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Habit by Number: Habit Tracker Hack

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Habit by number habit tracking hack Featured Image | How assigning a number to your habits helps you define your habit and increase motivation | ChocolateMusings.com

Here’s an idea to help your habit tracker: track your habits by number. Hear me out. I promise there’s a reason behind this madness.

Table of contents

What is Habit By Number?

I’m always looking for a way to improve my habit tracker or different ways to motivate me with my habits. A couple of years ago, I created this habit by number spread in my bullet journal and didn’t realize the genius behind it. By defining a number and the habit I intended to cultivate, I created a set of parameters or rules for each habit. The rules made them feel more real and, as a result, more achievable.

When the habit became more achievable, I could feel my motivation increase. Win-win! And all it takes is a little definition and some written expectations to significantly enhance my habit-tracking motivation.

Check out the whimsical space elements plan with me post here!

What Did I Track?

Using this habit-by-number method, here are the habits I tracked for this month:

  1. Not 1 dollar spent – a no-spend habit.
  2. 2 prayers said. If you’re more of a meditator, turn it into a 2-minute meditation habit instead.
  3. 3 Kids need attention. Adjust the numbers to fit your current family situation.
  4. 4 Pillows on a made bed. I customized this number to fit where I needed it. The habit ultimately was to make my bed. But I used the numbers to make it work for me.
  5. 5:30 up.
  6. 6 Dinner Ready, instead of procrastinating every night, I set a goal to have dinner ready by six pm. I think this was the easiest goal for me to accomplish. We now regularly eat before 6.
  7. 7000+ steps. I figure I can adjust it higher once I reach this goal daily.
  8. 8 glasses of water.
  9. 9 minutes of reading. This habit by number is a reminder to sit down for a minute and let me rest. I love to read and rarely make time for it.
  10. In my 10 minutes. This a reminder to give credit where credit is due. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in just 10 minutes. Record what you’ve accomplished, especially if you’re feeling like you’re not getting anything done. I promise this will help you see that you do far more than you realize daily.
  11. In bed by 11. Set your bedtime so mornings are easier.

If you’re intrigued by my idea for 10-minute tasks, here are a couple of posts to read:

Habit Tracker By Number - set your expectations and define your intentions within your habit tracker| April 2018 Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com
Habits by number flip out key - if yo run out of room on a page, attach another page to 'flip out' when using that page (in this case a habit tracker). Then fold it back together and turn the page | ChocolateMusings.com
April watercolor habit header - after the pen | Bullet Journal Habit Tracker | ChocolateMusings.com

Why Habit By Number?

Initially, to conserve space on the spread, I decided to use a flip-out key and define the habits that month by number. At first, I thought I was just clever by having numbers 1-11 on the top of my habit tracker page. But as it turns out, using numbers created an achievable, defined goal within the habit.

For instance: 9 minutes of reading – a reminder to take time for myself and read for pleasure. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, but I don’t make time to do it. It’s so easy to put off reading until you have a large chunk of time. But who has a large amount of time? Not a lot of people that I know.

Taking 9 minutes to read a book or a magazine article sounds feasible. What’s more, I don’t have to make a big production or feel like I need to spend a ton of time doing this thing (that I want to do). When 9-10 minutes are up, I know I’ve met that goal for the day and get a little boost by checking off that box.

Habit by number habit tracking hack | How assigning a number to your habits helps you define your habit and increase motivation | ChocolateMusings.com

Was Habit by Number a Success?

The point initially was to include a fun element in my habit tracker. Quite by accident, this habit-by-number method turned into so much more. It assigned a level of realism and achievability to each habit. I could also test what was working and what was not. For instance, I can see that waking up at 5:30 is not working for me. So, I need to focus my efforts on something else or figure out a new strategy for achieving this habit.

Creating a reality check made tracking each habit’s success easier. With defined success, I can adjust methods to automate these habits. After all, isn’t that the point of a habit tracker? To turn these tasks into an automated habit so we don’t have to track them anymore?

Mid-Month Habit Check - Determine your priorities, flip down, habit by number

Books for Thought

My insights on how habits work came from reading books by people who have dedicated their lives (or a good portion of it) to studying habits. I’m grateful to them for doing the research, so I can recognize the benefits of ‘habit-by-number’ and what it does to help me be more successful.

