I had the same questions when I first heard about bullet journals: What is a bullet journal? And how do you start a bullet journal? It wasn’t until I had one for a few months did I finally see the full potential of a bullet journal thanks to Pinterest.
When I first heard about a bullet journal it was from another blogger and she shared how she used hers for planning out her blog and scheduling her time. Nothing too fancy. I gave it a try and really I wasn’t having any luck.
Then I realized that there was such a thing as a digital version of the bullet journal. That’s when all the flood gates opened up for me on how to use a bullet journal!
Pin this to your Bullet Journal Board on Pinterest
What is a bullet journal?
First, let’s cover what is a bullet journal. It is a journal (not necessarily a notebook but more of a blank journal) with dotted pages (bullets). Each page has small light-colored dots on them to serve as guides while you are creating each page. In this picture, you can barely see the dots on the page but they are there and act as perfect guides to create this awesome layout.
See that is the whole appeal of a bullet journal. It is a blank canvas for you to turn each page into your own creation! Now, I myself am not a very artistic person so you will have to take a look at some of these beautiful designs I found on Pinterest to fully understand!
Each of these is so pretty and they are really just the tip of the iceberg of all the different designs you can do with your bullet journal.
How to Get Started?
To get started with your very own journal you would first need to purchase one. I got mine off of Amazon. There are several to choose from so here are some of the ones listed on Amazon. They range around $8 for a journal.
There are tons of supplies you can purchase also to decorate your journal. Things like stickers, pens, markers, and even fun designed washi tape! Or you can just grab a bundle deal like this one.
Now here is where I want to stop you for just a sec. As I mentioned above I came across digital bullet journals. I want to share those with you real quick so you can move forward in the direction you choose.
What is a digital bullet journal?
A digital bullet journal is just like it sounds. It is a digital version of a bullet journal that you can use on your iPad, tablet, or even your phone. It comes as a PDF so you just need a program that will allow you to edit or write on the PDF for it to work.
For example, there are note-taking apps that allow you to write on a PDF such as GoodNotes, Adobe, Notability, and OneNote. It just depends on your device and your style on which one works for you.
To learn all about how awesome digital bullet journals are (and why I feel like they are actually the better option) check out my post here. Or to see how you can use your Notes app on your iPhone as a bullet journal, read this post here.
Or if you’re sold and you want to give digital bullet journals a test run for yourself you can grab a copy of my free digital bullet journal here!
Once you have chosen your bullet journal format (physical or digital) people will often get stuck on how to use them. Use these 5 quick steps to help you get started.
1. Ask yourself why you got a bullet journal to begin with?
Was it just for fun because you love all things office supply related? (That is literally half the reason I got one myself) or was it because you are trying to get your life organized and running smoothly? (that’s the second reason I got one)
2. Now elaborate on your answer even more.
If it was just because it looked cool then you are free to draw on each page to your heart’s content! Or if it was to become more organize then think about what part of your life needs the most help. Do you need help tracking your tasks, do you need help tracking how much water you drink or what you eat, or do you need help with all of your daily activities?
Really think about why you got the bullet journal to begin with so you can then find the best way to utilize it to help you!
3. Search ideas on Pinterest.
For an overload of inspiration on how you can use each page to track your habits, daily tasks, and more, you can research on Pinterest for more ideas. There are thousands of ideas on Pinterest to help get your creative juices flowing on how to best use your new bullet journal.
4. Go with your gut.
Then go with your gut. Pick the one that makes sense to you. If you see a beautiful design but you are confused about how that design helps you achieve your goal, then don’t go with that one. Some people love the over the top designs and some people are more cut and dry and to the point.
Pick the layout (or spread) that works for you. Find your inspiration and use it to create your own pages that fit your life!
5. Follow through daily.
This is probably the most important step of all. Work on your journal daily. If you got it to help you get more organized and stay on task then you have to look at it daily. You can’t design all these beautiful pages that have all your daily activities on them and then not look back at it again for a week or two later.
That is where everyone goes wrong. Just like how you check social media daily to find out what’s going on in the world, you need to check into your bujo (bullet journal) or planner daily too. Consistency is key.
If you stay consistent with using your bullet journal then you will consistently achieve the goals you set out to accomplish on why you got it to begin with!
Comment below with your spreads!
I most definitely want to see the new spreads you have created with your new bullet journal! Please comment below so we can all enjoy it!
3 Reasons Why The Way You Dress Impacts Your Productivity
Productivity and procrastination go hand in hand. If you suffer from procrastination then you probably aren’t very productive. So you have to overcome procrastination to become productive. Even a simple change in the way you dress impacts your productivity!
The best way to overcome procrastination is to work hard on becoming productive and your procrastination issue will take care of itself!
Here is an easy productivity tip to implement right away. The way you dress. Here are 3 reasons why the way you dress impacts your productivity.
1. How you feel about yourself impacts your productivity
Believe it or not, the way you dress sets your mindset for the day and impacts your productivity. If you walk around in your sweats all day you feel tired and well…lazy.
You may not be lazy and you may actually get some things done but your mindset is not 100% confident.
When you “dress for success” there is something magical about it and it impacts your productivity in a positive way! You feel good about yourself. Every time you look in the mirror you will see a professional that has confidence and stands up strong.
If every day you wear sweats then when you look in the mirror you will struggle to see a strong individual that is ready to take on the day so that impacts your productivity in a negative way.
Try it for a week and see how much better you will feel about yourself!
2. How others perceive you impacts your productivity
Others will sense the same feelings. Dressing professionally will get you more respect from others. It’s not their fault, it’s human nature and we all do it.
If someone comes to your door dressed in their sweats with stains on the front, their hair a mess, and they look like they just woke up, you would be taken aback.
Thinking what in the world does this person want?! I would be scared to open the door!
However, if someone that looks clean cut and dressed nicely (not over the top) then I would feel much more comfortable opening the door.
