In the bullet journal vein, I'm clarifying my goals for 2019. (Sure, the year is 1/4th over, but that also means there are 3/4ths remaining.)

​Usually, my goals are vague. Such as, "Finish writing book x." When I plan out every detail of my year, I get overwhelmed; however, I don't want to under-reach either. So, in the name of balance, I'm digging a little deeper but not getting overly specific.

• Writing
  • Finish drafting UF, including the new outline and synopsis.
    • Word count: 7,000 of 75,000
  • Draft YA screenplay, as yet untitled.
    • Status: Synopsis complete
• Marketing
  • New web site
  • New social media accounts
  • Blog consistently
  • Grow social media presence
  • Issue newsletters quarterly
• Craft
  • Apply to writing workshop
  • Read 10 books from the list of Hugo Award winning SFF
• Self Care
  • Use MyFitnessPal app consistently before meals
    • This is day 1! So far, so good.
  • Spend more time with creative friends (you know who you are)
  • Develop and implement workout schedule
    • I have no excuse not to do this, having just moved into a building with a gym
  • Cook and eat low-carb, high fiber meals at home
    • My new kitchen has been helping with this a lot
  • Enjoy some R&R with Mom on a cruise to Nova Scotia!

Over the rest of the year, I'll check in with blog posts on each of these areas. You'll keep me honest, right? Feel free to inspire me and others in the comments with how you track and meet your own goals.

~K8

Nope. Turns out I hadn't somehow stumbled into an alternate Etsy-verse. Bullet journals are a THING that has taken the crafting and paper-minded world by storm. Now, anyone who has known me for long enough realizes I've got a bit of an office supply store fetish. Michael's comes a close second. I've mostly weaned myself off of buying a ton of craft and paper supplies through multiple moves and an unwillingness to lug around things that I almost never use.

This bullet journal thing though really hit me where I live. It's pretty, creative, AND has to do with paper and writing! I spent about two days watching calligraphy videos and practicing with bad pens while waiting for an order of the suggested pens to come in. Could it be that for once I might find something that I not only liked to look at but also had fun doing?

The pens came in, I played with them and have been having fun learning calligraphy from another set of YouTube videos. Today, I finally decided to create my bullet journal. I sat down with new pens, new journal, my metal ruler, and a lot of hope. I started with the calendar pages, as the videos had suggested. Of course, it's March, so I began three months into the year. I numbered the pages, made sections for goals and word count. The first three months were cool. Four, five, and six, I started to wonder what I'd gotten myself into and why I wasn't working on my WIP. By the last three, I had remembered why I keep trackers on my laptop and not on paper. They don't need an eraser or white-out to correct the mistakes.

I find people who can do crafting and make pretty things inspiring. I love buying their pretty things and playing with them to relax. I'd say I'd like to be one of the gifted paper crafty types, but my craft is writing. Words are what I put my character skill points into, and they are mostly what I enjoy sculpting with. I track my word count and outline my stories in a giant spreadsheet. I'll share it sometime. It's not pretty, but it works for me. Still, watching this YouTube video is one of the most relaxing things I've done in a while. The music and the illustrations are a little slice of bliss. Oh, and my new pens aren't too shabby either.

Whether you're a word warrior, artist, or crafter, how do you track your year and projects? A bujo or another method?

Stay gr8!

​~K8