This past year, I turned 40 years old. Within 4 months of my birthday, I was told that I needed a total left hip replacement. I was not expecting this news, so it came as a great surprise and was very overwhelming. I knew that I would have months of recovery ahead of me. Unfortunately, I did not anticipate the amount of time that I would be sitting in a recliner without anything to take my mind off of the pain after surgery. So, when Life game me Lemons, I made Lemonade.
First of all, as I prepared for my hospital stay, I packed everything that I use on a daily basis for personal growth and order including my Bullet Journal supplies, my daily journal, and my tablet for reading and watching documentaries. Mind you, not all of my BuJo supplies were able to transport, so I only took what would fit in my traveling journal case. It was still more than I thought I would need. This down-time would be an excuse to catch up on my list of 101 Goals in 1,001 Days (see the Bullet Journal Page for a complete list of my goals). And, on top of everything, it would be a temporary distraction from the post-operative pain. I would highly suggest that when packing for surgery (or any long-term trip) you take advice from Coco Chanel. "Take off the last item that you put on."
Secondly, use your time wisely. I stick to a "growth agenda" on a daily basis. Schedule time when you will work on each separate goal. I allocate one hour a day for reading literature, 1 hour a day for reading Latin (I am a Latin tutor), 30 minutes for journaling, and up to 1 hour for Bullet Journaling. If I don't use all of the time, that is okay. I have allocated time for each goal to be completed so that I don't have to rush through anything. Although perfection is not the key to Bullet Journaling, it never hurts to aim for it. I suggest that any time not spent in creating your Bullet Journal should be used for reading blogs and searching Pintrest for inspiration. Do you have a favorite blog site or Instagram page? These are great ways to gather ideas for your BuJo. Feel free to list your favorites in the "Comments" section.
Finally, be easy on yourself during recovery. Down time does not mean that you just sit and watch television or Netflix the entire recovery period. Unfortunately, we have less energy and less clarity during recovery than we would have on any other given day. For that reason, I like to create templates on the computer (you can find these under Free Bullet Journal Printables) for each layout that I use in my journal. The Bullet Journal community is very big on sharing ideas and adapting them for your personal needs. If you are planning for a long recovery, I suggest printing out (or Pinning) any template you wish to use during this healing period. I love my Leuchtturm 1917 because I always know exactly how many dots there are per page which helps me to plan accordingly. Make sure to have a pencil and eraser handy during this process. Use this time as an opportunity to create layouts that you always wanted to include but did not have the time, plan the month ahead with weekly spreads, and simply explore your creativity. Make sure you are having a "good time" with more emphasis on GOOD rather than TIME.
Do you have an upcoming surgery or event that will cause you to have a lot of free time? What are your "rules" for recovery? Planning ahead of time will allow you more opportunities for personal growth and creativity. This is a time to explore your wants and needs with the focus on healing yourself. May you find both during this period of excessive free time!