Now we all know that isn’t always the case. You can’t trust everyone but I’m sure you see my point.
If you are “dressed for success” you will put off the vibe that you are a professional, you are important and intelligent.
I have tested this theory out many times. I have people give me a hard time for always being “dressed up” like I am going somewhere special when I work from home.
But I will say that…
A) It is usually just some makeup, curled hair, and a WalMart dress.
B) It isn’t everyday but more often than not.
C) this way I am always ready for those surprise visits when the doorbell rings.
Surprise visits
Just like how if there is someone dressed sloppy on the other side of the door you don’t want to be the sloppy one answering the door. On those days I am working in my pj’s, that always seems to be when someone knocks on the door and I am so embarrassed to answer it.
Another time, I had a friend randomly FaceTime me because she was with a huge group of our friends and she joked saying “Were you ready for my call? You look like you just left the salon!”
But it felt great to get complimented and to be prepared instead of being embarrassed at how I do look sometimes!
Just like when we see a well-dressed mom at school looking like she is rocking her life we tend to be envious and want to be like her.
That is our perception of her. Just like others have a perception of you. Because that mom is dressed nice we assume she has her life all in order. And just like when we see a mom riding the struggle bus looking all sloppy, we assume she doesn’t. Again, it is human nature.
3. The universe goes in your favor and impacts your productivity
Do you ever have those days you just feel like everything clicks and falls together perfectly? Of course, we have the opposite days too where nothing could go right no matter what we tried.
But if you think back to the good days you may realize that those are the days you are “dressed for success”.
That is usually the start of everything falling together perfectly – you found the perfect outfit for the day. This goes all the way back to school days.
Remember when you got a new outfit for school? And how excited you were to wearthe new outfit you just got.
From there everything seems to fall in order. You knew all the answers in class. The boy/girl you liked talked to you at school. The cafeteria served your favorite lunch. It all comes together and it all started with the way you dressed.
It works the same as an adult but with different circumstances. You hit all green lights, traffic is flowing smoothly, you’re first in line for coffee, and you found the best parking spot.
Now I am not trying to push you do go out and buy a whole new wardrobe and make you think that will make everything go perfect for you, but I am trying to steer you clear of wear pajamas all day every day.
If you are rocking at productivity and you wear PJs all day then you probably are reading the wrong post. This isn’t for you.
This is for those looking to improve their productivity right away and stop procrastination from taking over their everyday life.
Tips to improve the way you dress that impacts your productivity
I am not a fashionista. I choose comfort over fashion. Again, if you are a fashionista you too are probably reading the wrong post. You don’t need help dressing to impress. You already know that changing the way you dress impacts your productivity.
If you are still following along then you probably also like to dress comfortably. That’s why most of us choose sweats or our PJs.
Here are simple tips to help you dress better without sacrificing comfort!
1. Paint your nails
I always feel like a million bucks when my nails are painted. I never go without toenail polish (because let’s face it, it stays on longer and is much easier to touch up). But I don’t keep my fingernails painted all of the time because it is more upkeep.
That is why my husband bought me a gel nail polish kit like these. It costs too much to get my nails done and I hated how regular polish came off so fast but I loved my nails to be painted so he got me a kit!
I love that thing! I have had it for years and still have the same bottles I started with. Again I don’t keep my nails painted all of the time because I like to let them heal up since my nails are so weak and gel polish tears them up a bit.
However, gel polish stays on for about 3 weeks!
There are other options out there as well like all those stick-on nails and nail polishes. I just feel much more confident with my nails done!
2. A little bit of makeup goes a long way
If I haven’t made it clear already, I am not one to spend hours on my appearance. I do get my hair colored every 5-6 weeks but other than that I don’t go all out on clothes, shoes, tanning, fake eyebrows or eyelashes, none of that.
Since I live in Coastal Georgia that stuff would just sweat right off if I did.
I do fill in my normally tiny thin eyebrows, put concealer on my dark rings under my eyes, and wear mascara. That is about it. The days I don’t do that are because we are out on the boat or at the pool.
Otherwise, I will do those small steps and it makes a huge difference. I don’t contour, paint, or glue anything on and I still get told all the time how good I look. I am not saying that to brag because I myself don’t see it but hey at least I am not scaring people away.
And it just goes to show that a little bit of makeup can make a big difference and make you feel more confident.
3. Clothes don’t have to be expensive
A new outfit can make all the difference. Not a new outfit right off the runway but a newer outfit works just fine! If you have the finances to buy new fancy clothes and that’s your thing then go for it!
I am trying to help those who can’t but still are looking for ways to increase their productivity by dressing better to improve their confidence.
With that said you can find all kinds of cute clothes at garage sales, on the trader sites, at Goodwill, WalMart, Target, JC Penny, and so many more!
Here are a bunch of cute summer dresses you could have shipped right to your door! I love dresses! They hide flaws (like eating too much pizza the night before), they are very comfortable and flowy, and they definitely make you look professional!
You would be surprised how much confidence you will gain by taking better care of yourself. My husband works so hard that he puts himself on the back burner.
Finally, I got him into the dentist and started getting things fixed and back up to date. In doing that he loved how his teeth looked and has started whitening them and taking better care of himself!
Another awesome product that I love so very much is Spark. It is a sugar-free energy drink. The fruit punch flavor tastes just like Hawaiian fruit punch juice to me. There are a bunch of different flavors though.
I started drinking it in 2012 and I don’t go a day without it! I love it because it gives me motivation, energy, and mental focus to tackle each day.
What does this have to do with hygiene? I added it to this category because since it is sugar-free and full of vitamins I lost weight after starting on it and some of AdvoCare’s other products!
And taking care of yourself and being healthy (losing spare weight) is definitely self-hygiene!
Disclaimer: Just because I and MANY others lost weight by taking AdvoCare’s products does not guarantee you will.
