Taranjeet Kaur

Writing a 5 minute mission statement

March 1, 2019

All week I have written ‘Write MS’ on my to do list. MS standing for Mission Statement.

I then learnt about a Time Management Matrix. Four categories, the top boxes the ‘effective people’ go between and the bottom two they stay out of. That’s when I realised a common theme, I know writing a mission statement was something I wanted to do but hadn’t got round to, I hadn’t seen it as an Important/Urgent task.

I think it’s habitual patterning to focus on the ‘Not important/Not urgent’ tasks, some calls, some mail, some busy work take up time, they don’t use up any imagination or much effort either. The difference is whether they are in Prevention and PC (product capability maintenance) for they are just stuff.

I usually write a to do list first thing with 1-3 tasks to do that day.

Sometimes in overwhelm, I have to write it backwards. By writing out the ‘non important tasks’ first with the promise I won’t get stuck on the small stuff. Such as follow up tasks: podcast help, shopping list, look up something for Dad. Also break activities: read, draw, yoga set, journal, nap.

Then, if my mind wasn’t clear enough at the beginning, I write three most important tasks.

I found that in Not Important, Not Urgent were ‘pleasant activities’, I related it to doing creative work in my new space. I was happy I was back painting but not really sure what I was doing in my journal. Still I congratulated myself for showing up.

This was a mistake. I can move towards Important, Not urgent ‘Recognising new opportunities’ or ‘Relationship building’. To make more meaning and stop doodling around as I learnt from this Ted talk.

Writing a mission statement

There was some reluctance and inner criticism for writing – It’s an old strategy! A few words won’t fix things! They are boring.

We all start at the beginning. The basics are the best place to start, without a single seed what will bloom?

A personal mission statement is a set of words that reflect your values, your roles and goals. It’s important that what you write be authentic and actionable. Otherwise they are just words people will roll their eyes at.

Stephen Covey in 7 Habits of highly effective people covers it with these headings:

My mission is to live:

To fulfil this mission:

These roles take priority in achieving my mission:

For example, here’s my mission statement:

My mission is to live with vitality and make a difference in the lives of others through writing, creative works and yoga.

To fulfil this mission I have:
The willingness to get up and do my most important tasks of the day.
A wonder and curiosity in working with new ideas and projects
The ability to see it through, to be a leader, my own creativity coach.
Responsibility to show my work, share it as often as possible.
To be a mindful money custodian, I keep expenses low and embrace opportunities.

These roles will take priority in achieving my mission:

Individual/Sikhi: I learn new important things daily, I implement success strategies and honour Sikh living and Kundalini science.

Wife: My husband is an important part of life, I value our time together and share support for our ventures.

Mother: I care and bond with our baby, together we learn and grow.
Writer/Author: I write stories to publish in memoirs and articles for my blog and magazines.

Artist/Creator: I draw daily life and am learning illustration. I freely express myself in my journal.

Manager-Marketing
Promotion, Blogger: I get involved with new opportunities, use social media mindfully, share my work and learn ways I can earn from blog and create an extra income stream by the end of 2019.

What’s on your mission statement? Are you willing to set a timer for 5 minutes and start today? Or have you experienced change through making one? Let me know in the comments below!

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Re-write your values re-write your life

February 22, 2019

I am reading seven books I have before buying anymore, not even on my device. As part of a no spend challenge. One of them is 7 Habits of Highly Effective people by Stephan Covey, a 352 page read. Another challenge I do is when I read a part of a book that interests me, I teach it. I don’t read on till I have.

This time, I’ve stopped at values.

Your values are your guide to your behaviour and choice, they aid in swift decision making and focus. Your values can also be called personal or core values, you use them to through friendships, relationships, work and play. If your values are out of balance, you will ponder the mess your in. Much like walking round a maze backwards.

A list of values are formed of what’s important and holds meaning for you. A working woman with pride in providing for her family, may have ‘security’ at the top of her list. A person planning a back packing trip may have ‘adventure’. An interesting shift could happen if the woman switched her top to value to adventure, how different would her year be?