Here are some books I’ve read on organizing, decluttering, and habits. I’d love a recommendation and add it to my list. Let me know if you have more to add in the comments below.  

 

How to Solve a Problem (in Reverse)

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How to Solve a Problem (in reverse) ideas for working through the silly things that hold you back | ChocolateMusings.com

How to Solve a Problem (in Reverse)

How to solve a problem in reverse – get motivated and find answers to your questions by giving yourself reversed solutions or how NOT to solve your problem. The reverse problem-solving method is enlightening, motivating, and a little silly.

Do you have issues solving your problems? Do you have a nagging concern or something you desperately want to change, and no solution seems to work? Whether it’s what to fix for dinner, what color to paint your house, or how to get out of your dead-end job, we all have problems big and small where the solutions elude us. I came across a way to problem-solve in reverse, and it’s very intriguing and somewhat comical.

One of my issues is finding the motivation to solve a problem. Adding research or additional tasks to my everyday life seems overwhelming, so in some cases, I decide that the problem is smaller than the solution itself. Sometimes the answer is living with the problem. But that way of thinking only applies to some situations, not all. If the problem bothers me that much, well, then it’s time to come up with a real solution.

Table of contents

Need to Solve a Problem? Try this reverse method to help you identify the thoughts that are holding you back | ChocolateMusings.com

Where I Found This Reverse Problem-Solving Idea:

While reading the Decision-Making Blueprint by Patrick Edblad, I found a ridiculous solution that made absolute sense. It’s called Inversion. The chapter is subtitled “Thinking backward instead of forward.”

First of all, let me ask the question for all of us: “What”? And the second question is, “how does this apply to my life issues?”

According to the German mathematician Carl Jacobi, the best way to clarify your thinking was to restate problems in their inverse. That sounds complicated. It also sounds like the kind of math my algebra teacher told me I’d use every day.

After reading a little more and trying to restate the question in reverse, it’s ridiculously insightful and surprisingly quite fun. Perhaps here is how we will use that advanced math in our lives, but not in the way our high school math teachers envisioned. Word-problem solving at its best.

Curious About Reverse Problem Solving? Here’s how to do it:

Think of your problem; instead of trying to solve it, you ask yourself how NOT to do it. No answer is too ridiculous. In fact, some of the most absurd-sounding answers might be closer to the truth than we like to admit.

What Problems Do You NOT Want to Solve?

Let’s ask you the question: What problems do you NOT want to solve? Getting in a routine? Going to bed on time? Planning out your day the night before? Here’s how I would think backward about those questions.

Reverse Problem-Solving Example – How to Keep a Messy, Disorganized House

Here’s an example of how to use this problem-solving technique.

First, start with the problem: I can’t keep my house organized.

Now, instead of brainstorming how to set habits and come up with different ideas and tasks, I chose to jot down everything I wasn’t going to keep my house organized.

For example, to keep my house in a disorganized array, I should leave the dishes in the sink and never load them in the dishwasher. If the dishes find their way into the dishwasher, the clean dishes should stay in that dishwasher for several days or a week to ensure they are dry.

To make sure my floors stay at their crummy best, I should sweep only once a week or less. The counters should NEVER be cleared, and laundry should be allowed to pile up so we have to climb over the mounds.

Reverse Idea: Don’t Organize Anything!

All cleaning supplies should be hard to get to for more disorganized fun. I should have to hunt for the correct cleaning item. Playing a game of hide and seek seems fun! Under no circumstances should it be put away after it’s used. When I run out or am low on supply, the best way to make sure that I don’t have it on hand for the next time I need it is to try and remember my shopping list all in my head. We should not ever keep a written shopping list.

Every drawer should be a junk drawer with any item thrown in it. Things do not have a ‘home’ location. If an activity makes you feel organized, avoid doing it at all costs. In fact, why not mix empty wrappers and unusable items with usable items for added confusion and inconvenience?

Finally, the best way to stay disorganized is to pile everything together and discontinue filing. Mail should never be sorted when it comes in. Optimal disorganization means I should touch everything more than once, preferably get lost at least once before I have to use it again.

