“What have you done today?”
I ask my 10-year-old son this question at the end of his (at-home) school day.
“Uhm …” he starts, sheepishly. Directly translated, this means “absolutely nothing, except watch YouTube videos about the Nintendo Switch”. I shudder at the thought of hovering over him the following day to make sure he gets things done.
In a world full of distractions and seemingly endless tasks, it’s not easy for adults to get things done either. I get it.
That’s why I swear by the bullet journal (BUJO) method.
And so, to avoid the hellish hovering I had envisaged, I share my secret with my son.
His verdict?
“Before my mom showed me the BUJO method, I was a slacker. Now, I’ve finished all my work for the day and I’ve already planned my day for tomorrow.”
Why does this system work so well for kids?
Teaching kids to write down their goals helps them to see their progress and take responsibility for their own productivity. It’s a known fact that if you write your goals down, you are 42 percent more likely to achieve them. Kids have big dreams – I say encourage this from an early age.
So what is the BUJO method?
The bullet journal is a planner system devised by Ryder Carrol. There’s a really cool video to explain it in detail, but put simply in the creator’s words, it’s a way to “track the past, order the present and design the future.”
And what makes it different from other planning systems?
All it is is a simple paper journal. No tech required. Its unique feature is the different types of bullet points used, which indicate tasks, events, notes etc. Also, it has a key and index, making it easy to find what you’re looking for.
So far, my son is using the BUJO method simply to keep track of his school tasks and events. But the system is so flexible that eventually, he can use it to record the books he reads or create a collection for his big dream to buy a Nintendo Switch console. He can even plan his own birthday party for when lockdown finally ends.
Written by Melissa Fagan, freelance content writer and editor
I help traditional and digital publishers deliver engaging and informative content that resonates with their readers. Internationally qualified writer and editor with 14 years’ publishing experience.
Email me: melissa.fagan@mfedit.com
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