I stumbled across the concept of a “commonplace book” in 2020, and thought it was a great way to capture the endless bits of information I HAVE to write down. A loose leaf binder made more sense to me than a bound book where I couldn’t redo pages, and it was easier to organize. I love your clipboard idea, too!
Thank you! Gotta make it work for your brain, I've spent endless hours searching for what can help my adhd brain and it really just ended up being something I needed to make on my own! ^^
So many A5 notebooks have lived and died under my hands as I've tried to Make Bullet Journaling Work. it's taken me years to realize that if the book closes I will absolutely forget it exists. All those notes die in darkness. Your clipboard-looseleaf-binder system is really kinetic, and I like that a lot. I'm going to have to give something like it a shot!
I was just recently diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 35, and I'm in the beginning stages of learning new organizational strategies. This is my favorite idea so far! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is so great, I love your way of doing it. I think it would make things much more simple. You got a lovely vibe too and thank you for sharing your method :).
All your points about why a bound book doesn’t work for your ADHD is why it doesn’t work for me either. I lose loose leaf papers though, so I was so happy when I found Happy Planner because I can move the pages around and reorganize when my brain can’t work with one structure or section order. So I use Bullet Journal techniques in a Happy Planner, a month at a time. When the month is done I take it out of my daily and put it back in the original planner in the shelf, kinda like your binder. Very nice job!
Thank you so much! This is why I make these videos!! 😁 That’s actually a really great idea on your part, having a monthly journal that you clean out by putting in a giant one at the end of it. I’ve been all over trying different methods that work but my mind is always changing! 😂😅 (with what works and what doesn’t for the time being)
WHAT A GREAT IDEA! Seriously, I never thought about having everything in a binder and be able to reorganize pages. I was looking for tips and ideas on how to keep a journal having ADHD and hearing about using actual books and all wasn't really it, so Thank You So Much!
It's amazing how you fuse things like zettelkasten with a bujo, that was the final piece I needed to really make my bujo really work! I've created a digital bujo and the part of labeling was really necessary:), thanks for the idea!
Thank you for the tour of your binder. I love it. I'm such a binder person, have been for literally decades. I found bullet journaling recently and was trying to wrap my mind around it. The index was super bothering me. When I finally realized that I just need to turn my existing binder planner into a bujo, that was it. I'm so excited. Used my future log today for the first time, and I'm just really pleased so far.
Fantastic system. A lot of thought went into your BJ. Funny thing is that Ryder Carroll has created the bullet journal method using the classic notebook, because he has ADD :-) The ingenious originality of the BJ is using page numbers, collections, with a day by day forward methodology. Thereby an analogue BJ notebook can be used like a digital tool, using indexes, moving items forward. The page by page is the train of life and helps organising your next day, maybe next week by reviewing quickly your month and some notes in the past. You seem to organise your binder BJ by subjects, categories, so by not sorting the "day page" by date you have added another dimension to your BJ. The "classic" BJ notebook style is more a continous flow by day, which we can index by topics, catogories, ideas, importnat meetiung minutes, whatever you want to find again, use the index / table of contents. The beauty of BJ is that everyone can find his or her own style: quick and dirty (minimalisitc), organised and flexible, artistic BJ diaries. Or a mix of some or all of it. Sometimes one can write a lot, or skip entire days. I often do the weekend in one go. BJ is forgiving, you just start again where you left off, no guilty feeling about empty pages. Thumbs up, I am very curious to see how you evolve your style over time.
Thank you very much! :) Absolutely a lot of thought went into my Bullet Journal format haha. And yes I am aware of Ryder Carroll. I love your explanation of the bullet journal! I've always had a hard time understanding and breaking down information accurately and at a normal pace for others so your explanation of it has helped me see/understand it better than the way I originally did. But yeah I did originally try the day by day method in a notebook and digitally all sorts of ways where I would always find myself grouping everything in alike categories than times and dates. Same for pictures. Where after so many years of doing that I've found myself doing both now. Just like I do with the loose leaf on my clipboard where I write what comes to my mind for the day. That's the other factor that seemed to aggravate me of the page number daily method, is the longer I need to search for something, such as flipping through pages, the more disinterested in it I become. Which is why I have all the color codes and formats. If my mind isn't entertained or stimulated then it's not worth doing. My ADHD brain can be difficult like that. But really, that is what's really amazingly awesome about the bullet journal is we can create it to be personalized to work the best for us just as I did here. So true about starting where you left off feel.