How to Keep a Messy House Conclusion:

Doing this exercise makes me smile because the actions seem so ridiculous when spelled out like this. The sad truth is that developing these spectacular ways to keep me disorganized was not hard. Because, at some point or another, I must admit (at least a small amount of) guilt!

I also have to admit that I stretched ideas and made them seem more ridiculous than normal life.

From the perspective of keeping a disorganized house, it’s easier to see what habits to change or which ones I need to work on.

How Do I Keep Myself Out of a Routine?

First of all, when reverse problem-solving the life-routine question, I would never ask what plans I’ll make. Secondly, having a contingency plan for when I fall off the wagon would be the furthest thing from my thought process. Thirdly, who wants a routine to stick, anyway?

Excellent tips to keep me away from those pesky routines that might streamline processes and make caring for myself, my house, and my family.

How do you start a new habit or routine? Questions asked | ChocolateMusings.com #habit #routine #journal

Some Other Things to Consider When Trying to Throw Routines to the Wolves:

For one thing, I would never plan anything. If I had a planner, I would carry it around, never open it, or make sure to leave it at home instead of packing it in my purse. I would not set reminders to help me start a routine. Nor would I read any books from those who have experience in creating routines or habits.

Adopting the mindset that routines make you boring will drive you from creating any schedule. In fact, routinely telling yourself that routines are for losers or fuddy-duddies. (Did I just say fuddy-duddy? Also, did you see what I did there? Creating a routine of anti-routine!)

I got the idea of fuddy-duddy from an interview with Anna Quindlen by Gretchen Rubin. She talks about her routines and how she used to view them versus how she sees them now.

Problem-Solving in Reverse: How NOT to Lose Weight

First things first, stop and get a candy bar every day on your way home from work. On Saturdays, visit Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and stock up on sweet enough, gooey goodness to last the rest of the week. Another way to make sure those pounds pack on is to make sure TV is the top priority. When planning meals, takeout and drive-thru should appear on the schedule at least 4 nights per week, and be sure to sprinkle in some quick breakfast stops.

One final suggestion using the reverse problem-solving method and ensuring those pounds stay packed on your hips is increasing your soda intake.

Sounds ridiculous, right? Thinking in reverse adds a bit of comedic relief to problem-solving. If you thought about it, you could add some hilarious bits of advice that run a little too close to reality.

Follow My Health Journey and see what I use to get healthy & lose weight.

Reverse Problem-Solving Conclusion

Though problem-solving in reverse doesn’t provide all the answers, the realizations that it paints open your mind to the pitfalls or games you play with yourself. If you want to stick to a routine, maybe it’s your mindset instead of the method. Reverse problem-solving is admittedly eye-opening, and if I’m candid with myself, it’s a bit humbling.

Problem Solving in Reverse brings out the humor in the situation. Fun, silly responses often evoke the truth more than thinking about solving the problem and becoming frustrated. I find that I’m more honest about the things I need to change and concede that I do some of these actions, which directly impede the progress I DO want to make.

What Other Problems do you NOT Want to Solve?

Here are some additional suggestions for compiling your list using the reverse problem-solving method.

  • How to lose your temper all the time with your kids.
  • How to wake up tired.
  • What I am going to do to avoid exercise?
  • How to make myself miserable (and bring everyone down around me).
  • I’m excited to waste hours of my time scrolling through social media! Here’s how I do it.
  • How I plan to burn bridges and ruin relationships.
  • Who needs a successful marriage? Here’s my course for divorce.
  • Budgeting, smudgeting, why I spend my money on Amazon trinkets and fast food, and how you can blow your paycheck, too.

What other problems do you not want to solve? I’d love to know in the comments below. While you think about that, I’m off to clean my kitchen. But first, I’m going to put my bullet journal in my purse, so I’ll make sure to bring it with me.

Find More Posts on Habits

Here are some additional articles I found helpful for creating routines:

Here are some books I’ve read on organizing, decluttering, and habits. I’d love a recommendation and add it to my list. Let me know if you have more to add in the comments below.  

