If you haven’t seen the Youtube videos, you’ve probably seen the Instagram pictures. If you haven’t seen the Instagram pictures, you’ve definitely seen tutorials and assorted inspiration pics on Pinterest. Bullet Journals have taken the internet by storm, and with good reason. The journals are fun, therapeutic, and a great way to keep a planner that is always specifically catered to your interests — if you haven’t been thinking of starting one just yet, you certainly will after this article!
1. They are totally customizable.
Bullet journals (or bujos, as we in the community are apt to call them), were created by Ryder Carroll, who seeked to find a clean, organized, and efficient way to keep track of information and tasks while boosting productivity. His style is incredibly simple and certainly accomplishes those goals — and if that works for you, go for it! The beauty of bullet journaling is that it’s a completely unique process for each and every journaler. Some like to treat it like a scrapbook, with pictures and large cutout images. Others use freehand doodles and brush pens to make it a simple yet pretty planner, while others like to go all out and use stickers, doodles, brush pens, and pictures to create their journals! It’s totally up to each individual person, which makes each journal incredibly unique.
2. They boost productivity.
Though bullet journals are well known for being customizable, many journals include a common layout, where you can take things out and add them in according to your needs. This includes a ‘year at a glance’, monthly trackers (habit trackers, mood trackers, spending trackers… I could go on and on), monthly spreads and goal spreads. If utilized correctly, these trackers can totally keep you in line with your goals and can help you be as productive as possible. In college we are constantly bombarded with a million things to do: school, work, the gym, a social life… at times it can be incredibly difficult to keep up with it all. Bujos can help you keep track of everything you need to do so that you, in turn, are way more efficient.
3. They can be sooo therapeutic.
Remember the adult coloring book phase? Yeah, that’s nothing compared to the therapeutic feeling of doodling, coloring, and filling in your bullet journal with all of your tasks and goals for the week, month, or year. Since your journal is completely crafted by you, at the start of every week, month, or year it needs to be filled in with whatever is going to serve as the “skeleton” for that part of the planner. This can seem daunting at first, but once you start playing your favorite Spotify playlist and have all of your tools out, it’s super therapeutic. It certainly takes a chunk of time out of your day, but I look at it as self care. If you make the time for your bujo, it will certainly help you in a multitude of ways.
4. There’s a whole community out there!
You might be thinking… I have to create a whole planner myself? How am I supposed to do that?
Trust me, I get you. I was in your shoes when I started mine. But the aforementioned IG and Pinterest pics, as well as the millions of Youtube videos dedicated to bujos will always make sure to strike you with great inspo. There is a bustling and incredibly active community of dedicated journalers out there ready to give you the inspiration you need to carry you through the next section of your journal. When it comes to starting a journal, the best thing you can do is accept the challenge and learn to love the process. So, what are you waiting for?