I never keep up with the indexing in my BuJo, then spend too much time “catching up” then get frustrated because there are so many index entries I still can’t find the nugget I know is somewhere in that book! Love this binder solution. Gonna try it!
Omg as a kid many years ago (lol) I guess I was on the right track - I would write important things to remember, and to-do lists, on a random piece of looseleaf and keep it in my pocket throughout the school day. I also loved using a binder. This was before cellphones and before ADHD was even understood. Thanks for expanding on this and “continuing the tradition”. The old is new again.
What a fantastic system. I hope I can do it. I’ve never been able to keep up, or start, any other system. I’m a sr citizen and I can tell you it just gets worse as you age. So take whatever steps you can to keep your life on track. Thanks for sharing this.
Awwwe thank you! I know you can do it! You don’t even need to copy my method exactly, just take it one step at a time and put your own spin to it! It’s been tough for me too with keeping to the same system but we’re all learning and growing so just adjust and change things as you go! :)
The whole issue with permanence is the thing that made me use 6ring planners ("planners" as if I planned, I just use it to write random stuff down pft) ever since I was a kid, and favored binders over spiral bound notebooks for school. I needed to be able to move stuff around. I eventually landed on the discbound system since that was easier on my hands, but yeah. I'm constantly scared, like "what if I need more room, or don't need as much room, you NEVER KNOW". And then there's also the super organized perfectionist part of me that won't let me just start using a book in the middle of the year and have it go into the following year. It HAS to be that one whole year, contained in one book. So I can't just be like "oh I'll use this notebook however long it lasts and then continue in another one" NO.
I recommend looking up joe van clease handi desk notebook system. I travel with 20 half letter sheets in a floppy folder and a piece of wood and archive in an a5 binder
You gave me a lot of good ideas. I want a daily log i can carry around my neck with a small pen[cil] so I don't lose those ideas from idea-forming to putting it in the log.
I have a ginormous binder for how the house runs, chore charts, blah blah. So funny you mention that. I keep, copy paper, notebook paper, and graph paper on my clip board, it has a white ribbon wth music notes, I love 🎶 🎵!! Those are strictly for me. I like to doodle, jot down my random idea's, for example, I just added: how can I make my bed table lamps taller; how to make hollowed out book storage (for my remotes, and toenail clippers ♤ jk ♤; And create custom poker table topper for game night that at won't ruin my table. I also recently bought on clearance from Michael's, a journal with exact same concept as bullet journal. They are regularly 30 bucks, I got it for 7, I wish it were 12 mo rather than 6. I didn't know about buddy journal.
oh I really like this binder idea, so many planners I bought with the best intentions now lay forgotten under random piles, and when I get inspired to journal again, I can't use those ones because they already have another system in it and I need a fresh planner...
This style sounds like a combination of a planner and a control journal. I tried to set up a control journal back when my teen was young, but couldn’t make it stick (too all over the place). I like the idea of being able to pull out a daily page; you can carry it around or hang it up somewhere frequently visible, like the entrance to the kitchen. 🤔 I’ll have to get my control journal out and see if it would be helpful to try to integrate the ideas or if that would be too much hassle.
I forgot to mention, that I am not using a "one notebook" default configuration either. So in a way I now have started a very minimalistic version of your much more sophisticated system. Over years I have written down ideas & concepts on papers, post-its, binders, file folders, Google Docs & keep. To accomodate my idea & concept journal regarding the paper notes, I recently started to use my BJ in a format of travelers notebook by x17 in A6 size. So one field notebook with 60 pages is the bullet journal that extends to a second notebook - therefore becoming a more commonly used 120 pages. The third notebook is dedicated to concepts and ideas journaling and drawings. Once full, the noteboooks are archived and replaced by fresh ones in the very clever cover concept by traveler notebook system x17. The x47 is the fancy version that looks cleaner, I prefer the simplicity and versatility of the cheaper x17. I even got an A7 size travelers notebook, which I converted to a wallet for credit cards and a small notebook, just in case.