 

Sea Creatures Bullet Journal Theme – January 2022 Plan With Me

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PWM Pretty Sea Creatures and Functional Layouts Featured | ChocolateMusings.com

This month’s bullet journal theme is sea creatures in bright colors! I got the idea for the theme when I imagined octopus tentacles creeping around the corner. Then in my head, I heard the song by The Weeknd “I Feel it Coming.”

Who is with me when we come to a new year and want to step carefully into it? I lost my bullet journal mojo around September 2020 and struggled all of 2021 to get it back. I didn’t stop creating. In fact, I have mountains of things that I did create and want to share, but I also want to move forward.

These octopus tentacles look scary – but they aren’t, I promise. They want to see what’s around the corner. I’m hoping for something good.

January Welcome Page in my Bullet Journal - Octopus Tentacles Coming from the Side of the Page | ChocolateMusings.com
Close up of the octopus tentacles | ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

Plan With Me Video

Love planning videos? So do I. It’s how I got my start bullet journaling. Check out January’s Plan With Me Video – I talk even more about the function of each page and how I set it up. Forgive my voice, I was recovering from a terrible cold then, and it was the first day I dared to record.

Pretty + Functional Bullet Journal

Do you ever create bullet journal pages that are pretty but not functional? What about practical but not pretty? This month, I strived to merge the two. My calendar page could use a little help, but I love the idea of this running to-do list on the right. It reminds me of the original Bullet Journal rapid-logging method with its ongoing list. I must have a visual layout for the calendar – in some way, form, or fashion.

To keep with the sea creatures theme, I added these adorable jellyfish. After adding the gold accents, I decided that all jellyfish are hereby ordered to add sparkles and gold accents. Do you think they will listen to me? Probably not.

One sea creature I didn’t care for this month in my bullet journal was the fish outline on my habit tracker/brain dump page. Even though I love the name of my brain dump page, “Swimming Thoughts,” the fish was disappointing. After talking with my best friend, she pointed out it was also on my habit tracker page. And that page is the one I use to improve my life.

January Monthly + Monthly To Do List - Bullet Journal Plan With Me - Jellyfish | ChocolateMusings.com
Habit tracker & Brain Dump Bullet Journal Sea Creature Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

Weekly Layouts – Sea Creature Bullet Journal Theme

Bullet Journal Sea Creatures Weekly Themes | ChocolateMusings.com

I shared a little of the whale shark sea creature on my personal Facebook page. There, I named him ‘Ted’ and decided to name all the other lovely sea creatures in my bullet journal this month. All except the jellies and the fish on my habits page. If you have names, I am so open to ideas.

Sea Horse Bullet Journal Weekly Undersea Creature Theme | ChocolateMusings.com
Bullet Journal Weeklies - Glass Sea Turtle Watercolor Painting | ChocolateMusings.com
Gentle Giant - Great Blue Whale Bullet Journal Weeklies - Beautiful & Functional Weekly Bullet Journal Pages | ChocolateMusings.com
Galaxy Whale Shark Bullet Journal Weekly Page | ChocolateMusings.com

Week 1 – Sea Horse “Herbert”

This little guy was more than challenging. I love to do with watercolor paints (and always have in every medium) to create shadows using color. The texture of this sea creature certainly allowed me to study how light and shadows work to make the crevices and outlines on his body.

Week 2 – Sea Turtle “Ed”

Do you ever have one of those things you want to draw or create so badly but think you’ll never do it justice? Sea turtles are the sea creatures that I’ve always wanted to paint – but never did. I seriously cannot wait to paint more sea turtles.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but… stop putting off the things you really want to do. Do them already. Whether painting a sea turtle, training for a marathon, or whatever else guides your heart. Stop turning yourself away from your dreams.

Week 3 – Giant Blue Whale “Ned”

Oh, this gentle giant. This sea creature fits so perfectly in my theme. While sketching the shape for this week’s art, I kept thinking about how there are so many things bigger than us all. More significant than we realize, we are so focused on our minor ores trying to get wherever we are going that we never stop examining the depths. We do not know what greatness lies beyond our little boats. “Ned,” the whale, is a gentle giant and would never hurt anyone.

Week 4 – Whale Shark “Ted”

We live near Atlanta – which has a gigantic aquarium with four whale sharks in its gargantuan tank. These sea creatures are so majestic and so lovely. I used masking fluid to resist the watercolor paint to make the white spots. Then gently removed the masking fluid dots after the pages were completely dry.

