Catching Up On Project Life

I still have 2 weeks of 2012 to finish and nothing done for 2013. However, I have lots of photos and memorbilia and I know I'll get caught up--currently it's all sitting on my dining table waiting for me ;).

I was planning to just fill it in when I got to it but I think I like the idea of doing monthly spreads--we'll see when I get that far;)

The good news is that I already have the Project Life for baby album set up and ready to go and I'm not due til July ;)

I like the "post it" approach - I use a small post it over a page protector pocket with a note on what I want to put there. Sometimes I may actually journal a sentence or two on that page, sometimes I jot "write about..." I may actually write on a post it what embellishment I want to use or which card from my kit to stick or photo to stick in the pocket.

I've realized this year that my approach (to not fall behind - which I am already by 2 weeks) is to just pick the photos and add text directly onto them in Photoshop. I've also been using pre-made journal cards & fillers that goes with the flow of my PL album that it makes it easier to add the photo directly onto them. Print, cut & insert. Done.

I was pretty proud of myself last year for the most part completing each week by that Sunday (until September I was at 90%). But I knew this year would be much harder since life is much busier. Right now I'm about two and half weeks behind, one week has all the pictures but not the journaling.

I bought a planner from the Crate and Barrel Outlet that has two pages for each week and I use it more as my journal than a planner. This has helped me immensely with catching up on Journaling for the weeks I am behind. I end up taking snippets from each day and sometimes I will write out the whole weeks worth of on a 5 1/2x8 1/2 page. Without this journal/planner I would only be able to think of journaling based on the pictures.

I pretty much do what Kelly Libby mentioned. There are some other great ideas in your comments too which I may just employ when/if I get behind again. TFS Ali (and others)!
Take care you.

We're several weeks "behind," too. But I've put a stack of post it notes by our album and we at least try to pepper each week with a few thoughts so we aren't reconstructing from scratch. It is pretty typical for us to finish up several weeks at once. And it works.

When I get behind, I'm trying to focus on catching up one step at a time. First, getting pages planned. Then, getting m photos printed, trimmed, and in the right slots. After that I fill in the empty spaces with journal cards, filler cards, and any memorabilia for the week. Then I can go back and add journaling and embellishing as time allows and as I have the desire to do so. Breaking things down into little chunks to catch up on makes it less stressful for me and lets me stay caught up.

I should also mention that our albums last two years. We do one week per half page... Less pressure from the outset. We are always paring back content as opposed to trying to figure out how to use up our space and that feels good!

I just did a guest post at Big Picture about my catch-up process today! I wrote what worked for me and gave some ideas for other catch-up methods. I love reading other's methods too! http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/blog/catching-up-on-project-life-with-megan.html#.UUMx_NEjqBk

i find that if i get my photos printed up and in the pockets the project seems to flow along better...i am behind...way behind as in september 2012 behind. but i am off work for a few more months doing chemo for breast cancer, and i am determined to get caught up before i go back to work...gives me a goal...i am looking forward to getting september done this weekend, but i might be able to see my grandkids (can't be around them if they are sick) and have a picnic in the park with them...and that is more important than getting caught up!! i have missed them the last 2 months!!!

Based on what I am seeing on Project Life Tuesday, many folks are at the week 7-8 week mark. I like to work in batches when I am behind. Organize multiple weeks of photos at one time. Sketch out multiple layouts. Develop multiple weeks. Then I stick the photos in and doing the journaling/embellishing a week at a time. This batch process has worked well for me.

I do mine digitally and just did 7 weeks worth- I've been doing it since the start of 2009. If life is too busy then life is too busy. I always make notes (I use ohlife.com) and I always take photos- it's not 'catch-up' it's just 'now I have time'. I wouldn't want to miss a week that would bug the heck out of me. :-)

For me, the important thing is to plan ahead if I think I
ll get behind. I have planning [ages I print out, and write down the photo info, lay out the photos and write out notes about teh day on. then, if I get behind, it's easy enough to catch up. Considering that I was about 6 months behind last November, and JUST GOT caught up in January so that now I'm going week-by-week, I think it's simple enough to "catch up" if I get behind. I'm going away for two weeks for Spring Break, leaving on Sunday. I plan to make a photo book of the trip, and also put my fave pictures in our Project Life album. I printed up my pics for this week Mon-Thursday, and did my weekly journalling already. That way, when I get back , there's only 2 1/2 weeks to "catch up" on. Then I'll start on my photo book as well. I almost miss being behind sometimes. Like the poster above said, who was "saving up" Project Life to work on at a crop, I sometimes feel like it's almost TOO easy and I don't spend enough time scrapbooking! Each week I'm a bit sad when I'm done. Kind of warped, I know!