5. Earrings/Jewelry
Adding earrings to any outfit dresses it up. So just throw on some earring or bracelets or a necklace to dress up your outfit quickly and easily!
6. Accessories
Accessories tie every outfit together. If you have a simple summer dress you want to spruce up all you have to do is add a fancy sandal and a purse!
Sometimes just believing in yourself is all you need! Here is a freebie bundle of inspirational quotes for you to print off and tape to your mirror! Read them every day and remind yourself you are professional and productive. And that you will not let procrastination get the best of you!
This will help motivate you to change out of your sweats or PJs to look better and feel better. These tips will for sure impact your productivity in a positive way!
I love journals, planners, pens, pencils, stickers, anything office supply related. And I know I am not alone! There is a whole community out there of people who are obsessed with office supplies too! I don’t even know why I want all these things but I do! One year for Valentine’s Day my husband got me office supplies and I was so excited! That’s why I can’t wait to share with you what I found that is even better than the bullet journal!
The bullet journal has taken over by storm. Every blogger I see is talking about this bullet journal and how awesome it is. I finally decided to get one for myself after seeing all the fun everyone was having with them! I ended up getting this journal, this washi tape bundle, and these pens. But this bundle right here comes with that and much more so looking back I should have just got this bundle instead.
My sister told me about these gel pens that erase so I got those too and they are much more my style because I like to erase (I’m a perfectionist some times).
The big craze with the bullet journal is that each page is customizable. Every page just has dots to use as a guide to be able to create all kinds of beautiful pages. One page could be your grocery list, another your calendar, and the next your cleaning schedule. There is no limit to what you can do with each page and I do really enjoy that flexibility.
I just had one issue, I would always forget it. I don’t think to always have my journal with me. So even though I like to write things out and use the fun pretty colors and all that, I would never bring it with me. It was just one more thing I had to remember to lug around. (However, if you do love to carry that thing around and you are looking for more ideas on how to use your bullet journal, Suzi has an amazing post that you can check out!)
Digital Planners
I tried to use apps and a Google Calendar instead to make it more digital and less inconvenient but it didn’t work. I like the fun bright colors and I did find one app that worked well enough to keep me on schedule however, I didn’t have the flexibility of each page being something different.
So I needed something that was a digital version of the bullet journal. The only thing I could find was the Notes app on my iPhone. I use it quite often to keep all of my important information all in one spot. I started that about a year or so again and that has been great! There is an option where you can write things out with my finger but then you couldn’t read any of it. So I was missing the fun artistic appeal the bullet journal has.
That is until I got my new iPad! I have been wanting to get a new iPad to be able to make my business more mobile. When school is out and I don’t want to lose work time and I don’t want to lose precious time with my daughter either. I thought if I could be more mobile then I could work on things while we are at the pool or the park. That’s when I decided to invest and get the new iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil and keyboard.
After I got it I started researching all of the ways to use my Apple Pencil with my iPad. That is when I came across digital planners. I fell in love with them! It was everything I was missing in a physical bullet journal! So I created a digital bullet journal that you can download for free to try out for yourself! Don’t worry you don’t have to be an Apple user to use this. Learn more about digital bullet journals and planners here.
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Or here is why I love the Notes App on my iPhone and how it can be used to replace your bullet journal!
Notes App Features
It’s FREE
You can add tabs and organize thoughts
There are options to Bold or Underline Text
You can have clickable links in it
It automatically saves new changes on any device
You can scan documents
Take Photo or Video
Add Sketch
Photo Library
Mark Checklists that actually checkmark off for you
I like the option to add documents or photos to the note. I have actually taken pictures of notes and stored it in a note in the app instead of retyping it all in there just so I could throw the paper note away! As you can see I really do use this app a lot. All along the side are major categories in life and then there are folders under them to organize further down.
Then lastly within each folder is individual notes as you see in the second column. This helps me break things down and everything is easy to find! Now with the new iPad Pro, I can use my Apple Pencil and write on the screen just like you see (sorry I have horrible handwriting).
I can change the color, the style of pen or pencil, and even the thickness of the stroke I am using. With a bullet journal, you can’t break down into categories or sections as easily as you can with this notes app. You would have to bookmark every new section in a bullet journal.
But wait it gets better, there are lines and grids!
You can add lines and grids to your note! Just like the bullet journal you now have guides to help you design your page. Also, you only need one pencil and you can change it to any color!
Before if I would remember my bullet journal I would want to bring all the pens so I had all the colors I wanted to use for each page! This way you only need one pencil and one device.
Now you don’t have to take your iPad with you everywhere you go (but let’s face it there is a better chance you bring that than your journal). Because if you need to refer to that note you created such as this one below… Then you can still do that from your iPhone and no one’s going to forget their phone! You can make all these changes from your iPhone too it just isn’t as easy using your finger but you can still access the same note.
So if you are at the grocery store you can still cross off your list as you get each item. The Add Sketch feature is pretty cool because it gives you a ruler to use as a guide that you can move around!
All This For Free
A lot of people are Apple users so if that is you then you have all this for free! If you have been on the fence about switching to Apple then here is a little insight into some of the features! I’m sure there is something similar on the Andriod phones too though.
It is just nice to know some of the ways you can utilize what you already have access too. If you have an iPhone then odds are you have an iPad and might have been in the market to upgrade to the new iPad Pro. So far it is amazing!
Not just because of this example but so many other reasons! But if you are like me and you want to be able to have all the fun colors and designs but are not good at using a bullet journal then I hope you learned something fun and new with this post! I know I was so excited when I realized it!
Thanks for reading!
Vanessa
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Here is more information on the iPad and Accessories that I bought.
iPad Pro
This is the exact iPad that I bought. I did go with the lower storage because I need to get a hard drive anyway so this way I can just get one of those and save money on buying the extra storage.
We looked into purchasing the iPad through our phone carrier to add data to it but that costs more also. Plus we found out that our T.V. provider has hotspots I can use when I am away from home. Just some things to think about!