Diving into the Functional Parts

See what I did there? Diving in? Sometimes you have to dive deeper to see these sea creatures. But not here, in these bullet journal layouts. I adore the weekly pages. The challenge I gave myself was to create a very functional design, and I could still include art that felt like it met the ocean – free-flowing and not constricted. But I also wanted to keep the same basic layout for each week. I think I succeeded.

It starts with my ‘top 3 things’ – so these things are on my to-do list that needs to get done. Below that section, I added a place for appointments to keep my schedule. The largest area at the bottom is other day-specific to-dos.

Each weekly page has a section on the right where I write down tasks – this is where I pull my top 3 to-do items and other daily tasks if needed. And I have to say it’s fabulous.

How I Plan for Each Day

I decided to take my advice and implement these two things every night to have more productive days. f you’re looking for a great new year’s resolution or simply a way to be more productive, try these two things out every night.

Two things to do every night to have more productive days | ChocolateMusings.com #productivity #organization

Red Coral – Sea Creature or Not?

This month’s final page is a journal page, and I adorned it with twisted red coral – using a fun, loose way to paint. I think I’ll have to do a tutorial on this painting style. It’s easier than you think. Coral is a living organism. Does it count as a sea creature or not? ‘m not sure!

Which sea creature is your favorite this month from my bullet journal? This theme makes me want to return to the beach.

Red Coral Watercolor Bullet Journal Page - Undersea Bullet Journal Theme | ChocolateMusings.com
Sea Creature Bullet Journal Theme | ChocolateMusings.com
Plan With Me: January 2022 Sea Creature Bullet Journal Theme - Functional and beautiful watercolor spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

10 Things You Can Learn from a Blank Notebook

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10 things to learn from a blank notebook - practical life advice | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #motivation #inspiration

10 Things You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook

Hint: These 10 things you can learn from a blank notebook isn’t just about journaling. There’s a lot of good life advice in here, too.

Starting a new notebook feels so refreshing. The smell and feel of the paper. The crackle of the spine as you crack open the notebook for the first time. Thumbing through the book, the feeling of the crisp pages calling for attention. Ahhh, it feels so good to start fresh. I opened a new notebook today, which made me think about how these pages apply to our lives. So I’d like to share 10 things you can learn from a blank notebook.

Table of contents

Tip #1: The First Thing You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook:
Your Past Notebooks Don’t Make Your New Notebook

Your Past Doesn't Determine Your Future - Advice From a Blank Notebook Tip #1 | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #blanknotebook #bulletjournal

No matter what you’ve written (or done) in the past, this notebook can be different.

Your past notebooks do not determine what you can do with your new book. Learn from the past, decide what you want to do, and go confidently in that direction. I’m sure you can see many parallels between this suggestion about a notebook and your life. I’ll leave it at that.

#2: You Have Limitless Possibilities

10 Things to Learn from a Blank Notebook: You Have Limitless Possibilities | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #possibilties #motivation

You have limitless possibilities. And you have full control of all your choices in life. Just like the pages in your notebook, what you record in the journal of your life is up to you. Try lots of new things and then practice, practice, practice. Don’t get discouraged if it’s not perfect the first, second, or hundredth time. Keep going.

The Inevitable Thing to Learn When Starting a Blank Notebook – Tip #3:
You Will Make Mistakes. Accept Them or Fix Them.

Life advice from a blank notebook: you will make mistakes. Fix them or move on. | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #blanknotebook #potential #bulletjournal

You’ll make mistakes. But it’s usually how you handle the errors that make the most significant difference in the future. Sometimes starting over is the answer. But most of the time, a mistake is minor, and you can whiteout over it or move on.

I only started genuinely benefitting from writing in a notebook or journal when I allowed myself to make mistakes. Big mistakes will happen, as well. But most of the time, even big blunders can be fixed by just turning the page.

See #5 if you feel like you can’t fix it by turning the page.

#4: Turn The Page. Really. Just Turn the Page.