I applaud you for your excellent writing and comments! And that's truly fantastic to hear of your own Bullet Journal! Very joyful for you to hear that you've come up with your own method that works for you that is so great!! Thank you so much for watching and commenting ^^
I'm so happy to find your video. I, too, use a loose leaf format. It is smaller with only six rings. I have dotted paper and colored, lined paper. I carry a notebook for those thoughts and ideas that hit me out of nowhere. I then design it in Word, print it then color/decorate what I want. The beauty of the loose leaf format is like you said so much easier to move pages around. It's awesome to know I'm not totally out there. Keep up the good work.
Wow that's a great format too! Whatever works and makes it all easier for you!! Yeah those little six ring books are so cute, they have come across my mind to use but I like to have as much space on one piece of paper as possible since my "object permanence" wipes my mind so quickly I must have everything on the same page in front of me for each topic. Keep up the good work yourself haha thank you! I just finished getting my associates degree in general studies so now I can put my focus to keep making more videos on here! :D
I used to have a filofax that I organized much the same way as you - except it felt like I needed new categories every day... So in my case the traditional BuJo works better with the day-to-day flow and putting things in the index (and I usually have it open on my desk - if I put things in binders they cease to exist the same second I close the binder...!)
I like the three ring binder method also but it doesn’t feel as nice in my hand 😅 and apparently I won’t use something that doesn’t feel good in my hands lol
My daughter has always said renember and I think it’s soooo cute!! My kids are severely autistic and adhd and write around a first and third grade levels so I neeeeed a bullet journal to make for each of them!
I'm so glad this works for you! I could *never* follow your system though lol. I am glued to my slightly more traditional, but highly customized, bullet journal. 🤍
Great ideas, but I'm concerned about your constant definition of what ADD/ADHD is or isn't. Many people with the disorders love bullet journaling. New options and techniques are great, but that doesn't mean their experiences aren't also legitimate.
I stumbled across the concept of a “commonplace book” in 2020, and thought it was a great way to capture the endless bits of information I HAVE to write down. A loose leaf binder made more sense to me than a bound book where I couldn’t redo pages, and it was easier to organize. I love your clipboard idea, too!
Thank you! Gotta make it work for your brain, I've spent endless hours searching for what can help my adhd brain and it really just ended up being something I needed to make on my own! ^^
So many A5 notebooks have lived and died under my hands as I've tried to Make Bullet Journaling Work. it's taken me years to realize that if the book closes I will absolutely forget it exists. All those notes die in darkness.
Your clipboard-looseleaf-binder system is really kinetic, and I like that a lot. I'm going to have to give something like it a shot!
Ah the irony of object permanence or however you spell it XD Gotta keep trial and erroring. Best of luck!
Me too, had Midori to Filofax to notion. I just can’t keep it up, I loose interest so fasy
I was just recently diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 35, and I'm in the beginning stages of learning new organizational strategies. This is my favorite idea so far! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is so great, I love your way of doing it. I think it would make things much more simple. You got a lovely vibe too and thank you for sharing your method :).
All your points about why a bound book doesn’t work for your ADHD is why it doesn’t work for me either. I lose loose leaf papers though, so I was so happy when I found Happy Planner because I can move the pages around and reorganize when my brain can’t work with one structure or section order. So I use Bullet Journal techniques in a Happy Planner, a month at a time. When the month is done I take it out of my daily and put it back in the original planner in the shelf, kinda like your binder. Very nice job!
Thank you so much! This is why I make these videos!! 😁 That’s actually a really great idea on your part, having a monthly journal that you clean out by putting in a giant one at the end of it. I’ve been all over trying different methods that work but my mind is always changing! 😂😅 (with what works and what doesn’t for the time being)
Yes! The best purchase I ever made was getting a happy journal hole punch.