I used take from the shelf Tony Robbins-Awaken the Giant Within when I got stuck with values, he shares his list of values before and after changes. Such as putting health as number one as without it being the best it can be, everything else is much slower.

‘What do my values need to be in order to achieve the destiny I desire and deserve. Write a list then put them in order to create the quality of life you truly want’. – Tony Robbins

My process is to think of what’s important to me, find a list of values online and write down the ones that call to me, that stand out. Then I circle ten and put them in order of importance. I re write and think about it in my day. Changing words such as Empathy to Compassion and Health to Vitality.

Values are best implemented when we see them daily, a note by my desk and one for my purse. Somewhere you will see them each day.

There’s an interesting pattern, each value connects.

My first being vitality, love and intuition then intelligence and proactivity. By focusing on health and living in love I can better follow my intuition. I use my intelligence to follow through on an idea.

Proactivity is a word that is used heavily in the first part of 7 Habits. It means more than just taking initiative, to take responsibility for our own lives.

After proactivity I have self expression, in order to create I need to take responsibility of my time and show up! My list finishes with compassion, connection, happiness and achieving.

Compassion when talking with people and to myself in circumstances beyond my control. Such as waiting in hospital for 2 hours expecting to be seen and wasn’t. Had I found more compassion I wouldn’t have been so hard on the nurses and myself. It’s easy to claim to be ‘spiritual’ but connection holds stillness, love and infinity.

I want happiness and a sense of achievement through general life and personal work this year. With a newborn the victories may be tiny.

I easily could have ended with success or abundance, wealth, prosperity. They may be in your top 3 and that’s ok because they’re your personal values.

I know they will find a way to me through all my other values.

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Bed upgrades

February 15, 2019

I had a single bed for the entire time I grew up in my family home, it served me well. It felt like I was the only single body that could fit inside. I was a natural morning person, I think it had something to do with the bed, as I didn’t stay in it. I had things to do, a paper round, a diary entry to write and school. I always looked forward to getting out of it! In my twenties I moved out and shared a double bed, the sheets were dark brown, there was passion and fire in the bodies in the bed but again I hadn’t stayed. I looked forward to the painting in my creative room and writing poetry till lunchtime.

At 27, after having a sleep over with a friend, who made a double bed up perfectly so we would have the most restful sleep, did I begin to explore a double bed for a single woman. It was possible, people I spoke to had double beds, all for themselves! A double bed didn’t mean there had to be a partner next to you, people didn’t go and buy them just when they were in relationships.

A few months later, I ordered a double bed with storage and pink duvet set. I discovered space, I made it up each morning and washed the sheets often. I bought cushions just for the bed with no other real need or purpose. I propped up the pillows so I could sit up at night and read or look at my fairy lights.

When I moved out, I shared an even bigger bed, a king size double. This time I do have a partner I want to share it with. I’m glad for when he’s home to come back to at night as getting in and out of a bigger bed gets cold quickly. The bed sheets are white and blue and covered in a heavy zebra throw or my personal favourite, a fluffy pink extra large throw.

In the even bigger bed I slide under the throw and put on a healing eye pillow to nap. I contently sit up and read and sometimes we watch stand up comedy, if my hearing is last to go, I want it to be his laugh I hear. Our hands and bodies intertwined, a connection is restored and recharges us. I feel like we are candles melting together as one.

The beginnings in a single bed has set up some light frame work for self discipline, I arrange the clothes for the next day on a chair beside my bed and set alarms. I do allow myself to just lay there, if I’m enjoying it, I smile, stretch and stay horizontal a while. If not I simply get up and greet my morning standing and get ready for the day ahead.

I see why people stay in bed a while, that’s what their body needs. The freedom to drink tea and have breakfast in bed, isn’t set to the confines of a hotel room.

It’s your home, relax being or doing, you choose.

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Marry a man who

February 10, 2019

Marry a man who loves you unconditionally. There’s no ‘I will do this when you do that’ toxicity.