Life advice - Turn the page. | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #bulletjournal #moveon

The mistakes you make won’t seem as significant after you’ve turned a few pages. Other people won’t remember your mistakes as you do. In fact, most people are so worried about themselves that they won’t remember your mistakes. Forgive yourself and learn from them.

#5: Starting Fresh is OK, Too. Move On If You Have No Other Choice.

Starting fresh is ok, if there is no other option. | ChocolateMusings.com - Things you can learn from a blank notebook #bulletjournal #bujo #startover

If you feel you ruined the whole notebook, get a new journal, and start fresh. In all reality, if you spilled coffee all over the book and don’t feel like you can salvage any of it, here’s the thing: you can start over. I’m giving you permission.

When you decide to move on, take a deep breath, go to Target, Walmart, or Amazon, and get yourself a new notebook. Or create your own book. Start fresh. And most importantly, MOVE ON.

#6 – Share It!

Things you can learn from a blank notebook: Share it! Share the things that are most important to you | ChocolateMusings.com #shareit #share #bulletjournal

Share what you’re most proud of. Go ahead, and celebrate your successes. However, Choose the right crowd to share with and who will lift you instead of being jealous of your happiness or accomplishments.

I know that my little planner has grown and evolved with me. It’s also helped me grow in my talents. Find a group that shares your excitement and share your progress.

#7: Things You Can Learn from a Blank Notebook:
You Don’t Have to Share Everything

Life advice from a Blank Notebook - Don't Share Everything | ChocolateMusings.com #journaling #journal #bulletjournal

In contrast to the last tip, you don’t have to post everything online. Some pages belong solely to you, and you don’t have to broadcast them. It is perfectly fine to use your notebook for personal development. You’re the one who will benefit most from it. Use your new blank notebook to your benefit. This goes for your personal life as well. Share with those you trust if you need help but don’t feel obligated to share everything.

Tip #8: Things You Can Learn from a Blank Notebook: Focus on the Good

Things to learn from a blank notebook: Focus on the good in your life and you will find more good. | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #blanknotebook #bulletjournal

Focus on the good. Dedicate pages or areas of your book so you can log the good things that happen. Life isn’t just about schedules or what you checked off your list for the day. Life is about stopping to smell those gorgeous blooming roses on your evening walk with your beloved. It’s about that sunset with all those colors that melted your heart. It’s about seeing your children play together (and not fight!).

Sometimes it’s the little things like ordering a ceramic painting palette on Amazon and admiring how careful they were to package it. And the fragile piece arrives perfectly on your doorstep, so you can immediately start painting. Record the happy moments, even if they seem small or insignificant.

From my experience, if you seek out the negative in your life, you will find it. Controversially, if you look for the good, you will see it, and if you continue to look for the good, you will more easily find it. If you write it down in your notebook, you have a chance to look back at the good and remember it.

#9: Carry Through With Your Plans

Things to learn from a blank notebook: Carry Through With Your Plans | ChocolateMusings.com #lifemotivation #motivation #deepthoughts

Carry through with your plans. I’m guilty of intending to do many things but never carrying through. I have so many dreams and ambitions, but I let fear stop me. Or I make a schedule and then ignore it.

Make the plans, then write the first step to start your journey if you’re having trouble doing them. Do the first thing, then check it off. Then proceed to the next step.

#10: Finally, the Last Tip You Can Learn From a Blank Notebook – Take Time to Reflect & Learn

Notebook before and after - Tip #10 from things to learn from a blank notebook - reflect & learn from yourself. Go through your notebooks and review what you wrote - then learn from it. | ChocolateMusings.com #reflect #learn #bulletjournal

Look back on your life. When you finish a notebook, take a moment to reflect. Enjoy the things you recorded, and use the memories of the events that bring a smile to your face to increase your joy. Share the things that matter with the people that matter to you.

I find so much insight and inspiration throughout my completed notebooks. Ideas, thoughts, quotes, joy, sadness, and all the experiences combine to create my past and shape my future.

I love looking back through the pages and am always glad I have a record of my life.

Which of These Tips Did You Need the Most?

Which of these tips did you need to hear the most? For me it was #3, #7 & #8. Sometimes I focus so much on making my notebook perfect to share that it’s not as functional as it could be. I also always need a reminder about accepting mistakes. And I can always use a reminder to focus on the good things in life.