A binder is what works for me. My ADHD-brain _can not_ handle a notebook.
#binderformyadhd club XD
Mebtoo
Discbound half letter for the win! You can shuffle the pages, but it fits in a purse
WHAT A GREAT IDEA! Seriously, I never thought about having everything in a binder and be able to reorganize pages. I was looking for tips and ideas on how to keep a journal having ADHD and hearing about using actual books and all wasn't really it, so Thank You So Much!
I would just end up with a pile of loose leaf papers, because they would never make it into the binder. The struggle!!.
I feel ya!!
That's my fear!
It's amazing how you fuse things like zettelkasten with a bujo, that was the final piece I needed to really make my bujo really work! I've created a digital bujo and the part of labeling was really necessary:), thanks for the idea!
Thank you for the tour of your binder. I love it. I'm such a binder person, have been for literally decades. I found bullet journaling recently and was trying to wrap my mind around it. The index was super bothering me. When I finally realized that I just need to turn my existing binder planner into a bujo, that was it. I'm so excited. Used my future log today for the first time, and I'm just really pleased so far.
Binders are SO much fun!
Fantastic system. A lot of thought went into your BJ. Funny thing is that Ryder Carroll has created the bullet journal method using the classic notebook, because he has ADD :-) The ingenious originality of the BJ is using page numbers, collections, with a day by day forward methodology. Thereby an analogue BJ notebook can be used like a digital tool, using indexes, moving items forward. The page by page is the train of life and helps organising your next day, maybe next week by reviewing quickly your month and some notes in the past.
You seem to organise your binder BJ by subjects, categories, so by not sorting the "day page" by date you have added another dimension to your BJ. The "classic" BJ notebook style is more a continous flow by day, which we can index by topics, catogories, ideas, importnat meetiung minutes, whatever you want to find again, use the index / table of contents.
The beauty of BJ is that everyone can find his or her own style: quick and dirty (minimalisitc), organised and flexible, artistic BJ diaries. Or a mix of some or all of it. Sometimes one can write a lot, or skip entire days. I often do the weekend in one go. BJ is forgiving, you just start again where you left off, no guilty feeling about empty pages.
Thumbs up, I am very curious to see how you evolve your style over time.
Thank you very much! :) Absolutely a lot of thought went into my Bullet Journal format haha. And yes I am aware of Ryder Carroll. I love your explanation of the bullet journal! I've always had a hard time understanding and breaking down information accurately and at a normal pace for others so your explanation of it has helped me see/understand it better than the way I originally did. But yeah I did originally try the day by day method in a notebook and digitally all sorts of ways where I would always find myself grouping everything in alike categories than times and dates. Same for pictures. Where after so many years of doing that I've found myself doing both now. Just like I do with the loose leaf on my clipboard where I write what comes to my mind for the day. That's the other factor that seemed to aggravate me of the page number daily method, is the longer I need to search for something, such as flipping through pages, the more disinterested in it I become. Which is why I have all the color codes and formats. If my mind isn't entertained or stimulated then it's not worth doing. My ADHD brain can be difficult like that. But really, that is what's really amazingly awesome about the bullet journal is we can create it to be personalized to work the best for us just as I did here. So true about starting where you left off feel.
I never keep up with the indexing in my BuJo, then spend too much time “catching up” then get frustrated because there are so many index entries I still can’t find the nugget I know is somewhere in that book! Love this binder solution. Gonna try it!
I... just... omg... I can't believe I never thought to do this. Mind blown.
This is a very simple and awesome way of doing a BUJO for my ADHD 🧠 Thanks 😊
Omg as a kid many years ago (lol) I guess I was on the right track - I would write important things to remember, and to-do lists, on a random piece of looseleaf and keep it in my pocket throughout the school day. I also loved using a binder. This was before cellphones and before ADHD was even understood. Thanks for expanding on this and “continuing the tradition”. The old is new again.
No matter how old the method is, if it works for you then the more the merrier!