Who lights you up and brings calmness to any situation, whether it’s finding the way, or looking for a lost item.

Marry a man who ‘gets you’ and goes with your flow. He understands the sketchbook comes out often and daily life is drawn into it, when the Polaroid camera makes an appearance and paint is the only thing on the shopping list.

Marry a man who is honest with you and you are back. Someone who isn’t afraid to say as you pull up late night in the drive way ‘I lost my job’ or who you can say how you really felt in a situation or what that outfit or attitude says.

Marry a man who supports your creative obsessions or side business but doesn’t try and take over. He’s all for having a writing desk in your bed room and vision boards. His lazy morning is your writing time and training for him is painting time for you.

Marry a man who you can laugh with, at comedies, problems, solutions and surprising things that happened in your day.

Marry a man who is your comrade in morning spiritual practice.

Marry a man who sees things as doable because they are and use your combined energy to completing a project, an idea, a picture on the wall.

Marry a man because it feels right, time together, age and distance do not matter, when you know you know.

Marry a man who is an added bonus to yourself living wholeheartedly.

If you haven’t found him yet, live in love.

If you have, love him.

This February marks our first anniversary together and in March our first 6 months married!

It’s also World Marriage Day!

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Tidying magic Kon Marie way

January 21, 2019

Where I was in March 2018:

I’ll start with a little back story before I write on and share pictures, at the very beginning my bedroom and creative space were together in the same room. It was useful as everything was in the same place, though it easily got cluttered and people commented it was like an office art space that had a bed placed in the centre of it. True, I could see where they were coming from on that. Another room became free so I split one into a bed room the other into a creative space with desk to work at. My fiancé (now husband) came round one day and we painted two rooms in 24 hours! Both with white walls and a pink feature wall, baby pink and fuchsia pink, you can’t go wrong with that!

While this was happening I was in the in-between stages of tasks, I had ripped up the carpet showing the bare glossed floor boards I used to know, I had moved an old bed frame out, replaced it with new and ordered a double bed for my new room. I slept on mattress for weeks till it arrived, very grounding but nearing the end of the month I felt I was inhaling dust, floor level stuff. Bit by bit I removed items and bought new ones, it was starting to come together. I’d do things in spare time before or after work, I couldn’t shake off a feeling, or visualisation that a chaise lounge or something was needed and I could read books at it. I also kept getting nudges from family that it would become a bedroom again when I left, that left me feeling crushed as all the time and space to make it a creative space, that my Dad could use would be wasted.

My bedroom was now only a bedroom, bed, clothes, toiletries and sheep skin to sit at and meditate in the mornings. I also had a the tops of units as mini alters with trinkets on to ground me to my Sikhi spiritual practice.

Fast forward to September 2018:

I was still using both rooms when I felt the need to really tidy things up, I found out I was pregnant and moving out the same year, I had a creative room full of stuff some of it I loved, though to others if they were tidying up (a) it would be a lot of work for them and (b) they wouldn’t know what I wanted to keep and what to throw, with a mixed media set up anything was possible!

I’d heard about the Marie Kondo method years ago and read blog posts but hadn’t gone fully into it, now felt like the right time. By the end of it I had 10 big bags of stuff to throw and 4 charity bags of clothes. I saw those words written in peoples stories in the book but I couldn’t believe that at the start – really Marie nearly every person has 10 bags of rubbish? Yep, true for me. At this time I was not big enough for baby weight to be an issue though I started ‘nesting’ early, it powered me through the tidy up mission.

What I got out of the Kon Marie Method

1. Does this spark joy for me now? The basis of decision making, it was sometimes easy other times harder to let go of items. Some went back to past relationships and single times, I thanked items for serving me then threw them away. It was surprising what I held onto out of expectation to – a necklace bought for me on holiday, a holiday that brought up mixed feelings gone! Christmas presents I didn’t open or read gone! Jewellery I kept in draws again out of some sort of obligation (people never used to buy the sort I liked to wear) gone! Do you see the trend? I was working through past feelings of sadness, expectation and obligation and clearing them all!