Journaling Question:

Here are some journaling questions in the spirit of things you can learn from a new notebook. What Things Do You Love About a New Notebook? What Have you learned from a new journal?

What do you love about a new notebook? Here are 10 things that a blank notebook taught me | ChocolateMusings.com #lifeadvice #inspiration #blanknotebook

Start Planning – Find More Bullet Journaling & Planning Resources

Click here to get started planning & find more ideas for your bullet journal.

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

Find more plan with me ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #ideas
Favorite Beginner Bullet Journal Supplies + Why | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #supplies #favoritesupplies

Watercolor Tape Tips (for Easy Removal Later!)

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Tape Tricks for Watercolor Painting and Bullet Journals - for when you want to remove it later! | ChocolateMusings.com

Whether you paint exclusively on watercolor paper or dabble with painting in your bullet journal, these tips will help you get those clean lines and avoid tearing the paper. Here are some of my favorite watercolor tape tips.

Table of contents

Watercolor Tape Tips

Here’s a watercolor tip I discovered early on – how to make the tape less sticky (so you can remove it later). Sounds weird, right? Why would you want to make the tape less sticky? If you’ve ever used tape for the border of your painting and tried to remove it later only to tear your painting, you know the frustration.

Tips to Avoid Tape Tears on your Watercolor Paintings | ChocolateMusings.com

I love washi tape for decorating select pages in my bullet journal. I especially love using painter’s tape to block off borders when I watercolor paint. Using tape as a permanent decoration is great, but removing it cleanly can be an issue. It’s especially frustrating when the tape rips the paper off of your hard work. There’s a trick to make washi tape (or painter’s tape) less sticky so you can remove it later. The best part? This watercolor tape trick is easy to do.

And who doesn’t love a good tape-peel reveal video? Sooooo satisfying.

How to Make Washi Tape Less Sticky (So You Can Remove it Later)

Washi tape or painter’s tape can ruin a painting or creation if it peels or shreds the paper as you peel it away. The trick is to make the tape less sticky before you apply it to your paper. It will still have enough tack to stick to the paper while painting your masterpiece but remove it cleanly when finished. Be sure to read the other painting tips below to help save your paintings!

  1. Remove the tape you plan on using from the roll.
  2. Press it against a pair of jeans or cotton shorts or shirt, and remove and reapply it to the clothing if the tape is very tacky.
  3. Do this until the washi tape is not as sticky. You’ll gather a bit of fuzz, but remove a lot of the tack from the washi tape or artist’s tape so you can remove it from the sheet of paper without tearing apart the document.
Tape too sticky? Tearing your watercolor paintings? Apply the tape to your jeans to remove 'tack' for just the right amount of sticky. You're welcome | ChocolateMusings.com

Some people recommend doing this on carpet or other cloth surfaces. Sticking tape to a rug or carpet brings up an unwanted conversation about how much I need to replace my vacuum. (Try it; you might question your vacuum as well. If not, I’d love to know what brand you use and how often you vacuum.)

Sticking the tape to jeans work best, but if I’m arting around in leggings, those cotton/spandex material blend pants work almost as well as those hearty, hip-hugging jeans.

Now the washi tape or painter’s tape is less sticky, and you’re ready to use it in your bullet journal or on your artwork!

Important! Before removing the tape from your paper, ensure your painting is completely dry before trying to peel away any tape. If your painting is cool to the touch, even if it feels dry, it’s not *really* dry.

Note: If you forget to do this before sticking your beloved washi tape down or use artist’s tape to block off the edges of your painting, never fear! I have a couple of other suggestions below.

Make Perfect Borders on Your Watercolor Paintings - Love Tape Reveals | ChocolateMusings.com

Other Suggestions to Easily Remove Sticky Tape

Here are a couple of other excellent tips to note about removing artists’ tape or washi tape on paper:

First of all, I know I’ve said this before, but It’s worth repeating: Make sure your painting is completely dry. It won’t feel at all cool to the touch if it’s ready.

