I still miss my old grid layout from 2018

I started bullet journaling back in 2017 when I first saw it on Pinterest. For years I used a strict daily grid with time slots from 6am to 10pm. Every hour got a box and I filled in what I did. About two years ago I switched to a rolling weekly spread instead. My buddy at the station showed me how he just lists tasks by priority and leaves the timing loose. At first I thought it would be a mess but now I can't go back. The old grid made me feel like I had to account for every minute and that got exhausting. Now I just write down the 3 or 4 things that actually matter for the day. Has anyone else ditched a system they swore by for something simpler?

3 comments

3 Comments

linda_dixon491mo ago

Oh man, YES! I feel this so hard. I was the same way with my 2018 grid layout, every single hour had to be accounted for and I'd get actually stressed if I missed a time slot or had to squeeze something in. Then about a year ago I switched to just a tiny task list on a sticky note each day, and it's like a weight lifted off my shoulders (seriously, my coffee even tastes better now). I used to think loose planning was lazy but now I realize the grid was just making me feel bad for not being a robot. The 3 or 4 thing rule is genius by the way, I might steal that.

hannah4001mo agoMost Upvoted

My 2018 layout was the exact same thing, I had every hour blocked out in pastel colors and if I went over by 15 minutes it ruined my whole day. Then I just started keeping a small notebook with only the top 5 things I wanted to get done and it completely changed how I felt about my mornings. @linda_dixon49 the sticky note method is smart, I might actually try that too because carrying a notebook around is getting old. For me the key was realizing I don't need to plan my whole day, just the stuff that actually matters. It's wild how much mental space that opens up.

quinna891mo ago

Sticky notes are actually genius because they force you to see what's right in front of you, no flipping pages. It's like how people get obsessed with meal prepping every single container but then they just end up ordering pizza because the plan was too rigid. Real life doesn't fit into those neat little boxes no matter how much we want it to.