Keeping Track

I took the above photo of my Attic view on Saturday (the last day of February), it was a nice bright day but very cold and wintry still. And now February is behind us for another year and I am very happy to have turned over my calendar pages to welcome in March. Oh, hello lovely third-month-of-the-year that might possibly at some point contain a weeny whiff of Spring! Not a lot of Springyness here yet mind you - second day of March and we had an inch of snow today, just look at my back yard....

....wintry or what? Secretly though I'm loving it, partly because I am still working on my Winter Wreath and quite like that it is still winter, and partly cos I had an argument with J this morning about whether the first day of Spring is on 1st March (his theory) or on 20th March (the Vernal Equinox and my theory). Snow just proves that it's still Winter as far as I'm concerned and that we shouldn't expect Spring until the third week of this month or thereabouts. I know I'm right.

I've got a bright and cheery jug of tulips on my table this week, bending and flopping their sweet heads in the warmth of the room.

I've been gazing at them a lot during the past few days, admiring the many colours contained in those silky petals and thinking for the gazillionth time how utterly uplifting and inspiring fresh flowers are. Aren't they just?

Such a tonic for these rather drab, cold days at the start of the year.

Anyhooooooooooo - I'm not supposed to be jabbering about the weather or the flowers on my table as this post is entitled "keeping track" and I need to discuss. Very belatedly, I would like to thank the 189 people who took the time to comment on this post back in December. Thank you sooo much for chatting to me about how you organise your days and recommending your methods and tools, it was fascinating reading and inspired me to look at a couple of the books and websites that you recommended.

You may remember that I had managed to gather three notebooks (all gifted to me by friends) so at the beginning of the year I chose one of them and designated it my 2015 Book of Days. This particular notebook is pretty substantial with lovely quality lined pages and a fabric cover. It's A5 size (15cm x 21cm) and about 2cm thick so loads of pages - I love the dimensions of it but my only niggle is that it's heavy and the weight of it puts me off carrying it everywhere with me, which means I'm not using it as completely as I should be. But it's only a small niggle. If I were to start over with notebook buying I would totally go for one of these beauties (oh the turquoise one has my name all over it!), as recommended by my lovely friend Christine who recently started Bullet Journalling.

Many of you recommended I look at the Bullet Journal website, so off I toddled into the www to check it out. Fascinating! Actually, it really does look like a superb system for keeping track of a busy life, combining notes and lists in a simple and practical way. The website (www.bulletjournal.com) explains it all beautifully and has formed the basis for my own Lucy-Book-of-Days.

Last week I also came across something else that I thought I would share in case you might find it useful - it's similar to the Bullet Journal system but called The Circle. The idea is that you make your to-do lists, giving each item a circle to begin with. Then as you work through your list, you change the status of the circle according to progress (the above image should explain it, but there is more info here). It's a bit too fussy for me (I'm going with a simple tick) but I thought it was pretty clever.

So would you like to know what's in my Book of Days?

This is my opening page - I typed it out after Heather (that's Pink Milk Blog Heather) shared it on her Facebook page. Quite simply, I love these words. I've not managed to really keep up with all of them yet (eating far too much and not moving nearly enough etc) but they are inspirational and a reminder that simple resolutions are often the best.

On my next double page I printed out the above calendar on an A4 sheet of paper and glued it in. I find that my brain likes "vertical month" calendars the best, much better than "block month" calendars which don't give me nearly the same sense of clarity about where I am in the year. You can find both versions as free A4 printables on Calendapedia.com.

I have always loved calendars and diaries since being a child, I find it very reassuring to know exactly where I am within the 365 days of a year. It makes me feel excited to see all those days laid out one after the other, to look at all those numbers and feel grounded by the familiar rhythm of the days, weeks, months and seasons.

I tried to find printable monthly calendar pages in the internet but when I couldn't find any single page vertical ones (there were plenty of pretty block ones) I made my own in Word. I made it A5 size and at the beginning of each month I just print out a page and stick it in my Book of Days.....

....this keeps me on track for the month ahead, see? I can write in my appointments and mark out the school weeks and holidays and see exactly where I'm at. On the facing page, I make a simple list of Monthly Things To Do. Mostly this list is work related, but also there are reminders of things I'd like to try and do in the house (oh yeah, de-clutter time is here!) as well as personal things I'd like to find time for. It's not a strict list as such, more a compilation of things that I need to think about, things that I'm trying not to forget.

As well as a diary and list-making thing, I'm also using my Book of Days as a general notebook and scrapbook. I'm trying to get out of the bad habit of scribbling stuff on random bits of scrap paper and then promptly losing them. So phone calls, meetings, travel arrangements etc all get written in the book. Likewise crochet patterns and notes get written in the book (no more jotting down on scraps of paper which get lost in an instant!). I'm also trying to keep note of ideas and inspirations as they pop into my head - quick sketches or notes to lead me back to places on the www, as well as snippets cut out of brochures and magazines. I love the old fashioned cut-and-paste methods very much (I loved making scrapbooks as a child), give me a glue stick and a pair of scissors and I'm pretty happy.