I wanted the bigger screen so that was my main priority. I wasn’t as worried about storage because I have a bigger icloud storage plan and then again I plan to get an external hard drive to save all pictures and important documents on it.
Now I don’t pretend to be all tech-savvy, I know just enough to get by. I know that I am a busy mom and this all makes my life easier and more portable. I do want to say that it comes with a completely new charger.
Supposedly it is to be able to connect to your computer better or other techy stuff I don’t understand but my point is no more USB on one end and no more of the other normal end that all Apple products have.
The cord has the same end on each end. So either way, it connects to your converter to plug into the wall and then into the iPad to charge. Just a heads up.
Keyboard
Then since I got the bigger screen I had to get this keyboard that fits it. They are both 12.9 inches so that gives plenty of room for using your screen and typing on a good-sized keyboard, not a tiny one.
The iPad connects magnetically to the keyboard and there are three dots on the back of the iPad that connect it to the keyboard.
Then you can have it in two different positions to adjust it to your liking while typing. Then when you aren’t using the keyboard you can fold it over to close and you will hear the iPad lock. Also, you can flip it around and under the iPad to quickly use the iPad only.
Apple Pencil
Then, of course, I got the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation that is compatible with the iPad Pro. It is very sleek and easy to use.
There are no buttons, it looks and feels just like a regular pencil. It doesn’t erase like one although I think it should. I keep wanting to flip it around and erase with the pencil eraser like you normally would.
But it doesn’t work like that, to erase you just double-tap your finger on the pencil and double-tap again to go back to writing. Another fun feature of the Apple pencil is that it connects to the side of your iPad magnetically to charge.
This is great to keep track of the pencil and know that it is always charged up. No plugging it in or cords involved! Once you connect it to the iPad it will tell you what charge level the pencil is at as well.
I don’t know if that effects the double-tap feature to erase or I don’t know how the gripper effects it charging magnetically and staying safe on the side of the iPad. I worry that it might come off and I would lose it.
There you have it. Let me know if you have an iPad and use it for digital planning!
How to find time to blog…that is a question I hear bloggers ask all the time. I myself struggle with it. First off, as a mother, we put everything before ourselves. Even if you are treating your blog like a business you can still end up putting it at the bottom of the to-do list.
For me, I feel a bit guilty when I am working on my blog and there is a pile of laundry that needs to be done or the floors need to be swept (oh the dog hair never ends!).
Mom Duties
I am a stay at home mom and so I feel like those are my duties. My job that I get paid zero dollars for but wouldn’t trade it for anything is to take care of the house and everyone in it.
That is a lot to take care of! I’m not complaining I am stating the truth! As stay at home/work from home moms we wear many hats.
We are in charge of cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, kid’s activities, vet and doctor appointments, paying the bills, meal planning, laundry, and did I say cleaning? Because it should be listed twice because it is never ending…..(again oh the dang dog hair!).
Two Full-Time Jobs
That alone is more than a full-time job. Then what if you really do have a full-time job! If you have to leave your house and go to a full-time job plus do all of that then you are amazing! I have been there and it is extremely hard! Especially when you have to drive an hour to and from work.
What I have learned from working outside of the home is to plan and to be as prepared as much as possible to make the week go by smoother. Now that I am a stay at home mom I still try and plan everything out as much as I can.
The hard part about being a work from home mom, for me anyway, is that my boss is pretty chill…she lets me do whatever I want (that’s because it’s me). Even worse is my husband is completely fine with it too!
However, I don’t like when things don’t get done with either my chores or my blog but when I am falling behind he always tells me “It’s fine! Just relax and watch T.V.”. Not because he is going to help so he doesn’t quite understand that just makes more work for me later.
Again, I do take my mommy duties very seriously and so, therefore, I put them all before my blog.
I tell myself all day “okay after I finish this I am going to find time to blog” and then you know how it works in the middle of that project you see something else that has to be done or you keep getting interrupted.
Priorities
So, I decided that I needed to move my blog higher up on the priority list. When I worked outside of the house, unfortunately, work came first. I had to go to work. I had to be there dressed and on time. So I needed to treat my blog that way if I wanted it to be a success.
My husband is hopeful for my blog but he definitely thinks it is a hobby and so when I stress and say “I have to find time to work on my blog” he says “well you don’t HAVE to”…because he pays the bills so it’s not like we can’t survive without it…but that’s not the point right?
We aren’t doing this because we HAVE to….well maybe you are…but most I would say we are doing it because we WANT to!
We want to have something that is ours! We want to still be important and add value and be more than just someone’s mom or wife.
I want to prove that I can and honestly, I want to make more than my husband because in this world the husbands usually make more than the wives so I think that would be pretty cool! #goals
I have focused on making more time for my blog and I want to share with you how I have done it.
#1 IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN…..PLAN TO FAIL
(Or as my very dear friend calls it….get your poop in a group…haha!)
I know you have heard it before but it is so very true! I grew up with a wing it kind of attitude. My mom is very carefree and is definitely not known for her promptness or preparedness. I think because of that my older sister and I tend to be more proactive and try to be on time and prepared.
Now since we weren’t raised that way we have had to find our own path to become that way. I say that because we are by no means perfect at it.
Sometimes it feels like it is more work but it makes the week go by so much smoother.
Example #1
This weekend I planned out our meals for the whole month. As I planned it out I added my groceries to my Wal-Mart grocery pickup order online. The next day I went and picked up my groceries and then prepped our meals for the rest of the week. I prepped my daughter’s school lunches and all dinners for the week. (if you’re looking I use these containers for her lunches and when I prep for my husband and I, I use these containers. Both inexpensive and super easy to use, clean and store!)
We will have enough food for leftovers for lunch and no one is a big breakfast eater so I only need to worry about dinners.
Normally for breakfast, we all just grab a protein bar or something. Now with dinners planned and prepped, I don’t have to spend 30-45 mins trying to figure out what to make for supper each night and finally deciding to just order a pizza.
