Are you trying to find a way to get your life organized? Have you tried bullet journaling? No, no, not the picture-perfect Instagram “study inspiration” bullet journals. Those are nearly impossible to attain, and they can scare a lot of people away from the idea of bullet journaling.
Here I am, with my sloppy handwriting, bent pages and smeared ink bullet journal that is nowhere near ready to be shown on social media. I’m here to walk you through the basics of bullet journaling that doesn’t have to be perfect – it just has to work for you. Take a look at some of my tips for creating your best messy journal.
1. Use that washi tape.
If you are artistically challenged (like me) or you make a lot of mistakes (… like me), washi tape will become your best friend. You can use it to add some color to your planner, section off different parts of the layouts, or cover up the mistakes you make! I started using washi tape a couple months ago and it’s changed my black-and-white pages to colorful and fun. It’s versatile, easy to use, and it comes in a wide array of colors and designs. You can pick some up at Michael’s or order it off Amazon.
2. Rulers are straight. Your handwriting isn’t.
Most people use rulers on their bullet journals, and so do I! But sometimes, my hand slips or I don’t write in a straight line and I mess up. I have multiple of these little screw ups on literally every single page. But hey, no one else sees it! Don’t stress yourself out over these little slip ups. Just know that they happen to everyone, and you will barely even notice it by the end of the week.
3. Autocorrect doesn’t work on paper.
We all make mistakes when we’re writing things. Whether you spell Tuesday without an “e” or miss an entire word, we all have dumb little errors that happen more than we would like to admit. But don’t beat yourself up over a little write-o. Cross it out, rewrite it, or leave it as it is. You might be mad at yourself when you first make the mistake, but you’ll end up laughing at yourself later on!
4. The dreaded smudges.
I’m not sure how it is for my right-handed friends, but those who write with their left hand know how easy it is to smudge the ink with your fingers as you’re writing. It’s basically impossible not to! Once you’re smudged the ink, it’s done. Rubbing it will only spread it, it won’t come off the page, and you’ll just make a huge blob on your page. The only thing you can do is wipe the ink from your finger and keep designing your page!
Whether you are a messy, hurried writer or you want insanely perfect log, make your bullet journal your own. Look on Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, or Tumblr to get some inspiration of how to design your journal and get started! The best part about bullet journaling is that you can do whatever you want with it and make it work to you and your organization style. Pick up your favorite pen and a notebook and get started!