7 Ways to Life it // Catch-up Tips

Welcome to a new mini series I've created called 7 Ways to Life it! This is a little Project Life based series that's going to give you posts with 7 things you can do to build up your Project Life albums. It's called 7 Ways because there are 7 days in a week and Project Life is measured in weeks! ;)

So today's post is "7 Catch-up Tips!" I've become somewhat of an expert on the big "Getting-Caught-Up"game because I was 6 weeks behind! AH! But because of some things I've learned, it's been a fairly fast process getting up to date (which I'm still not completely caught up, but I'm getting there!) So without further ado, here are my 1-know-this-because-i've-lived-it tips on catching-up with Project Life:

1. DOWNGRADE. I think one of the biggest problems people have with getting caught up is filling those darn pockets! If it's been a month since that week, you probably won't remember as many details as you would if you were doing it on time. My suggestion to take the pressure off is to downgrade the "catch-up weeks" to a 1-page layout. This makes it SO much easier and so much less pressure, plus you're still documenting that week and getting it IN the album. This project is YOURS, therefore YOU make the rules. There's no rule that says you MUST do a 2-page spread, so don't!

2. USE YOUR PLANNER TO JOG YOUR MEMORY! If you don't fully remember everything that went on that week, pull our your personal planner and take a peek. Look at your to-do lists for that week, notes you made, events, etc. Other great resources are your iCal (or calendar on your phone), your blog, and Instagram. Using all these tools you can piece back together the week you had and document it.

3. MAP IT OUT. Literally grab a sheet of paper and make a list of each week and things you remember from it. I list out events, photos i know i can include, ephemera, and more. Plus, I'm always a fan of diagrams. Draw out your pockets and what should go in each one that way you can see what more the page needs.

4. MAKE FRIENDS WITH FILLERS. When you're just stuck on what else to fill your pockets with, get creative. There doesn't have to be a photo in EVERY SINGLE POCKET. There are plenty of things you can use to fill out your page. Some ideas are: favorite quotes typed out, iPhone screen shots, scraps from a recent project, receipts, or just let a really loud piece of scrapbook paper speak for itself!

5. RECREATE A PHOTO. There's no shame in fabrication in Project Life. Feel free to snap a pic from around your home that was the same as that week. For example: if you added a new home decor item, take a pic and talk about the addition of it. If you've been on a serious bagel high the last 3 weeks, snap a pic of your breakfast and call it good.

6. GO GLOBAL. Talk about what went on in the world that week both nationally and globally! It's a great way to document history, explain certain personal events, and fill space! *cough cough* Your Project Life album then becomes a bonafide history book and time capsule all in one. Looking back, you'll be glad you did it!

7. REMEMBER THE POINT OF THIS PROJECT: TELL. THE. STORY. The point of Project Life is to simplify our storytelling, so don't let it bowl you over. Get the words and memories on paper and move on-- no looking back! As long as the memories are in the book, you've done it right. Above all, don't sweat it and just tell the story.

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I hope these tips help you get your project up to date! There's no shame in being behind-- we all do it. That just means we're out there living our lives!
<3
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