That is a fairly obvious time-saver that many SAHM’s probably already do. It did take up a big portion of my weekend but now I have saved a bunch of time and stress over meals all week. Also when I added up how much we would save by not eating out so much I was shocked!
Saving dough and dough (pizza dough and dollar bills!)
I didn’t think we were spending that much eating out because there are only three of us…but yep we will save a bunch!
My plan is to regroup each weekend and see what all I still have left and what I still need to get and then preorder it and pick it up!
If you are not a War-Mart fan then I know other stores offer this feature as well! It saves me the hassle of waiting in line and dealing with all the people (especially now during the holidays) and it also keeps me from overspending too!
Example #2
Just like planning out food it helps so much if you plan out outfits too. My daughter is NOT a morning person so she doesn’t like getting up any earlier than she has to. Also, she is at the age where she doesn’t like the clothes I pick out for her. So it makes mornings run much smoother if we pick out her outfits for the week together Sunday evening.
This way we are prepared for P.E. days when she needs to wear tennis shoes and so on. This also ensures that we don’t miss any fun activities at school like pajama day or crazy sock day. We are already ready for the week!
So you can see how planning in life then frees up time to work on your blog…so what do you think you should do with your blog? That’s right! Plan! If you can get your blog more organized then when you find time to blog you won’t spend 30 minutes of it trying to remember what you were doing before when you were working on your blog.
Also, another great thing that will help with that is to stay consistent. Then there won’t be gaps in between working on it and you will be less likely to feel so lost when you try and pick it back up!
I see many bloggers use a bullet journal to help keep them on track and organized with their blogs. I got this journal and I do love how you can customize each page instead of struggling to find a planner that works for you and your specific needs.
Some people are born motivated and can just go-go all day and you can’t get them to slow down….*cough: my husband!* He literally jumps out of bed around 5 am or earlier and does not stop until he is forced to slow down at night and then when he stops moving for more than 10 seconds he is asleep.
He has been that way since I met him. Most of our friends call him a robot because he requires very little sleep…some times zero. I have seen him go strong and hard for almost 48 hours. Running on maybe a 30-minute cat nap.
I, however, hibernate every night and I wish that I had his motivation. Just like my daughter, I am not a morning person but I want to be!
I get up sometimes around 5am and will go for a run and that helps me accomplish so much more that day but then it takes days for me to recoup.
What motivates you?
If you are like me and you need to find something to help push you through the day then find what motivates you! That will make a huge difference! Are you goal oriented? Do you like a lot of coffee? Do you like to check things off your to-do list? Do you like to workout? Do you have an accountability partner?
Find something that will drive you to make time for you and find time to blog! What has helped me tremendously is Spark. It is a vitamin “energy drink” that gives me mental focus. It’s sugar-free so guilt free and it has helped me so much! I started drinking it in 2012 and I have rarely gone a day without it!
Spark at Disney
We recently went to Disney World for my daughters birthday then came home and celebrated Thanksgiving. I drank the rest of my Spark while at Disney but I wanted to wait to order more until Cyber Monday when AdvoCare normally has a sale (even though I already get a hefty discount).
While I was waiting to order I just decided to go back to drinking coffee with my husband. I didn’t put two and two together until I found a Spark in the cabinet a couple days later and drank it. On the coffee, I was awake and alert but I had zero motivation.
Literally not thinking anything about it I drank the Spark I found and within 30 minutes I was ready to take on anything! Then it hit me! I hadn’t realized how much it helped me be motivated and stay focused! I won’t let myself run out again!
Get your blood flowing and get some rest!
Maybe you like to workout and you could go for a run in the mornings? That always helps get the blood flow going and helps me not feel so sluggish.
Also, as I said before some people require more sleep than others. There is no replacement for sleep!
I have found that even though it takes away from the time I am awake and could be working, I get more done if I get more sleep.
If I cut myself short on sleep the next day I am slow, tired, I can’t focus, I just keep yawning, and I don’t get much done.
So what is the point in staying awake longer trying to get more done if the next day I’m too tired to get anything done?
If I just get a good nights rest then I can accomplish so much more the next day being well rested. Even though I gave up work time the night before.
I have noticed too that our new mattress has helped a ton with getting a good nights sleep. We recently made the investment to get a new mattress and wow…I never realized how much we were missing out! Now my husband and I joke about how we just want to go lay in our nice new bed for fun.
Getting the rest our bodies need helps us be much more productive the next day!
Your Passion
Find your purpose or your passion, and remember why you are doing this, to begin with. Write that on your mirror so you can read it every morning. Remind yourself why it is important for you to move your blogging business to the top of the to-do list and find time to blog.
If you had a normal 9-5 job then you would have to put work first and everything else second so make sure you do that now! Ya know, except for taking care of the kids! Or maybe you currently do have a 9-5 job and you are looking for time to work on your blog, having that daily reminder of your purpose can make a huge difference!
Find 30 minutes
Get up 30 minutes earlier than normal and work on your blog. Work on it over your lunch. If you have a packed schedule you will have to really look at your day and see where you can squeeze in time to blog but having that motivation and drive makes a huge difference. If you don’t then it’s easy to come up with excuses.
For me, I am pretty lucky my daughter goes to school all day so I do have most of the day to myself to work on my blog. That doesn’t mean that I still don’t see everything that needs to be done around the house and end up doing that instead plus I have to run errands for my husband a lot as well and that takes up time.
Oddly enough for some reason when people know you stay at home they assume your free all day to do whatever so I get asked to help let the neighbor’s dogs out and stuff although that doesn’t take long but it still takes up precious time.
My sister lives down the street and is a work from home mom with four children that she homeschools….yes, that’s right we live different lives her and I! She is home all day with four kids and one child goes to school all day.