This is my first year really attempting the weekly Project Life, so I went with a small format {6x8} bcz I figured it would be easier. In the beginning, January/winter, it was easy and almost as if I could barely fill the 6x8 space. Now as the year has picked up, more busy and doing more, I'm trying to decide if I do more pages, or go to a bigger format. Still undecided. Ok with that. I am def an evolving type in which I like to just let things happen organically and make small adjustments along the way. I truly try to believe in the "no catching up/never behind" philosophy. {also i am waiting for my new silhouette portrait to get here to help!} In the meantime I keep track of my weeks and journaling in a google doc which I can access from any pc or cell.

I just realized that what is slowing me down is the orientation of my photos. I'm stuck each week deciding which photos to print/use based on the page protector orientation of the week before. It stops me in my tracks and I get frustrated. My goal now is to try to take most of my photos in one direction and only use one kind of page protector. Hopefully, that will keep me more on track since I won't be spending a lot of time planning out which photos to use based on the page protector and not on the best photos of the week.
Hope that makes sense!

I'm not sure if I'm nine weeks behind, or right on schedule! lol. I write in Marcy Penners pages/layout sheets and I have them all caught up for the last ten weeks. But I don't print at home, so I wait until I have enough photos to get them mailed. The stupid part is, I wait three months at a time to choose, fix, and download my photos. This is normal for me {3 year with this type of system}, but I have an almost empty album sitting here and yet I feel "caught up". lol. I guess when I get my photo order, I'll have so much filled in that I'll feel really productive. ;)

Hey Ali,
I started project life many years ago after having a baby and falling behind on filling even regular picture albums. I approached mine has a monthly documantation and went back through that year that had passed and choose rendom pictures. Everything does NOT need to be documented. I LOVE that first album because it offers a really cool glimpse into our year. The following albums were done in a more timely fashion... If I do it regurlarly the albums get HUGE. That's a problem! I hope to live a long life and not necessarly fill every room with albums!!! I scrapbook when I can and calls it a day. In 10 years, who cares what happened exactly on what week. What would be fun is have an album that shows a peek into that particular time..., much better than worrying about being behind and not enjoying the NOW. Thanks for writing inspiring posts..., your blog is one of my favorites!

Last year I had lots of moments where I was scrambling to figure out what exactly happened. We had moved, and everything felt jumbled. By December, I thought I might not do PL this year (I was behind by 2 months, and couldn't even think about dec daily, which I love). So I let go of dec daily, caught up my PL to end of nov for 2012, and took a breath. Then I made a big list of what worked about PL and what didn't. I asked my family about it, and all 3 guys (2 boys, 1 husband) pronounced the project awesome and worthy. I made some changes (big & small) based on their enthusiasm for it. I bought a new camera that would help/inspire me to take better pictures. I stopped rounding corners. I kept with the same layout, though I had wanted to shift to the studio calico handbook size ( those were sold out and I didn't want to wait...and get behind!). I also tried to get the PL kit and was wait listed, which turned out to be a blessing as I made a bunch of my own PL cards that were so charmingly customized for US. And my biggest change: a nightly journal. I started on jan 1, recording the little snippets from our days, just a few sentences. I have never EVER kept a daily journal, and here it is march 15, and I'm still going! I still haven't finished up my 2012 book, but it's just the end of December waiting. I've stayed within a week or two current on this year's book, and it is all thanks to my trusty little journals.
Thanks Ali & Katie, and all the people brave enough to post about your PLs online!

I believe we pressure ourselves more than not and more times than we think, but life is what we make of it! Project life was made to simplify our life's, not create stress!

Hi Ali,
I know that you will get to it when you post the finished layout, but I'm really curious as to what alphabet stickers you used for Monday. I absolutely love them and can never find small ones that style in my local store, and I would order online, but I often misjudge the size of things when placing my order. Thanks