Another month has gone! Time is certainly moving very oddly in 2020; sometimes every day drags, but the months seem to be whizzing by. In the last week, I’ve started seeing Christmas displays in shops- which seriously guys is a bit early! We’re here though to talk about last month. As the second month for my new Bullet Journal and this blog, I reestablished routines while adjusting to living at home. This then is my August 2020 in review.
I thought I’d start again this month with a flip-through video for you. I’m very happy with how August turned out and the best way to show that is via video. Sticking to just a couple of colours and consistent art, the whole month looks unified. If you remember my July review, it was less cohesive, as I varied my colour scheme weekly. While the variety wasn’t a bad thing, I love how easy August’s colour scheme made setting up each week. My theme for September is random again, so I’m keeping some variety. I will return to simple colours next month- once I decide my theme- to reduce the work required for a weekly setup.
August’s Mood & Habit Tracker Review
This is my second monthly mood tracker, and the first time I’ve changed my colours for tracking moods. When I set up August, I didn’t want the bright colours I’ve previously used to clash with grey and blue palette. I, therefore, used patterns in those base colours to mark my moods.
The result speaks for itself; this scarf is an effective mood tracker that compliments the rest of the theme. I also made completing the tracker more ‘fun’ as the days are not in order; sparking a search every day. These changes to my mood tracker to incorporate it into my theme were well worth it, and something I will continue.
A few weeks ago, I talked about some of the downsides of habit tracking. I had a week in August, after being so good with my routine in quarantine, I got home and needed a rest.
Instead of leaving these days blank, and appearing as failures rather than a well-deserved break, I used a line to mark off the affected days. Looking back at August in review, I can see that this was well worth it. Sometimes we just need a break; whether that be from an exercise routine, social media or a project like a blog. We have to be aware of our changing needs and prepared to step back for a bit if required. On a lighter note, marking off days like this is a great way to mark significant days you’re allowed to take a break on. Who wants to be good on their birthday or over Christmas anyway!?
August 2020 in Review: Blog Tracking
When I set up August, I included this tracker for my blog and all the things I thought I should be doing. It was a mistake. I deviated from one of my top Bullet Journal tenants; Keep It Simple.
With daily tasks to complete and a host of others that I should be attempting, this spread was overwhelming. It also tracks each day’s statistics, which, honestly, I found more discouraging than helpful. After I left quarantine and had more to occupy me than my laptop and a pack of cards, this spread became difficult to fill out. I’d do a heap of retweets or thread responses at once to tick some boxes, not because it was the right thing to do.
Blog Tracking: Narrowing my Focus
After doing some research, I decided that I needed to scale back and focus on a couple of things at a time. Firstly, I had to keep creating content; but start focusing more on useful content, rather than just reflective. I started thinking about what I can provide to the community rather than just my thoughts and experiences. Secondly, I decided to focus on Pinterest. Initially, I was completely daunted. I’ve never used Pinterest before, and the first guides I read were all about posting 30+ times a day. That was never going to happen! I then found some up to date information stating Pinterest is turning away from spammy accounts and prefers a couple of brand new images a day.
Two graphics a day is doable; even if you’re working. Now I have a routine of batch creating pins then scheduling them, I get a week’s worth done in an hour! While this may not be the best way to gain traction on Pinterest, it’s a manageable routine; and that’s the most important thing to me.
If you’ve read my September setup post, you’ll be aware that I’ve switched to recording my blog goals and their results in my Bullet Journal. With less focus on my daily stats, I have more time to get things done!
Switching to Blogging Goals
As I changed my tracking partway through the month, I was able to utilise a previously blank page. Measuring numbers over a fortnight or month is efficient; without the emotional rollercoaster that can come with daily figures.
Although I didn’t reach my goal of 500 blog views in August, that’s ok. I now have a better idea of how to track my blog without getting bogged down in daily statistics.
As you can see, this page is also home to my sleep tracker. I enjoyed detailing a slightly different snowflake each day as it kept my hand in a bit; my one outlying day was when I took the night train south from Sydney- comfortable it was not!
August Favourites and Statistics
Finally, for August 2020 in review, we have my monthly favourites! In stark contrast to the rest of the year, I didn’t watch a single movie in August!
I re-read the Inheritance Cycle in August for the first time in about ten years. The first couple of books were favourites when they came out, but due to the gap to the next two, I’ve not previously read the final books in sequence. They’re such detailed books that while I remembered some vital parts, others came as a pleasant surprise. I still haven’t forgiven myself for forgetting about the Dwarves! If you like detailed high fantasy with a penchant for introspection and political games, give it a go!
Minecraft is a game I’ve been coming back to since high school. I love the huge array of mod packs that allow you to play however you want. From rockets science to magical farming, you can do just about anything in Minecraft; the only limit is your imagination. Minecraft can be constantly revisited in different forms, which is why it’s a perennial favourite.
While I watched a lot of TV in quarantine my viewing time has gone down considerably now I’m home. While this isn’t a bad thing, it makes choosing a favourite difficult. For August I’ve gone with a US show called Longmire. While I think the practice of electing a sheriff is a little odd (impartiality anyone?) it works here. The wide expanses of Longmire make it great escapism- particularly when you like murder and plot to go with your scenery! I was disappointed when I got to Australia to realise BritBox isn’t available here yet, as it has lots of my favourites, but that’s ok, I’ve got more than enough to be going on with!
August 2020 in Review
Thanks for joining me for this review of August 2020. My takeaway is that you can try anything in your Bullet Journal and if it doesn’t work, you change or get rid of it. There’s no right or wrong way to go about Bullet Journaling, always do what works for you and don’t be afraid to change what you’re doing if circumstances change!
All the best from me, and I hope you too can look back on August and appreciate your acheivements and highlights.