2. A few really handy tools of hers is to make one special day (or several over month) to dedicate to tidying, I did that at first selecting one day to tidy and a week later another. Then I slipped up and used an odd hour here and there. There was a huge difference, the days I dedicated I not only got a lot done but I felt more focused and connected to what I wanted out of the room. I could clearly see what I was doing and what was next, I had a single focus. The other times I felt like I was tidying more and getting no results. Dedicate a day.

3. Dress up was a new instruction! So often in the past I’ve associated tidying with wearing old clothes or overly casual incase I get messy but why? If you set out to do an important task, on a special day, why wear rags? Each time I set out on my special day I wore a blue and orange dress given to me by a friend, I was showing more and it was super comfy. I felt like I was working with a bigger purpose.

4. It allowed me to follow through on some big changes, it related to the vision I had at the start where I was reading at a lounge. I got a day bed that allowed me to read and nap on and turned into a single to double bed for anyone that wanted to stay over, I created a bedroom people were talking about too. I finished the day bed with pink covers, cushions and soft blanket, I now read there by the window.

5. Putting things on the floor or bed in front of me in plain sight to see wasn’t something I had ever done! It really shows you how much stuff you have, you can’t escape it, you sort through it piece by piece. I did this with clothes, books, papers and most surprisingly colouring pencils, I saw how many duplicates I had of single colours that I just did not need! They weren’t expensive artist style either just standard pencils you can get anywhere so why was I holding onto 4 of the same shade of purple? I sorted through one of each colour I wanted to keep and it maximised my space.

6. I went on to use the skills from the book to tidy other parts of the house, in the kitchen I used hard cardboard boxes to organise packets of food. The future room I’m to move into first I brought a rubbish bag to the room as a boundary set right away – Here’s one bag but by the end there may be three! There was. You will have to do some self work to navigate yourself, you notice your patterns and habits of family members growing up or childhood memories of tidying. Focus on the feeling you want when walking into the room, let it carry you through.

The interesting thing about all that tidying was that it opened a space for new things to come to me, money. I had an unexpected insurance refund for £65, £60 in my bank rewards and a cheque for £110 (though if I had tidied it early I could of cashed it before it expired). Amazing what opportunities can come through!

In the here and now of January 2019

I’m still using Marie Kondo’s ways, she even has a Netflix show now! However I do have one more special day to go, as I’m moving out so are my creative supplies and books and I want to maximise the potential of a chill out lounge and creative space for my Dad.

I’m going to take my beloved supplies out, put a fresh desktop on and get soft lighting too. I have included a before and after picture at the end of this post! All ready for the next person to create in!

After- Space for my nephew to paint and to read with low lighting

After – Saying goodbye and thank you to my creative space!

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What I got up to on staycation

January 18, 2019

A week ago, I had a staycation, a wonderful week where for the most part I was home alone, undisturbed and happy.

A staycation is to be on holiday at home, visiting local attractions. I did this back in the Summer with husband and we had fun watching videos, movies, we put up a canopy in the garden and read books! Since then I’ve loved using the term, instead of moaning like I often used to hear people do ‘Er, (sigh) I’m just staying a home on my days off, (grunt) no money, bit S**t really’.

I’M OWNING IT! A few days off to do creative stuff with no interruptions and everything I want around me – wahoo!

Sure I would love to jet off and see new sights in Europe, though it would involve a £35 doctors note, money I don’t have and the food related cravings/wants/unpredictabilities that come with pregnancy.

Before my holiday at home I wrote a list, and did some things on it. Fun things – make pancakes, stay in pyjamas (I’m more of a get in pyjamas at 6pm person I’ve learnt.) I didn’t so much follow the list, more like my own flow. The thing that any day off or holiday gives you is:

TIME

Actually make that right brained TIMELESS

I did the usual things like swimming (again, finally, a possible cure for pregnancy back pain), grocery shopping, seeing a friend.

