Confession time: I have recently become obsessed with bullet journals. It’s an organization system that takes the idea of keeping a planner, a myriad of Post-It to-do lists, and a journal and then throws them into a blender. You can keep all of that stuff tied together in one handy, non-digital notebook, hopefully with the result of being super productive.

For me, increasing productivity and mindfulness was a large part of the appeal (aside from having an excuse to buy new office supplies). I’m stepping away from my computer and phone to re-calibrate how I want to keep myself organized. I used to be that kind of person, especially throughout high school and college. I wrote everything down, which forced me to think about what I was doing and what I was making a priority.

We (1) capture what has our attention; (2) clarify what each item means and what to do about it; (3) organize the results, which presents the options we (4) reflect on, which we then choose to (5) engage with. —David Allen in Getting Things Done

A few resources popped up again and again when I dove down the internet rabbit hole to research layouts. One is Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Morning Before 8 AM. I am not ready to give up on the snooze button any time soon, so for now I’m going to take my chances with the other book, David Allen’s Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. After all, productivity is the name of the game.

In the book, Allen lays out his method for getting your act together: “We (1) capture what has our attention; (2) clarify what each item means and what to do about it; (3) organize the results, which presents the options we (4) reflect on, which we then choose to (5) engage with” (p. 27). It sounds a little heady but I’m finding that it boils down to “What can I tackle right now?” and “What am I comfortable with saving for later?” Those two concepts, I can manage. I’m especially finding the capture and clarify steps to be helpful. Getting my to-do items down on paper in one place means that I’m not scrambling to remember things. Then I can decide what needs to take priority and how I can, well, get things done.

So far, the bullet journal and incorporating some of Allen’s ideas have been a good way to take stock of my day every evening, track habits and plan ahead some. I’m really hoping it’s something I can stick with — ask me again in a few months!

How do you keep organized, digitally or in analog?

Jess is the Clerical Specialist at the Woods Run branch on the North Side. She’s your girl for YA lit, romance novels and knitting.