THE WEEKLY BREW: Let's Get Visual

With so many projects always on the go, I try to stay as organized as I can. I’ve tried so many different methods over the years: planners, sticky notes, dry erase boards, printed trackers, Excel spreadsheets – some things work for me, and some, though they seem like a good idea, they’re something I do once and then never look at again.

I think I’ve found a good way to track deadlines and such (using ClickUp), but in terms of project progress, tracking it in an app isn’t much of an inspiration. I need something tangible, something I can look at and see my progress. Plus…I’m just getting burned out staring at screens all day. Sometimes, disconnecting and getting analog is the way to go for me.

I generally use a composition book for each book I write. My initial brainstorm for the book goes in there, and though I don’t handwrite my books, I do use this notebook as a daily log to track my progress. I also use it to write extensive revision notes. So, I’ve leaned on my bullet journaling skills and started tracking my word counts, which days I write, and how long each stage of my book takes.

Here are some visual aids to show you how it’s going so far!

This first log tracks each chapter. I fill in a square each time I make progress throughout all the stages from the initial idea to final revisions. If I take an extended break for whatever reason, it’s a great way to see where I left off.

Next, I track what I do each day. I’m really interested to see how long each stage of the book writing process takes. Not that every book will be the same. But it gives me a good estimate, especially now when I’m dipping my toes into self-publishing.

Lastly, I track how many words I write in a day. Numbers are cool, but I also like seeing the colored squares, especially on those super-productive days (and seeing those blank days or low word-count days motivates me to push harder the next day). What can I say? I’m a visual learner 🙂 Plus, I’ve got quite the pen stash that I need to use up!