I went on 30 minute walks in my area listening to a podcast.

I watched a longer Byron Katie video an interview on Luke Storey podcast.

I made Malas and finally listened to Shanti Shanti Kaurs long translations of Gurbani.

I made time for reading, even 15 minutes a day I felt recharged, I even took my pink blanket to the sofa downstairs and chilled there a while!

I wrote more in my 2019 workbooks, it takes a while, I find I have to have that quiet place zone going on.

I went to a life drawing class and wrote about it here.

I had another pregnancy massage, sometimes I feel so sleepy, it rejuvenated me completely!

I bought things on purpose – Flow and Comely magazine, material, a tea strainer.

I did writings for my memoir, just setting a 30 minute timer to start is so valuable.

I did more painted journal pages in an online course I bought, I actually feel I’m getting my creative mojo back!

I’m doing a writing course online, learning lots, it’s got me back on twitter too.

I watched a few films: Dumplin on Netflix I really enjoyed, Bohemian Rhapsody was fun but wasn’t completely for me and Peggy Guggenheim Art Addict documentary on iTunes was a wonderful incite to her life.

Overall it’s the quiet I like most, how it would feel if I owned a home, though I can see how people get lonely and avoid human contact – it’s super easy! Some days I knew my 3 year old nephew would be back in a day so I made sure to be grateful for the silent writing time and for his playtime.

I still got up early, dressed and did Sadhana like my usual schedule and some days I wondered ‘Where has all the time gone? But didn’t have the anxiety of traveling to work to go with it and no one expected me to fill my days full to the brim of productivity, sometimes I can be my own best or worst boss.

It’s brought forward what’s important, what I value – writing daily, reading time, painting and genuine conversations.

Truly Yours, Taran

Wear pink unicorn socks was on the list – done!

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Books I read in 2018 a short list

January 14, 2019

There’s a lot of bloggers and business people of all kinds posting their extensive list of books they’ve read and what they did in 2018. That’s great! I love hearing about new resources and sharing my own BUT once I’ve read through a 100 list, I don’t want to read another 12 of them. Why not share throughout the year and then link to them in a final post? Or create an entire feature like Jamie Ridler’s Creative Living Bookshelf. I get it, we want to seal the year off and open up to more books coming out way.

With that here are a list of books I’ve got so much out of reading, there are only 12 physical books and others were audio or iBooks. I hadn’t given much time to reading last year, a book a month.

Before I list them, here’s a quick summary: I read Bird by Bird on a girls trip camping her tone is so to the point and made me laugh out loud, Life is a verb in the Summer sat on the grass or in my car between work because it’s full of little real life short stories. Big Magic I also read on a seaside trip, so many little stories of true determination of a writer. Everyday matters got me drawing on the go again then Draw your day got me drawing more of what had meaning in my day.

I listened to Tom Hanks on a Beautiful Writers podcast and bought his book of fictional short stories Uncommon Type that I read at the end of the day, usually in bed. I read Coaching the Artist within and The Red Tent at the same time and WOW what a shift. I read them between work, on the buses, while waiting around, the Artist within really got me fired up to create again and really did coach me, I went on to do more writing, Eric Maisel is always a great go to. The Red Tent is fiction based on a Biblical story and is well written, there are highs, lows, babies and blood shed, it’s got it all.

I was bought Bumps in motion and it has lots of yoga resources in it and sequences to try (probably best for people who already do yoga from home) it had a section on bead properties and I went on to buy a beautiful Unakite bracelet on Etsy and make my own Malas with rose quartz and mother of pearl. The absolute best find was Bountiful Beautiful Blissful by Gurmukh who guides you through each trimester with wisdom, stories, meditations and exercises to try.

Lastly I ended the year with The life changing magic of tidying by Marie Kondo, I started it when I was decluttering two rooms and it helped immensely, I will share more on that soon. I felt called to buy On Writing to help with my memoir and it did fuel some of my writings on here and the practises I do, I don’t read his horrors but this is a great resource.

