This last year has been one full of ideas to implement, everywhere I turn, as well as suggestions from others as far as what they would like to see from my business in the new year. All ideas feel important and all suggestions seem great, but to someone with ADHD, it can feel overwhelming trying to find a starting point. A perfectionist with ADHD? Forget about it, not only am I overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, Im also trying to find the best place to start. Its hard for me to take it all in, prioritize items off importance and plan progression. So what is a person like me and possibly you to do in a world of information and chaos, coming at us at speeds our brains can’t handle? How is one to stay organized and prioritize and plan, for not one, but two jobs? Below are three steps I use to simplify my days and toss out the useless.

1. Use a bullet journal system to track the day to day

I learned about Ryder Carroll’s bullet journaling method about two years, even though I only started using it consistently last year. It allows me a simplified way to plan my year, months, days and tasks, within those days,  in an easy, bulleted format. I can log and track anything that matters to me in my personal and business life as it is completely customizable with the ability to add “collections” of information that is pertinent to you. This year I have added social media planning calendars and trackers as collections to my bullet journaling practice. For me, it is  better than buying a pre-made planner full of pages and tracking systems that may not work for me. Since I can customize it to my needs, I can also journal in it, which I do, so everything I need daily access to is in one place. Gone are the days of separate notebooks and planners for everything (less to carry around and misplace).

2. Use Evernote for the rest

I have been using Evernote since around 2010 for various tracking purposes. Since its a note taking app, I have migrated a lot of what i formally tracked in Evernote to my now bullet journal, but Evernote still keeps me organized in an more expansive way my bullet journal does not. My bullet journal is more of my planning, brainstorming, task lists and reminders, shorthand note taking, where as Evernote is where I can keep a digital collection of items and longhand writing collections. Whether it be a collection of wine labels I have snapped with my phone, photos or links of my favorite recipes or a photo log of books I have read, I can keep a notebook for basically anything I feel is going to take up too much room in my bullet journal or to organize digital information.  I also use it for blogging and my long-form writing needs. Where ideas may develop in my bullet journal, they are further expanded in Evernote as I have more room for expression there. The only longhand writing I do in my bullet journal is my daily journaling as there is a certain magic to actually writing down my deepest thoughts. Though it has occurred to me on occasion, that dreaded fear of leaving my bullet journal somewhere…is someone going to read it and learn that I am actually much weirder than they thought?

3. Actually stick to these methods for logging and tracking

An actor doesn’t become famous because he acted in one play. A realtor doesn’t make a career from selling one home and I sure as heck can’t call myself an artist if I only ever made one thing. Consistency in anything yields results. When finding a system that works for you, even if its not perfect, you have to keep on using it to make it better, which is one thing I love about bullet journaling. Over time, I have learned better ways of tracking and logging and I have also disregarded the things that were not worth my time. My system is still not perfect, but I am getting better organized in my chaotic brain. Where my brain feels the slightest bit organized, I feel less stress and more peaceful

What systems, planners or calendars do you use to keep your personal and business life in order? Please let me know what systems of organization help manage your chaos. The more we can all share, the better off we will all be.

Learn more about Evernote here.

To learn more about the Bullet Journal Method and how to use it, I read this book by Ryder Carroll.

I use this type of bullet journal from Leuchtturm1917. I love the dotted pages vs using a lined notebook. The color options are lots of fun too!