This past month, since my last check-in, has been very odd for me.

I have had a lot of issues going on. Medical. Otherwise. A lot of family stuff (not those I currently live with) that has ben on-going. A lot of worry and a lot of prayer happening–and if you are so inclined, those prayers, all prayers for my family members are still needed and we are all grateful for every one.

Lots of deep probing and psyche-diving has been going on, especially this past week. I have been waiting for a set of A4 journals to arrive. The first journal, now called Anke-Thora, is my journaling journal, where I write, typically in the evenings. There is nothing overly special about this journal. It is, as I said, an A4, college rule lined pages…with an index and every page numbered.

I recently finished reading the book: The Journal Writer’s Companion by Alyss Thomas MSc. I picked up many tips and tricks to use when I sit down to write at night. Plus, I am also excited about sitting down with my BIC black ink Cristal pen and Anke-Thora sprawled out across my lapboard while I sit in my chair, my miniature tiger curled up in a comfortable ball against my leg that I prop up on the ottoman. Sometimes, he even purrs in his sleep there. I am no longer simply recording events of the day. I am not venting about things. I am consciously going to the page and asking myself a question and writing…which leads to more questions and more writing. This process has been quite productive, extremely healing, as well as soothing and stress-relieving, which for me has been a HUGE help. I am a twisted knot of knots internally.

What I have discovered in my journals recently is exactly where I want my life to go in the coming year. The year 2022. I have a clear Path. I have a clear Vision. And I have my bullet journals to help set me up to be productive, even if I do not feel well every day, even if my chronic issues get the best of me.

Best of all, I have a plan in place that will continue throughout the rest of this year to get me to where I want and need to be by January 1, 2022, so that I am set up for success and ready to implement the plan I am creating now based on my recent journal entries.

It feels good to have a solid goal, but with the aid of my bujo, I also have a set plan. I take my main goal, break it into more manageable pieces, and then take each piece and break it down into the tiniest steps possible and those tiny steps are my to-do list in my bujo…and I get them done.

Right now, each month, I have been choosing one section of the house to work on. I create a baseline goal, or series of goals, and break them each down as small as I can brake them. I work on those goals every day, even if I only do one thing on my list, it is one thing done and crossed off the list. Each day there is a minimal amount of progress made. Those small steps give me the strength and the determination to keep going, to make sure I cross every to-do off my list by the end of the month.

So far, I’ve made it every month…and I continue to do so.

Progress. As I dive ever deeper into my world.

How are you working with your word of the year this month? Let me know in the comments below. Leave your questions there too.