Here’s the list written out, non physical books are at the bottom:

Life is a verb – Patti Dingh

Everyday matters – Danny Gregory

Draw your day – Samatha Dion Baker

Coaching the Artist within – Eric Maisel

Bird by bird – Anne Lamott

The red tent – Anita Diamant

The life changing magic of tidying – Marie Kondo

On writing- Stephan King

Uncommon type – Tom Hanks

Beautiful bountiful blissful – Gurmukh

Bumps in motion – Patricia Anaya

ALSO…

The Gifts of imperfection – Brene Brown

I thought it was just me – Brene Brown

Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiosaki

Get rich lucky bitch – Denise Duffield-Thomas

Yours Truly Taran

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How Bullet Journaling serves me now

January 3, 2019

I wrote a post looking back on 4 years of bullet journaling at what I saw was useful and memorable and what made me groan or feel nothing at all. The last 4 months of the year I got back into journaling, after a period that brought me to write Creativity in the midst of things a free pdf.

Here’s what I noticed and will continue to do:

I stuck in pictures and quotes that still served me but I wanted to take them off my vision board, there’s a lot of empty space at the start of a book.

As I got back into journaling I started small with the categories I felt mattered to me, as cheesy as it sounds these were: mind, body, soul, relationships, do the work and relaxation. I wrote about things from my day that fitted those and added stars or coloured circles to highlights, resources, unexpected surprises.

I felt like a newbie in a creative world again so I tracked highs and lows with a ^ for good things and pointing down triangle for the not so good-terrible thing I was writing about. It helped to share how I felt and daily happenings without getting attached to them.

I also did a mood tracker for two months because I felt so many different things I ended up with 10 different feelings, I coloured different portions of a pumpkin and flowers but as I started feeling better, getting more done, having more fun I had less need and time to track! They are a brilliant tool and can be easily simplified, just type mood tracker into Instagram you will find loads!

I did a bit of zentangle, practising shapes and lines with my black pen.

I tracked how teachings in a book effected what I was doing in life, instead of just copying out of a book such as all the special days I spent tidying Kon Marie method!

As I found my focus again, at the top under the date I wrote a 1. for my main task or one thing to do that day, I later added 1B as in a business task. It allowed me to have focus and accomplish one task I really wanted to get done and address what I can do to drive my business forward too.

I started adding some collage from magazines at the top or bottom of the page, my paper pallet after painting and the notes of things I had manifested too! It just gave pages colour, even interiors I liked gave pages character and showed scenes I loved.

I added notes from our time at Nanak Naam workshop, the only seminar I attended that year, highly recommended.

I downloaded a Soulful Habit Tracker from Danielle La Porte, I used it for 3 months and have just got too busy to track!

As well as my usual monthly budget plan, I followed the movement of Cait Flanders and wrote a weekly spend report that I do each week to track my finances and grow financial intelligence!

I did more journaling!!! Now I know it may not come as a surprise, it’s called a bullet journal and I love to write but compared with other times I freely wrote in it how I felt, what I was doing in my day, reflections rather than just lists and it is so so rewarding.

I have got a planner on the way, fresh moleskin sketchbooks and a diary to journal in 2019 however Bullet Journals always seem to win and outlast any planner I’ve bought!

So much love, Taran

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The ease mostly, on Christmas Eve

December 24, 2018

I thought earlier about writing a post about the ease I’m finding each Christmas that comes through. Soon after I worried about a low. car tyre and was reminded I could have bought some of the shopping Christmas Eve not just encouraged my mum to go out to town. She in fact had a lovely time, ate an apple pastry topped with toffee, found herself some natural loose tea (apparently the Turkish apple tea on holiday was the best) and got a sale top along with vouchers for the new year, so it’s not all bad! I will share some of the ease I’m noticing, as well as sharing my Christmas Eve happenings of 2018 and how we can all lend a hand even just if energetically.