What works for her with 4 kids
She said the best way for her to get time to work on her online business is to get up with her husband at 4:45-5am and help get him off to work and then she works on her business until the kids wake up. She said at first she woke them up around 7:30 and they did school but it didn’t seem to work for their family.
She now lets them wake up on their own which is later in the morning but it works better for them. This new schedule gives her a few hours to work before the kids wake up. It also means the kids are more rested and alert during their school time.
#3 MAP OUT YOUR DAY
Mapping out your daily routine will help you find the time you didn’t know you had. I did this and it shows I have all kinds of time but yet I was like “where is it all going?” and turns out that life happens and yes things come up (like watching the neighbors dogs) that you have to do but you can’t let that take away from your business.
By mapping out your daily routine you can see where you can make things more efficient. Maybe you like to get up and drink a cup of coffee and watch the news when you wake up but then you are struggling to find time to blog.
Well, maybe you have to give up that coffee and news time and try and switch it to coffee and blog time. Then you will see progress on your blog! Or maybe you watch TV at night after you put the kids to bed that you could cut out and make time for your blog.
No T.V.
I have met people that completely shut T.V. off in their homes because it is a distraction to their goals. I would have to agree it most certainly is a distraction for me.
I don’t have it on at all during the day so I can focus and work on my blog and then I may reward myself with a little Big Bang Theory at night. If I was looking for more time to blog then I would cut it out as well.
If your schedule is overwhelmed with cleaning (did I mention I have a dog that shreds?) then I would break it up into daily tasks so then you get a little done each day instead of feeling like you have to clean the whole house every day.
Or maybe if someone would buy me this vacuum for Christmas that would help! haha! (Update: I got the vacuum and it is amazing!!)
Delegate tasks out to save you some time
As soon as I feel I have made enough money with my blog to be comfortable with it, I plan on hiring someone to come clean my house for me. I am not a tax expert but I believe it would be a write off for my business (I am all about getting the most bang out of my buck) and my sanity would be worth it alone!
I always feel silly telling people I have one child and she is at school all day and I am short on time…but my husband is gone way more than he is home and when he is here he makes and mess and leaves again. Also, he works very hard at his job and then runs a lawn care company on the side.
I am in charge of invoices, scheduling, running errands, paying bills, all of that stuff on top of my many mommy hats I have to wear with no husband help. Oh, ya and I am trying to build my own online business. So even with one child, we are short on time.
I feel like God knew that was what was best for us. We tried for over 7 years for another child and after MANY surgeries, dr appts, blood draws, miscarriages, etc., we found out we can’t. So there is a little bit of our story.
Anyways, I think you will be very surprised how much time you can find by mapping out your daily routine!
#4 ASK FOR HELP
No one said you have to do this alone. If your husband is on board and is home more than mine (lol!) then ask him to watch the kids so you can work on your blog. If your sister, mother, or friend would help watch the kiddos so you can find time to blog then ask them!
It takes a village to raise children and so there is no reason you can’t ask for help watching the kids so you can have some time for you and your business!
Or if you are to that point that you need help with your business because it is growing so fast then hiring a Virtual Assistant to help you!
Another great option is, if you don’t already, get an accountability partner to help keep you on track or use my accountability calendar I created below!
There is always so much to do and so little time to do it that the days just go by and the next thing you know its supper, bath and bedtime! Even worse yet you realize it’s been a week or more and you haven’t even logged into your blog!
That is not being consistent and not helping grow your business. It feels like you just worked on it and then you realize it has been days or even weeks….I know it’s horrible!
So I have decided to make an accountability calendar to keep you and myself in check. You can make one for yourself that meets your needs or you can get a copy of mine below!
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On this calendar, the main goal is to help you find time to blog and to work daily on your blog. Whether that is 30 minutes a day or more that is up to you but again the main goal is to make sure you are doing something daily. That right there alone will make a huge difference.
You will feel like you are moving forward by consistently working on your blog.
Plus, when you are frustrated with your blogging business and you look back at your calendar to realize that you haven’t touched it in two weeks well then you will know why.
This calendar will also hold you accountable for not wasting your blog time. This will help to show you what you are accomplishing on your blog. If you are like most normal people that get sucked into emails and facebook then you will see where your struggles are.
I hope this calendar helps you move forward and help you find time to blog! I look forward to how much it is going to help me so I can’t wait to hear if it helps you!
Or maybe you’re still not sure if blogging is even right for you?
My favorite saying that I have written on my fridge is “Massive action solves all problems“. I think about that when I get stuck or feel a little lost.
When I over think and analyze too much I realize that I have wasted 15 minutes stressing over what I should do next. If I would have just moved forward on something I would have accomplished more than stressing over the order of my to-do list.
When the house is a wreck, I need to do invoices for the lawn care, I need to write a blog post and try to find time to blog, but I don’t know where to start… I just start!
The more I can get done in a day whether it was in the right order or not is going to be more important than stressing about the order and wasting any precious time.
So for today, I leave you with those two reminders:
1. If you fail to plan…..plan to fail
2. Massive action solves all problems
I have heard those over the years and I don’t know who was the first person to say them or I would give them credit but they were both smart people I can tell you that!
Don’t forget to get your copy of my calendar if you haven’t already!
10 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Organized
I don’t know if you have problems with procrastinating like I sometimes do but here are 10 ways to stop procrastinating and get more organized!
Procrastinating has always been a struggle for me. It actually runs in my family. I think back to when I was in school and I see just how bad I was at procrastinating. I would do anything other than my homework or clean my room.
Instead, I would, of course, choose things that were fun and put off the not so fun things.
As I became an adult, mother and wife putting things off can end up being a really bad thing! You have to be prepared and use your time wisely if you want things to get done. I learned as the years went by to overcome my procrastinating habits.
However, they seemed to creep back to me when it came to blogging. I will put my mommy and wifey duties first and then blogging last but then guess what?
My blog can’t grow like I want it to without me working on it!