I'm trying to make myself sit down on a Monday morning and formulate a weekly to-do list but I confess I haven't really managed to do this very effectively yet. Somehow my brain thinks that because I've written it down then it has been achieved, so much of my weekly lists throughout February remained un-ticked. I am very, very easily distracted I know, it doesn't take an awful lot to throw my to-do-list completely out the window for a whole week. But I am trying to improve.

Have you looked at the page up above there entitled "March HOME"? Do you see the Zones? Uh-huh, I am forcing myself to take on a supreme tidying-up mission this month. Based on the FlyLady's routine, I have declared March to be the month when I try hard to bring about a bit of order to my considerably chaotic home front. Nothing too drastic, but I am going to start by doing the "fifteen minutes a day" de-cluttering thing and see how it goes. I have done this before and it does work, providing you can pull some sort of motivation out of the bag. I really do feel motivated to get things ship-shape here, and I would love to arrive at the Easter holidays in April with the house looking less like a jumble sale in progress.

Pondering the business of Home Loving sent me pootling down the domestic aisle in the local cheap-n-cheerful homestore on Saturday. I was actually looking for a scrubbing brush and bucket but ended up buying an apron and a pair of Easy to Wear Household Gloves with a Luxury Comfort Lining. Oh those gloves!! They make me laugh out loud and truly I cannot wait to wear them and get stuck into a bit of dirty work somewhere, the bathroom probably. Sometime towards the end of this week probably.

It helps an awful lot writing all this stuff down you know, thank you for listening. I always feel so much better when I get all these thoughts and intentions out of my head, onto this page and into your head. I really want to feel some peace and pleasure with being just a tad more organised and spending just a tad more time making my home lovely. And somehow by writing it down, I feel much more motivated to make it happen.

February went by quickly didn't it? And I have a sneaky suspicion March will go the same way.....best make the very most of these days, lets not waste them! Tell me your plans, what's on your monthly to-do list for March?

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Edit to add :: one of my lovely blog readers made up a gorgeous set of A5 vertical month calendars which will be perfect for anyone planning/creating their own Book of Days. You can find the link to them via Nadya's blog HERE x

 

 

 

Comments

[Bekah]

Those flowers are beautiful!
And isn't it fun to get organised? I had a massive clearout last week and it was lovely to have some more space around. In terms of organising my life, I'm a big fan of lists in coloured pens and washi tape - so much more fun to tick of jobs when they're in pretty colours!

[Joy]

Lucy can't have written that post and be that organised but hey ho great that you are going to try and get some order going. Good luck with the 15 minutes a day that is certainly a good start. I will wait and see. The lists are always going around in heads eh but great that you have written them down and now perhaps they will happen. Time certainly does fly and goes even quicker the older we get!!! Take care Xx lots of love Joy Xx

[Ellen]

"I always feel so much better when I get all these thoughts and intentions out of my head, onto this page and into your head." ... HAHAHA, you made me laugh so hard! So now we're stuck with all this ;-).
I do so recognize the proces of writing things down and carrying on as if they had really taken place. Same with downloading crafty ideas and patterns: I tend to act as though I've already made them and keep collecting materials. And then I wonder why I never seem to get to the end of my WIPs and to-do-list...
Good luck on the organizing front! I'll try to keep up with you.

[Lynn M]

As much as I would adore it if Spring started on March 1 (and with it warmer weather), I was always under the impression that seasons officially started on the solstices and equinoxes. Therefore, I'd have to say it's, sadly, not quite yet Spring. But the good news is that it's in sight!

[eileen]

I have an obsession with any kind of stationery but notebooks and diaries are the best!! As I had to give up to work to care for my partner, I have to stick to a really tight budget so I love my To Do lists and writing down how much money I have (or not as the case may be!)it makes me feel in control. I love my crafty To Do lists and like many others I always write something on I know I can tick off straightaway-lol. I have a lovely set of rainbow coloured highlighter pens so EVERYTHING in my diary gets coloured in on every page and my heart surges when I open that diary out in public.All my magazine cuttings and bits and bobs are in a plastic pocket in the back of my book but I do love an old fashioned 'cut and paste' :-)

[Housewithhearts.blogspot.co.uk]

I'm with you - Spring starts on 20th and my hubby and I had the exact same debate today with him saying 1st and me saying 20th. Apparently there was a discussion on the radio about it recently...! I'm all about lists and calendars, hope you get into the swing of it. Tidy desk / home = tidy mind for me so I have to be that way or I get frazzled! X

[Nadya]

I was surprised by the similar view out of my window today too!
Thank you for sharing pages of your Book of Days! I'm willing to start something like this and have bought some nice bright pens today for this purpose. I've never thought that vertical calendars are better in use, thanks for pointing this out! I think I'll follow this your advice and make some printables too, as I always like to make it my way...
Thank you again for sharing and inspiring!