I’ve felt at ease, to hold peace and joy even while shopping in town, the number of people growing by the hour, this year I bought almost all my presents in November, even that was mostly online through the Black Friday sale in the UK turned out to be regular Friday prices. I emailed my Aunt who wanted a book and my brothers got a £10 present, one of them would have been happy with nothing, I have set boundaries he has too, just bought for his son.

This shopping ease reminds me of last years shift when everyone in Sainsbury’s was buying trolley loads of party food, I looked at all my fresh vegetables and usual shop ‘Wow look how wonderfully green my trolley is!’

When it came to late December or early December payday, I just went into town for a few items I needed or had wanted. No stress, no fretting, just leisurely shopping. I got the last of the gifts yesterday and honestly, I wasn’t expecting to spend an extra £25+ but I got people gifts they had asked for instead of blindly guessing. I had fun catching up with a friend too!

I share this because it hasn’t always been this way and even when I talk about it with they friends they let out a big laugh in disbelief, it’s funny to explain now and watch their faces. Christmas shopping used to be a horrible experience but I used to pretend it was a shiny bright experience even I was fooled! I used to buy for people in the shared family I had at the time and didn’t know what to get them and when I asked it was seen as rude to ask so what? Just buy stuff anyway. One person had no expression when opening presents whatever they got too! It left me with no money for myself – the whole month, talk about crushing my self-worth! My family has always been quite easy to buy for and open to sharing what they actually want. My husband is too, we just get each other something we’ve really wanted and usually, we know what that is if we’ve been talking about it long enough (this year me a fancy useful diary him trainers).

Basically, I am so so grateful my life has turned out this way.

Other great wonders I’m thankful for is that by the time I went shopping they had stopped playing Christmas music and all was calm, the lower part of the house has a tree, tinsel, and paper chains but my rooms are just same, I have fairy lights all year round. I love a Christmas scene but I also thrive on simplicity and not being visually overwhelmed. Everything just feels calmer when you turn your attention to spotting the tranquility around.

So back to the tyre incident and reminder, it got sorted for now and I learned the average they are pumped up too also I’d like to take charge and keep one in my car again, not to be so reliant, I could of taken the lead in order to grow and actually use the one at petrol stations without being afraid I will get it wrong. To buy my own stuff more, no matter how generous and giving my mother is, to upgrade my life and tea collection myself gradually, Baked Apple and Apple and Cinnamon by Whittard are divine natural flavors.

I’m further aware to other people not feeling the ease too, what used to be a highly energetic day for my parents, especially my Dad, has become tired and flustered. I want to share ease and joy and wonder or however I feel authentically with others and maybe they’ll find it in themselves too.

This Christmas Eve I have:

Checked in with my daily writing for bigger projects writing over 30 mins then went on to write this!

Lit some new incense by a photo of my wedding flowers I was given called Goverdhan.

I tried out painting galaxies in my journal.

I got showered and into my pajamas early and ate Brussel sprouts and cabbage for dinner.

I watched a comedy show with my family and while painting my nails, Click and Collect about two men (comedians Steven Merchant and Asim Chaudhry) travel 300 miles on Christmas Eve for a child’s dream toy at Christmas.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays!

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A look back on 4 years Bullet Journaling and how it can help you!

December 22, 2018

I was looking through my old journals, as I’m doing a writing project on the year I was single, after many years of not being single. I set up a project box (a bright fuschia pink box sits beside me on my white desk, something I learned from Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit, though I don’t have space for an archive box.)

In the box I put the notebook I’m using, two Polaroid albums from that year, and three Bullet Journals. I’m writing about my life then and I need all the material I have to retell and reflect all I possibly can. Up until then, I was using the photo gallery I had saved as reminders of what next to write about but then my computer got an upgrade, my photos not in order and back we come to the box.

Three Bullet Journals could potentially hold key information! If you’re not familiar with Bullet Journaling it’s a type of journaling, you write, record, organise and schedule your life, it’s like a personal organiser that you drew and designed yourself. Looking through these books I had surprisingly mixed feelings. Some pages I just felt bad for and nothing bad had actually happened!