So I sat down and really thought about the things that are making me procrastinate and put my blog on the back burner. It ended up being things like cleaning the house, cooking supper, homework, etc. Those things I would put before working on my blog.
Those are all things that I have to get done still but I knew that I should still be able to have plenty of time for my blog still.
So I decided I needed to put my blog on the top of the list instead of the prize at the end. I look forward to working on my blog so I would tell myself after my chores I get to work on my blog.
Well, as you know chores as a mom never end.
You have to stop and make time for your blog and stop procrastinating that work. Once I rearranged my schedule I have noticed a huge difference!
Here are the 10 ways to stop procrastinating and get more organized that have helped me find time to be more productive with my blog!
1. Identify what takes up your time.
What is taking up most of your time? If you were to stop and really think about any spare time you have what are you doing? Then decide if that is time well spent or not!
Facebook
Whether we like to admit it or not I believe we all have this same time waster and that is social media or for me mainly Facebook. I just love to watch all the animal videos and read all the funny memes and I won’t even notice but 30 minutes can go by in the blink of an eye!
Cleaning
Not everyone will probably have this one but I have a hard time focusing on my blog when there are dirty dishes in the sink or laundry piling up. I feel like I need to be doing those so I will work on those first then my blog.
Which as you know dishes and laundry are endless pits and they magically fill back up so I have been telling myself they can wait.
Overthinking
This one is a very hard one for me. I over-analyze everything and it can paralyze me at times. I’m not able to actually get anything done because I am overthinking it all too much.
I have been telling myself just to do it, stop thinking, just do it! That’s how my husband is, he can work circles around normal people and sometimes I feel like I’m lucky to get anything accomplished! We have very different personalities though.
Sometimes mine is better because I think before acting but then sometimes his personality is better because he gets more done. Either way, I do know to overthink is not the answer!
Husbands/Kids
It is too easy for families to ask mom for help with everything or they continue to go about their lives while mom handles everything. Well just like a normal job, your blog needs attention, time, and effort. All the other stuff will have to wait.
When I end up cleaning and putting all that stuff first and then think “I am going to work on my blog later”, that’s when my husband walks in the door and wants to spend time together. Of course, I want to too but sometimes I need to just say no I need to get this done on my blog.
I actually just tried it last night and he was completely supportive! The same goes for the kids. Of course, don’t push your kids aside to always work but instead find a healthy balance.
2. Reorganize Your Schedule
This is close to what we talked about above but with a little different spin. What I mean by that is the order in which you do things throughout the day will help you accomplish more too. Just like how I said I would put cleaning first and blogging second.
I switched those around. I got myself in the blogging zone in the morning so after lunch, I felt like I had accomplished something. Then I would not feel guilty about taking the afternoon to get caught up on cleaning, preparing supper, and get my daughter off the bus and work on homework.
I still got the things done that I wanted to get done but instead of blogging being at the end of the day where it was too easy to be pushed off it was moved to the beginning of the day so it was for sure getting done.
Another great thing to put at the very beginning of the day is working out.
It takes 30 minutes and can be well worth it on the productivity of your day. Working out helps get me in the right gear to get more done in the day. It, of course, has health benefits as well but who cares about that right?!
Just kidding! But really you can’t go wrong with putting a workout in your day!
These might help you with #2 and #3.
A lot of bloggers use bullet journals to help keep them on track. They are perfect for a catch-all for blogging and life. I personally got a bullet journal, pens, and the fun washi tape and I love them!
I found this bundle pack that has them all together plus stencils and stickers!
One of my favorite parts of the bullet journal is how you are able to create your own pages. That is the hardest part about finding a planner that I like. The pages are never laid out like I want them.
This way each page can be different! You can create it to your liking.
One page could be a calendar and the next could be a grocery list! It’s all up to you!
3. Make a List
Make a list of the things you want to accomplish during the day and then map out your day. At the beginning of the day, I think about all the things that need to be done.
Between what’s for supper, is tonight gymnastics, what yards need to be mowed (we have a small lawn care company), have I billed everyone for said yards, where am I at on my blog, etc. It can get overwhelming.
If I don’t write it all down then I forget and things don’t get done.
If I make a list and I see what all needs to be done then I just start chipping away at that list and I love seeing those things get crossed off! When I get to the end of the list I feel so good! I feel like I can relax a little and that I have earned it!
Also having that list you can see the order in which things need to be done. If there are things that need to all be done while you are in town then group them together. Things that need to be done at home then group them.
Then multiple things can be done at once and crossed off the list all at once!
4. Give Yourself a Time Limit
Allow yourself only so long to do each thing you need to accomplish that day. Set a time limit for each item. This sets a sense of urgency when you see you only have X amount of time left to finish that item.
This also keeps you from spending too much time on one item. I do the budgeting for our family so every Friday I like to see where we are. Payday Friday I map everything out and then the next Friday I see how we are doing.
I enjoy doing this and I like to plan ahead and see what all we can save or pay off so I have been known to waste a whole day doing it! Like I said I really enjoy it and with a mapped out plan it makes me feel better seeing where we could be if we follow that plan.
Now life has a funny way of not caring about what you have planned so it never works perfectly but at least I tried! It shouldn’t take all day or even hours but I can end up spending hours.
This is when I have to set a timer. It should only take 30mins-1hour tops. Also, the time limit works great for cleaning because I see that oven timer ticking down and I really rush to get it done so I can be more productive with my day!
5. Pick Up The Pace
I have a very laid back personality so I can just mosey along with my day and get half as much done that I could have if I would have just picked up the pace. Like I said with my husband. The reason he can work circles around normal people is that he only has one gear….fast!
He is 6’4 so I don’t know if it’s because he has long legs or if he is just always in go mode but I can’t even walk with him at the store he always leaves me in the dust. I will even be trying hard to keep up!
So I have tried hard to pick up the pace while working on my to-do list.
It works great along with #4 and setting a timer. It just lights a little fire under you to get more done in your day.