I really like your way of bullet Journaling!!! Thank you for sharing this!!!💙
Really love all the ideas you mentioned! Can't wait to start using them 🤗❤️
What a fantastic system. I hope I can do it. I’ve never been able to keep up, or start, any other system. I’m a sr citizen and I can tell you it just gets worse as you age. So take whatever steps you can to keep your life on track. Thanks for sharing this.
Awwwe thank you! I know you can do it! You don’t even need to copy my method exactly, just take it one step at a time and put your own spin to it! It’s been tough for me too with keeping to the same system but we’re all learning and growing so just adjust and change things as you go! :)
Sounds exactly like me...im glad I'm not the only one...thank you
As a person with ADHD this really helpless a lot, thank you :)
That's a great idea for a life journal, things that don't necessarily need to be written every day.. like a life personal Index
Thank you so much!
The whole issue with permanence is the thing that made me use 6ring planners ("planners" as if I planned, I just use it to write random stuff down pft) ever since I was a kid, and favored binders over spiral bound notebooks for school. I needed to be able to move stuff around. I eventually landed on the discbound system since that was easier on my hands, but yeah.
I'm constantly scared, like "what if I need more room, or don't need as much room, you NEVER KNOW". And then there's also the super organized perfectionist part of me that won't let me just start using a book in the middle of the year and have it go into the following year. It HAS to be that one whole year, contained in one book. So I can't just be like "oh I'll use this notebook however long it lasts and then continue in another one" NO.
Thanks for sharing how to make a beautiful bullet journal 📔
Absolutely! ^^
Almost reminds me of a vision book
Thank you for this video!!!! Helped me a ton! And I love your transparency and for being yourself ❤️
I’m so so glad it helped you!!! And awe thank you 🥰
It's inspiring to see you struggle but also fight to get things done. Thanks for sharing!
Thank YOU for your kind words. It fills my heart ❤️
Omg you hit the mail on the head! That's why I never stick with a traditional journal. I feel like is "mess up" so I stop!!
I recommend looking up joe van clease handi desk notebook system. I travel with 20 half letter sheets in a floppy folder and a piece of wood and archive in an a5 binder
I’m a 42 year old late diagnosed woman and this has been so affirming for me.
So happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing! 💗
You gave me a lot of good ideas. I want a daily log i can carry around my neck with a small pen[cil] so I don't lose those ideas from idea-forming to putting it in the log.
I have a ginormous binder for how the house runs, chore charts, blah blah. So funny you mention that. I keep, copy paper, notebook paper, and graph paper on my clip board, it has a white ribbon wth music notes, I love 🎶 🎵!!
Those are strictly for me. I like to doodle, jot down my random idea's, for example, I just added: how can I make my bed table lamps taller; how to make hollowed out book storage (for my remotes, and toenail clippers ♤ jk ♤;
And create custom poker table topper for game night that at won't ruin my table.
I also recently bought on clearance from Michael's, a journal with exact same concept as bullet journal. They are regularly 30 bucks, I got it for 7, I wish it were 12 mo rather than 6. I didn't know about buddy journal.
oh I really like this binder idea, so many planners I bought with the best intentions now lay forgotten under random piles, and when I get inspired to journal again, I can't use those ones because they already have another system in it and I need a fresh planner...
This style sounds like a combination of a planner and a control journal. I tried to set up a control journal back when my teen was young, but couldn’t make it stick (too all over the place). I like the idea of being able to pull out a daily page; you can carry it around or hang it up somewhere frequently visible, like the entrance to the kitchen. 🤔 I’ll have to get my control journal out and see if it would be helpful to try to integrate the ideas or if that would be too much hassle.
It's a great idea, I have reused it with an A5 format binder that I put on my bedside.