This is the thing about my journals, I keep them on a shelf like sketchbooks, one day I will or someone might open them and find all my inner feelings and wants of that year – Wow! What a read, you can learn more about a person that way then any photo will display. In truth lies beauty.

So while bullet journaling is for the present time, I also urge you to consider these as possible personal pages for your future Bullet Journal, so that looking back you have feelings of well-used space, personal essays and other stuff that makes you smile!

Here are some things I didn’t feel great about when reviewing my journals over 4 years:

Logs and To Do schedule columns and boxes, while this is great if you fill it in, over time it holds no meaning.

Collecting receipts e.g. from the post office, more obvious now I put them in a plastic wallet each month.

Writing stuff I felt I had to or doing drawings that were more set up than spontaneous. When you do an act of creativity, how you feel goes into that too and gets remembered years on.

Learning notes from podcasts, this may seem really useful but each journal seemed to contain the same, I was just learning and re-learning, what is better is when you apply and act on it in life then journal about it!

Each month I tried and failed at writing an ‘Inspiration of the month list’ because I never went back to that page.

I did a ‘month memories’ page with paper souvenirs and printed photos it seemed good then but I don’t get a warm fuzzy feeling from them.

So so so many blank pages! Some in the middle, most common at the end. When I first started journaling I wanted to know how others did it and I learned to use one journal to cover three months. This makes sense in splitting your year up into equal sections but only if you have that much content! Also, they’re not cheap so why not just carry on to the next month with the space you have? There are really no rules when it comes to Bullet Journaling, I wish I’d seen that then.

Onto the good things I recorded that I feel are honest and helpful tools that are great to look back on:

I called them ‘Adventure Journals’ in the beginning and made the cover page mine with either a printed photo, polaroid or word of the year.

Recording what I did that day such as tasks completed, self-love and success is far better than seeing a half ticked to do list.

At the very beginning I did monthly reviews – my successes, to work on, what sucked, lessons learned, grateful for and next month aim.

I also wrote out a future log with mini calendars for each month and the key things I was doing in them.

Getting a dotted Bullet Journal was a great move!

There was a time I was ill, so I used space to observe pain, symptoms and keep a daily food diary for an outcome of healing (it worked).

I started tracking my habits and activities with sheets from Boho Berry.

For the first time in adult life, I recorded my money on payday – salary, regular bills, other expenses, and money left over to spend.

I recorded fun stuff too – money magic (where the money would just come to me through manifesting), divine timing (incredible acts of synchronicity and more than coincidence), a page of gratitude I added to daily and affirmations.

Quotes I say work when they are singular, if you have a spread with 15 between them, the meaning of why it stuck out to you in the first place gets lost.

I recorded class material from an online painting workshop, wrote in-person workshop and festival notes with little drawings and a key thing to remember from it, simple is best.

With writing book notes I find it only to be necessary for books that have you have lot to take in from or themes to pick apart and understand, such as notes I made on New Earth Eckhart Tolle, Siddhartha and The Work by Byron Katie.

When I watched a movie at home I would pause and scribble in a quote, I now have a record of my favorite movies that year, far better than a ticket stub of something I went to see and can’t remember much about it.

I stuck in flyers of plays I went to see or ideas I followed up on and wrote about Artists dates I took myself on!

Wrote what I did daily on trips away and added little drawings.

Of course, my 40-day practice of a yoga pose/set trackers are there and most helpful were the notes I wrote after. What I did in 40 days, books I read, new habits, the last week, on day 40 and final takeaways. I later shortened these to New habit, magic, and miracle.

And finally what I got up to before on and just after my birthday is a fun reflection.

What a great big list! I hope it has been helpful in deciding what goes into your journal, though really it is down to you! Your journal is about you, your life the whole beautiful mess it may be or exciting chapter you’re on.

As this is list heavy and longer than I expected, I’m going to write what I use my bullet journal for now, in another post as it has more differences and delights that deserve a space of their own!

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