Get your Free Printable!
Download this printable to hang on your wall to remind yourself to stay focused! Don’t procrastinate, download it for free now!
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6. Multitask
Now some people say this can cause you to be less productive but I’m not talking about talking on the phone while typing a blog post. I am talking about turning on the washer and dishwasher first so they can run while you are vacuuming.
If you multitask and do things in the right order you will get more done during the day.
Maybe you listen/watch a blog video while you are cooking supper or folding laundry instead of watching T.V. Maybe you type a blog post out on your phone while you are waiting for gymnastics practice to be over instead of scrolling on Facebook.
The other day I had to drive 3 hours to meet with my friend so instead of listening to the radio I listened to videos from my favorite blogger to help better myself.
We all multitask already but choosing better things to do while multitasking will make a huge difference.
7. Wake Up 30 Minutes Earlier
We all know this is a great one that is easier said than done. I am not a morning person so waking up earlier is hard for me.
Again to use my husband as an example he wakes up 4-5am and goes hard until 9-10pm. I tell him all the time to wake me up earlier and he laughs because it is like mission impossible! The problem is you don’t want to give yourself less sleep time.
Sleep is good for us! What I need to do it go to bed on time and waking up at a good time.
I have always been a night owl and never an early riser but when I had to for my 8-5 job plus have my daughter on the bus by 6:56am it became easier and I got more done and went to bed earlier. I have found that if I stay up 30 minutes later that I start my day off tired and grumpy and I get less done during the day.
If I go to bed on time but wake up 30 minutes earlier I still have that same 30 extra minutes but I am much more productive!
8. Meal Prep
I didn’t realize just how amazing meal prepping is! I knew to eat healthier that meal prepping made all the difference but what I didn’t know is how meal prepping saves so much time and headache period!
Growing up we never knew what was for supper each night, my mom would just wing it every night. Mind you I understand now how frustrating it can be to be the only one that is in charge of every single meal. My point is I just wasn’t raised to be organized and prepared.
I developed that later on as an adult. But planning out each meal for the week and making sure you have all the ingredients isn’t as hard as I use to make it be. I just look at the menu and start cooking! I will have everything already chopped and prepped so then I just quickly throw it together and bam supper!
It has made a huge difference! Also, it has helped our budget extremely because my husband doesn’t just order something because supper is already ready when he walks in the door from work! (I started this habit while working a full-time job because I was too tired to cook after work. But with everything prepped it saved the day!)
This one goes along the lines of the time-wasters. I am very bad about saying no, I always get suckered into saying yes.
If someone invites us over for supper when I know I should be working on my blog I will feel guilty like I have to say yes so I do and my blog gets pushed back. If someone asked us to go on a boat ride….that one is hard to say no to but it doesn’t help me with my blog when I’m behind either. Or when the doorbell rings and it’s the neighbor kids wanting my daughter to play and now there are kids and dogs running everywhere.
Every once in awhile it’s okay to say no.
I recently had a hard time saying no and I felt guilty about it at first but good about it later. My neighbor asked if I could watch her daughter and I told her no which bothered me but at first but I thought “Darn it my life is important and my blog is important too and it deserves my attention!”
So it is okay to say no! Again, it is all about a healthy balance. You don’t want to always work and never enjoy life but you can’t always enjoy life and never work either.
10. Spark!
Spark is a complete LIFESAVER! If you haven’t heard of it then let me just change your life real quick!
Spark is an amazing healthy energy drink. I have never had a monster or any of those types of energy drinks and I was VERY skeptical about this one. Spark is made by AdvoCare and isn’t sold in stores.
You can only get it from a distributor. My bestie had signed up and finally talked me into trying it and it is like liquid gold.
I am very stingy with it. I’m not gonna lie, I do not like to share….it is happy mom juice so no one takes it from mama! I will try not to go on and on about it because I most definitely could.
Spark helped me become the productive mom I had always dreamed of being. I would drag all day and drink coffee and Mountain Dew trying to have the energy to get through the day.
Then like I said my friend gave me some to try and it was like all the lights came on and I was full of good energy! I have already mentioned I was not raised to be prepared or productive and it is something I have had to develop on my own.
This is how I did that!
When I first started drinking it in 2012 I was getting up at 5:30 working out, working all day, cooking and cleaning and still going strong until 10-11pm. I would drink one in the morning and one in the afternoon. My favorite flavor is fruit punch and I no longer drink coffee or pop (soda, I’m from Kansas and it’s called pop).
It’s sugar-free and full of vitamins and goodies so, in return, I even lost weight! I, of course, ended up signing up to be a distributor because of the huge discount so if you want more information I would be happy to share!
It’s just another amazing thing that changed my life and I would be selfish not to share that with you ladies! I am beyond thankful my friend shared it with me! It’s been 7 years of going strong and feeling great because of my happy mom juice called Spark!
There You Have It
I hope some of these tips help you kick your procrastination habit and get more stuff done! In life and with your blog!
My best advice to stop procrastinating and get more organized are these 5 simple words… MASSIVE ACTION SOLVES ALL PROBLEMS.
I heard that long ago and it clicked with me. I wrote it on a note and stuck it on my fridge so I could see it every day. It would remind me that even if I didn’t know where to start, I just needed to start. I just needed to get moving and the rest would work itself out! Keep moving forward!
I hope these 10 ways to stop procrastinating and get more organized helped you! I would love to hear any of your helpful ways to stop procrastinating and get more organized or to hear if any of these ways helped you!
I ended up
As you can see I really do use this app a lot. All along the side are major categories in life and then there are folders under them to organize further down.
You can add lines and grids to your note! Just like the bullet journal you now have guides to help you design your page. Also, you only need one pencil and you can change it to any color!
Then you can still do that from your iPhone and no one’s going to forget their phone! You can make all these changes from your iPhone too it just isn’t as easy using your finger but you can still access the same note.
Then, of course, I got 
