I started Bullet Journaling this summer. We’re not too busy and I don’t have so many things to keep track of, but I was drawn to the concept of combining journaling, remembering, lists and notes, as well as a calendar.
At the beginning, I would record what happened each day – bike rides, naps, what we had for dinner, a baby born, the weather. As I fell into the daily patterned, I modified the notes but I enjoyed taking time throughout the day to pause and record the mundane.
I fell off track in August, for whatever reason. My journal became a place for notes and lists as we prepared for camping and a road trip but the daily notes seemed repetitive: Swim, playdate, grill, hot weather, repeat.
I was flipping through the early pages the other day and stopped, smiling at our summer. We kept it intentionally low-key and it was fun looking through our new favorite books, our outings with friends, our small successes. It reminded me of the importance of those small, quotidian rhythms. Ones that I don’t want to forget as the girls get older and our schedule will probably get busier.
Maybe it’s ok that I stopped recording. Maybe we needed to “unplug,” not only from electronics but from recording in general. Maybe I needed to stop and let the laziness of August take over in order to refresh for the school year. Maybe that’s just part of life’s seasons.
So, even though it’s Tuesday; Even though I’d like to start on Monday or the first, I’m starting again to record. Recording this last week of summer, recording these moments of Elle’s small steps and increase in vocabulary, recording Bea’s silly and deep observations. I’m remembering to pause in this moment and remember the small, the seemingly insignificant, the moments that make our days.
It’s something that people have said again and again and books have been written, but I’m reminded – again – that this season and these moments are fleeting and I’ll want to remember the small things.
How do you record the daily mundane? Do you get into the August slump or does the warm weather rejuvenate you?
Annie Rim 
I stopped writing a diary years ago and have never started again.
It’s funny how something that is such a habit so quickly loses that routine, isn’t it?
It’s true. It is a routine I dropped when I married, gained a stepson, and then had more children.
I have a few books that I’d record things when our kids were young. I never kept one going for a consecutive year but when I run across them now, I’m so glad I made the notes I did. They always bring a smile to my heart.
I love looking at little notes I’ve made, especially about the girls. When we dedicated them, our church gave us a journal. For the first year, I tried writing once a month. Now it’s about ever six months or so. But, fun to look through. 😉