Hey again! It’s Hayley here (@hayleyremdeart on Instagram), and today I wanted to talk about how we can use our bullet journals to stay productive in 2021.

2020 was… well… all I will say is I think the majority of us spent most of the year adapting to new work environments, and forgetting all those goals we made for ourselves back in January. With so much change around me, productivity was a constant battle. But I think I can finally say I found some things that helped me productive.

2021 is a new year, and whilst it may not look much brighter than 2020 at the moment, I strongly believe in the power of a positive mindset. So, if you’re ready to get productive or learn some more tips for staying productive, keep on reading!

Recommended Supplies:

• Journal – As always, it will be no surprise to you that my pick is the Archer and Olive Journal. The lovely and thick pages have no bleeding or ghosting, so you get a clean start for every project spread! Also, it means you can decorate the spread without worrying about it.
• Pencil – To carefully plan out your ideas so you can make sure your spread has everything you need.
• Decorative Touch (optional) – This could be anything from washi to acrylographs, or of course, nothing! I usually like to add a personal touch to my spreads so they’re more fun to use and look at.

Tip One

Make Achievable Goals

One if the best ways to stay productive is to actually work towards achievable goals. I like to sit down at the beginning of the year and make around five goals, but you can always add more at anytime. Just don't overwhelm yourself with too many goals. Also, I’m not saying you can’t dream big, but if there's something you don't think will be achievable in the next year, maybe make a smaller, related goal. This leads to tip number two:

 [Image credit: @hayleyremdeart on Instagram]

Tip Two

Make Small, Actionable Steps

Now you have a goal, you need to break it down so you can work towards achieving it. For example, say you want to work towards the goal of buying a house. Some steps may consist of seeing a mortgage advisor, saving X amount a week towards your deposit and deciding on a location for your home. This means that the bigger goal of buying a house looks more manageable, and you’re working towards it every week in some small way.

[Image credit: @hayleyremdeart on Instagram]

A good way to track these steps can simply be in your weekly spreads, adding a goal section into your monthly to-do list or even making dedicated spread each month. One rule I do give to myself is I can never migrate something more than three times. This keeps me more accountable and less likely to procrastinate!

[Image credit: @hayleyremdeart on Instagram]

Tip Three

Plan Out Your Ideal Day

One thing that really helps me be productive each day is having a plan in mind on how my ideal day would go. This can just be a loose plan, but it means you’re more likely to schedule in breaks and food breaks - something super important for long-term productivity. Not just that, it gives me something to work towards and stop procrastinating.

[Image credit: @hayleyremdeart on Instagram]

Tip Four

Plan Your Day Out The Night Before

One thing that helped me get into the right mindset for being productive was sitting down the night before to make my to do list for the next day. That way, instead of sitting down and spending time figuring out what to do that day, I could just look to my weekly and have an actionable list of tasks to get started on. Also, just the feeling of waking up and knowing my plan for the day helps me get to my desk earlier and get started. So I definitely recommend this!

[Image credit: @hayleyremdeart on Instagram]

Tip Five

Forgive Yourself

Finally, the most important part of productivity is forgiving yourself and moving on if one day/week/month is less productive than you hoped. In 2020, many days I found myself being so wound up on how unproductive I had been the day before, that I was just as unproductive the next day.

[Image credit: @hayleyremdeart on Instagram]

Forgiving yourself is easier said than done, because it’s easy to get into the mindset of feeling more and more behind. So, this will definitely be something you have to work on, and see what helps you get back stuck in. Overall remember that some progress is better than none. I feel like someone famous said that way better than I did but if I google it all I find is crossword cheat guides.

[Image credit: @hayleyremdeart on Instagram]

But anyway, hopefully I’ve given you some tips for being productive this 2021. If you have, I would love to see any spreads you make to keep on track, so tag me on Instagram (@hayleyremdeart) and use #hayleyremdeinspired to get the chance to get your recreation featured in my stories!