  • Peel your tape slowly. This is not a band-aid!
  • Slowly peel the tape at an angle away from your painting (see pictures below) – do not peel straight back or pull straight up. Peeling at an angle away from the painting will help avoid those annoying little tears along the edges.
  • Is your tape still too sticky? (Or let’s face it, you forgot the washi tape + jeans trick?) Blast it with a bit of hot air from a blow dryer (not too hot, of course). It will heat the glue on the tape and let you slowly peel it away (at an angle) without shredding your paper.
  • Don’t have a blow dryer handy? Use a slightly damp sponge and dab it on the tape directly (be careful not to get it on your painting!) **This is not my favorite method. If you apply too much water, you’re weakening the paper so that it might tear more. So I would test it out beforehand to see if it works for you.
Tape Tips for Perfect Tape Reveals | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #bulletjournal #washitape

More Tape Tips:

Here are some other tape tips to keep in mind while painting or to block off areas in your journal, on a canvas, or on watercolor paper.

  • Make sure the paper is 100% DRY. The painting may be dry, but the paper might not, especially if you’re using cotton-based paper. If the paper is cool AT ALL to the touch, it’s not dry.
  • Do not use Scotch Tape/Cello Tape (the kind you use for wrapping paper)
  • Test out your tape on scrap watercolor paper to see how tacky it is (and see how much tack from the tape you might need to remove)
  • Some of my bright washi tapes tend to bleed – especially the cheap but cute washi tape. You might want to do a colorfast test when using colored tape.
    • Place your washi tape on some scrap watercolor paper to do a colorfast test.
    • Paint over the washi tape with pure water to see if the color from the tape bleeds away.
    • Wait for the paper to dry, and peel the tape away.
    • Ensure the water didn’t push any color away from the top of the washi tape or bleed down into the paper.
  • I also love to cut out designs with my Cricut and paint around them in my journal and watercolor paintings. I always use removable vinyl and do the jeans trick to make the tape less sticky. Otherwise, I can’t get the vinyl to peel away without ripping the pages.
Use cut vinyl in place of tape in your journal or on watercolor paper for even more templates | ChocolateMusings.com
Use tape to block of areas of your artwork | ChocolateMusings.com
Perfect edge reveal on a watercolor painting - tape makes all the difference. Find Watercolor Tape Tips in this blog post. | ChocolateMusings.com
Taped Edges Preparing for Watercolor Painting | ChocolateMusings.com
Taped Edges on a Painting | ChocolateMusings.com
Blank bullet journal with washi tape | ChocolateMusings.com

My Favorite Tapes (for Journals & Painting)

In case you were wondering what I love to use, here are a few of my favorite washi tapes and painting tapes.

  • My all-time favorite washi tape: The Black and White Striped Scotch Expressions tape. I found one at Staples and wanted more when I ran out. They’re sold in 6-packs on Amazon – but they have more styles than just black and white. If you find a style you love, get a 6-pack!
  • Scott Expressions Multi-Pack – these are perfect compliments to the black and white tape & include the colors I like.
  • Find other Scott Expressions Options – I’ve also seen them at Target and Staples.
  • Ruler Tape – I think this is so fun in journals. It comes on a big roll, so I don’t feel guilty about using it for a watercolor project. If you need to mark the length (up to 12 inches) on something, this tape is super handy!
  • Recollections Crafting Tape at Michaels (or you can find sets on Amazon)
  • Delicate Surface Painter’s Masking Tape – tends to have less ‘tack’ than other painter’s tape intended for walls – but I still use the jeans trick.
  • Masking tape – the general masking tape you might think of – I always use the jeans trick 2-3 times because it is tackier than I like but makes great lines on paintings.

For the Recollections tape, I picked up the rolls in the picture with the journal at Michaels. I like their tape in the tubes (like this one at Amazon). The collections are color-coordinated and don’t bleed like other cheap tapes I’ve bought. Plus, if I limit my supply to a few, I don’t get so overwhelmed.

My favorite watercolor tape tips - for those perfect lines you see on tape reveals | ChocolateMusings.com

I know what it’s like to ruin art projects/bullet journal spreads with too-sticky tape. I hope these tidbits help you create art with less frustration and more happiness.

Wishing you joy and creativity every day - Tricia
Make Time To Create! Motivation to Get You Creating | ChocolateMusings.com #create #motivation #creativity