Interestingly, as Anne Marie Chaker comments in her column "September is the Real New Year," we should "forget about January…[because] this is the start of the real New Year." That's right, more people make more lasting changes in September than at any other time of the year, including on New Year's Day. http://www.wsj.com/articles/september-is-the-real-new-year-1473875636
So, here's a REAL change that can bring organizational peace to law students and ASPers alike…create a "Bullet Journal," as devotees call it.
What's a "Bullet Journal?"
Well, first, some great news. It's not bouncing back and forth between apps or other technology in order to try to get oneself's organized. That just leads to more frustration and anxiety. Rather, a so-called "Bullet Journal" involves old fashioned handwriting…your handwriting…and old fashioned thinking…your thinking…in which you make daily "to-do-lists" and then you keep a record of your accomplishments throughout the coming days and weeks.
You see, according to Dr. Tim Pychyl, associate professor of psychology, there is something extremely powerful in handwriting our "to-do-lists" rather than using technology because handwriting allow us to "process the information" in such a way that the writing process actually helps to calm us down…actually helps to reduce our anxiety…in short, actually helps us to reflect on what we are doing and why we are doing those tasks. Ah…organizational peace! In sum, in order to be plugged in organizationally, we don't need to be plugged in…at all. That is indeed great news!
Want more details? Just check out Nina Sovich's article "The To-Do List Strikes Bike," available at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-tech-savvy-to-do-list-a-bullet-journal-1473187188
Finally, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal (Jady Carmichael and Greenishplanning), here's a photo of a "Bullet Journal" in action. Just one picture, and I'm ready to handwrite! How about you? (Scott Johns)