[Sara Jenkins]

I have Heathers words printed out on my fridge as a daily reminder. I think they are lovely. Actually essential at the moment, given a rather nasty change of life at home. But hey ho - onwards and upwards. I with you about when Spring starts too. :)
I now want to go and buy a note book to use and write lots in it. Maybe I could justify given all the changes?
I hope you have fun, and enjoy the process. x

[Pauline Crozier]

So comforting to know there are other crafters out there who are in the same boat. You've inspired me to go and start a new list for March of projects to start/finish. I buy lots of bits and pieces from charity shops and just love making them into new things. I've been meaning to start on fabric wreaths for a few weeks but I'm definitely planning to put them into this month's to do list. Have a lovely day to all my fellow crafters out there.💐💐💐

[Claire]

Yes, clearing out! Sometimes I feel our house is the equivalent of what the bins at the back of Toys R Us must look like... In the end I found bullet journaling a little too structured although I love the idea, and keeping everything in one place didn't really work for me - I need a calendar, a wall planner for the year and a notebook for daily tasks. I've been keeping our calendars for the past few years, they are a fascinating record of daily things. Thanks for another lovely post xx

[Susan]

I want to finish my teacher training and actually sew and knit again!!!

[Pam Wilson]

Hi Lucy just wanted to say thanks for your blog. It has really cheered me up discovering you. We had a really bad start to our year(him at work included)but you have inspired and cheered me. I buy a lot of my wool from charity shops, and as its not all full balls, I do a lot of granny squares and a lot of ratching around to find the colours I want(if I have them). So...... I invested in a wool winder and some large clear plastic storage boxes. I dragged every carrier bag,black sack and box of wool I could find ( some escaped and are just now comming out of hiding) and I am now thanks to your inspiration the proud possessor of 500 balls of wool and still winding!!!! It cheers me up to look at all my prettiest, and think of all my future projects. Thank you,thank you, thank you for cheering me up.

[Rae]

I'm with you Lucy ....it's the 20th of March! I have a five year Q & A diary with a daily random question and only few lines to record something each day. I have surprised myself how I managed to keep it going since Jan 2014. I record my day,the news and weather(if important)would be boring to most people but on March 7th last year I mowed my lawn here in Norfolk!! Oh and I make lists and lists of to do that never get done.......

[jude pearson]

I love notebooks too and jot down everything I need to remember -books I want to read,places I may want to go,websites,etc -my memory is not what it was.With regard to the tulips-I suspect you may like their droopy nature but for those out there who want to keep them upright-try this.Take a pin and pierce right through the stem of the tulip about 1 cm from the base of the flower.When my friend told me about this I thought no way would it work ,but it does !!!!

[Carol]

I love all your lists - so important to keep track with what needs to be done!! Mine are in my head and do get muddled so I must write them down soon.

Oh and you are right about Spring - I actually know it as 21 March. 1 March is the meteorological start of Spring.

[Winwick Mum]

I think your Book of Days will work extremely well. The beauty of this system is it's simplicity and it's flexibility - and of course the index! There's no reason why anybody can't use it and adapt it to their own lives. Thanks to your commenters who wrote about bullet journaling on your original post as that's what inspired me in the first place - and thanks to you for the mention! xx

[Claire]

Love this post. I am 'list woman'. I have lists and sub-lists and sub-lists of sub-lists! A lot of the time it's just an organized way to empty stuff out of my head rather than carrying it around in my brain as a big scribble! Someone told me about the GTD system: http://gettingthingsdone.com/
which, when I looked at it, is a much tighter and more organized list system of what I was already instinctively doing. So I think I'll just carry on as I am....things do get done, just not nearly as quickly as I'd like - but simply because there are not enough hours in the day!

[Elsie Pop]

What a useful post to read when I have a million projects to complete before I go on holiday in a few weeks! I'm definitely going to pinch some of your ideas! xx

[Jill]

Lucy I can so relate to this post, i make to do lists on scraps of paper and fill in a year planner. Keeping them together in a book of days is a great idea, I think I will have to do that.
Jill

[Sarah]

Who doesn't love a list! But I always add something easy (or even completed) so I can tick it off immediately. I like the idea of a special book to jot ideas in....off to look for the perfect journal!

[Alison C]

Hi there. Loving your post. I too dream of a life and home all organised and uncluttered. I use a programme called Ultimate To Do List/ Task unifier which I can manage all my lists synced across my pc, phone and kindle with daily email reminders of due tasks. I must confess though that I still have books of handwritten lists. Isn't there something lovely about writing in a beautiful book and ticking things off?

[debbie de Spon]

I try to keep a separate notebook for each project and train myself to write on each page consecutively, not just open any page and madly scribble. A fresh notebook is one of life's great pleasures. I just have to finish the ends on a ripple blankie I've made for a baby. I've loved doing it. Happy March Lucy.

[Emh]

Can't WAIT to celebrate 'vernal equinox' day! Wonder if there's a greeting card?
:-)

[Sabiena]

I love your blog. I so enjoy reading it - it never fails to make me smile! I need to get organised too. I love the way you have divided the March tidy-up in zones. I will try to follow your example - kitchen will be first in the list!
Sabiena x

[Sam]

Have you heard of arc by staples? I got one the other day because like you give me scissors and glue stick and I'm happy! You can adapt the book to exactly how you want it and rip pages out if necessary and add more pages. I love it and just thought I'd mention it.