B Mom 