If it’s January at SuzerSpace then it’s a pretty safe bet that I’m trying out some new planner/journal configuration.
There’s a concept called “planner peace” which suggests you’ll keep hunting and searching for the perfect planner – the one that you enjoy working with, that also keeps you all super organized, happy and bestows magical powers on all who see it. Just kidding about that last part. And actually, just kidding about all of the parts – I don’t actually believe that planner piece has as end point.
I think it’s like searching for the perfect shoes, perfect hand bag or perfect ProCreate brush – most of the fun is in the hunting.
For this year, I’m trying out a mashup of an idea I hadn’t seen since sixth grade (the single sheet ‘zine) and an idea I tried before but didn’t stick with (the bullet journal).
Let’s start with the form – a ‘zine is short for magazine, and I think Austin Kleon’s video on how to turn a single sheet of regular paper into an eight page booklet that requires no binding tools is the easiest to follow.
Check it out here:
Bullet Journaling is a system of keeping bullet style notes to keep on track of your life, and it’s evolved from a really minimal system invented by Ryder Carroll to something that has taken over Instagram.
For my personal system, I’m using a larger sheet of paper to start with – an 11 x 17 tabloid, but it folds down just like the video for the smaller sheet. I’ve created a template that gives me a printed sheet with the front and back covers and ruled lines inside to work with. I print one out, fold it up, and slit the edge and then date the outside and start listing things and crossing them off as needed.
As you can see from my photo above, it’s not beautiful, organized or elaborate in any way. It’s just the right size to keep in my book bag, pull it out and leave it on my desk at work, bring it home and use it as a bookmark or keep it inside my iPad cover. It’s with me all the time, and so far it’s eliminating the handfuls of strips of paper I make notes on and stuff in my pockets or bottom of my bag, and it also let’s me empty my brain of things that I’m thinking about so as to have a little extra space which I’m needing to stay with my head above water during these COVID-tinged times.
At the bottom of this post I’ve linked up two PDF files for you to use if you’d like to try my system – one is sized for a standard US letter size paper, one is sized for A4 size paper.
The file is free for personal use – please don’t try and sell it since that would be mean. But if you do use it, I’d love to hear from you – either comment below or tag me on Instagram (@SuzerSpace)
Download Mini Bujo US Letter Size
