Above: a glimpse of planning books mentioned in this episode.

Episode 346 of the CMP, a Creativity Matters Podcast

In this episode of the CMP, reviews and summary of three books on planning and bullet journaling. I enjoyed looking at all three of these books, and if you can get your hands on them at the library, I highly encourage you to check them out and sit (with coffee, of course!) and flip through them. Whether you are new to planning or not, looking at the examples in books like these can be fun and inspiring. If you are new to the idea of planning, you will find plenty of how-to material and clear (and exciting) examples. If you are already a planner or journal keeper, you might find a spread or two you want to try that you never thought about before.

“Notebooks are my canvas. When I write in them, I dare–dare to create, to make, to plan. They are a creative playground where you breathe life into ideas.” Ryder Carrol (5-minute introduction video)

The books in this episode:

• Bullet Journal Method
• Dot Journaling―A Practical Guide: How to Start and Keep the Planner, To-Do List, and Diary That’ll Actually Help You Get Your Life Together
• Journal Me Organized 

Near the end of the show, I go over these recommendations:

1. If you can get your hands on it, get Ryder’s book — and make time to read it.
2. And then…. before or after, check out Dot Journaling and/or Journal Me Organized for more examples.
3. Devote part of your current journal to this process…. or get out a blank notebook — whatever you have handy. And start…. start small.
4. Set up a habit tracker for a month — which isn’t really part of bullet journaling but is awfully easy to add into your bullet journal.
5. And then try bullet journaling as a way to keep track of what you need to do, day to day, for a week … or two weeks… or a month. Two weeks is probably a good test.
6. Make time every day to sit down and list out your to-dos for the next day…. and then mark off the things you do. See how it goes. (In other words, don’t assume that setting up the planner is the end of it. You have to actively use it for it to become a valuable part of your day, life, and creative journey.)

Note: Your library might have totally different options for books on planning. Check out whatever you can find. Don’t forget, too, that you can find tons of inspiration and how-to on YouTube and at Instagram. Follow planners, journalers, and sketchbook artists you find inspiring! Follow broadly! Looking at beautiful planner pages is definitely something I enjoy and find relaxing and inspiring at Instagram.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Ryder Carroll’s Ted Talk
• Bullet Journal history
• Bullet Journal 5-minute introduction
• Right Brain Planning

Show Information:

• Guitar music: Nicholai Heidlas on SoundCloud
• Creativity Matters Group at Facebook
• Patreon page

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