Hilarious. Wonderful. I'm with you
I forgot to mention, that I am not using a "one notebook" default configuration either. So in a way I now have started a very minimalistic version of your much more sophisticated system. Over years I have written down ideas & concepts on papers, post-its, binders, file folders, Google Docs & keep. To accomodate my idea & concept journal regarding the paper notes, I recently started to use my BJ in a format of travelers notebook by x17 in A6 size. So one field notebook with 60 pages is the bullet journal that extends to a second notebook - therefore becoming a more commonly used 120 pages. The third notebook is dedicated to concepts and ideas journaling and drawings. Once full, the noteboooks are archived and replaced by fresh ones in the very clever cover concept by traveler notebook system x17. The x47 is the fancy version that looks cleaner, I prefer the simplicity and versatility of the cheaper x17. I even got an A7 size travelers notebook, which I converted to a wallet for credit cards and a small notebook, just in case.
I applaud you for your excellent writing and comments! And that's truly fantastic to hear of your own Bullet Journal! Very joyful for you to hear that you've come up with your own method that works for you that is so great!! Thank you so much for watching and commenting ^^
Sooooo helpful!!! Thank you so much!!!
I'm so happy to find your video. I, too, use a loose leaf format. It is smaller with only six rings. I have dotted paper and colored, lined paper. I carry a notebook for those thoughts and ideas that hit me out of nowhere. I then design it in Word, print it then color/decorate what I want. The beauty of the loose leaf format is like you said so much easier to move pages around. It's awesome to know I'm not totally out there. Keep up the good work.
Wow that's a great format too! Whatever works and makes it all easier for you!! Yeah those little six ring books are so cute, they have come across my mind to use but I like to have as much space on one piece of paper as possible since my "object permanence" wipes my mind so quickly I must have everything on the same page in front of me for each topic. Keep up the good work yourself haha thank you! I just finished getting my associates degree in general studies so now I can put my focus to keep making more videos on here! :D
I used to have a filofax that I organized much the same way as you - except it felt like I needed new categories every day... So in my case the traditional BuJo works better with the day-to-day flow and putting things in the index (and I usually have it open on my desk - if I put things in binders they cease to exist the same second I close the binder...!)
I use the same tab organizer for projects. I use the binders for projects, just can’t use it for my bullet journal apparently
Excellent idea! Great video.
Thank you so much! ^_^
THANK YOU!!! i totally can related like our brain are too fast and i also wrote note in my phone but never read it back
Thanks so much, great video!
Aww thank you, thanks for watching! :D
Omg I have had loose leaf dot paper in my Amazon cart for months! My biggest issue is if I screw up one page ruins the whole idea of my entire bujo!
I like the three ring binder method also but it doesn’t feel as nice in my hand 😅 and apparently I won’t use something that doesn’t feel good in my hands lol
Omggg I'm not the only one that says renember
ahahah my boyfriend makes fun of me for it all the time! xDDD
My daughter has always said renember and I think it’s soooo cute!! My kids are severely autistic and adhd and write around a first and third grade levels so I neeeeed a bullet journal to make for each of them!
I don't think I would use it. It's too big. But I guess I will use the thing on the wall where you put the tasks :D
Check out Carroll Ryder the creator of bullet journaling. His videos might be of help.
Is anyone ready to keep Eachother Accountability i need few people or atleast one thnaks my cult
I'm so glad this works for you! I could *never* follow your system though lol. I am glued to my slightly more traditional, but highly customized, bullet journal. 🤍
The inventor of the Bullet Journal has ADD. But I agree that color can help people with ADHD. What has your system helped you to do?
Good morning what is the name of the object behind you on the wall that is green, purple,red,and blue and where did you get it
Good morning! They are actually "Teaching Tree Pocket Chart Schedulers" from Dollar Tree! I cut them in half :D
whoa so u have an actual index index. does that work?
it works for me. i write the titles in whenever i remember and it works pretty fine!
No yeah I'm sure it works fine. That'sSo intense , I'm in awe
no one:
me: playback speed at 1.25
SAME. No literally, please do that with my vids, I can talk a lot and be a bit slow with trying to tho k xD
Think*
Great ideas, but I'm concerned about your constant definition of what ADD/ADHD is or isn't. Many people with the disorders love bullet journaling. New options and techniques are great, but that doesn't mean their experiences aren't also legitimate.