Bullet journaling has become a popular way to track habits, moods, experiences, and more. One could say it is the modern diary, just more advanced and aesthetically pleasing. Personally, I have found bullet journaling extremely helpful for me in tracking goals and my mood and practicing gratitude.
It can be challenging to start doing anything new, especially with something you have to keep up with every day. It is important to note that bullet journaling may not be for everyone, so do not force yourself to like it. My favorite thing about bullet journaling is the creative freedom I have. I started on the first of this year as a New Year resolution, and I have been keeping up with it for two whole months now. Since bullet journaling has really changed my life and has helped me keep track of my priorities, I want to give you some tips on how to get into it and leave you with some page inspiration.
1. Have Your Own Motivation
While bullet journaling is a trend, it is important to have your own motivation for starting. With any trends, if something is not right for you or is not something you want to participate in, don’t do it! While bullet journaling may change some people’s lives, it may be less meaningful to others. The first step in starting to bullet journal is to think about whether it is something you can see yourself finding useful and committing to.
2. Find Your Aesthetic
Something to keep in mind is that bullet journals are extremely customizable. It may seem tempting to fit the aesthetic of others, but it is your journal; it may not be as useful to you if the colors or themes are not of any interest to you. For example, coquette may be in right now, but if that is not your vibe, don’t go for it! It can be really fun to experiment with different colors and designs, so find the ones that suit you!
3. Only Track Things That Matter To You
Along with the setup of your bullet journal, the most important part of bullet journaling is what you are actually keeping track of. When you first start, it may be easy to track things that you think are important to others. I experienced this too, but after a few weeks, I realized what things were relevant and important to me and what things weren’t. At the end of the article, I offer my page setups and what I track. The purpose of doing that is to provide inspiration, but like anything else, one size does not fit all! I encourage you to think about what is important to you and what goals you have.
4. Start a New, Healthy Habit
The reason I believe I was able to keep up with bullet journaling is that I made it a habit to journal each night right before I go to bed. Having a designated time to journal may be helpful to make it a habit. Journaling at night would be great if you are tracking things on a daily basis since your entire day will be over. All in all, you should choose a time when you are able to reflect on the day and even identify some goals for the days, weeks, or months to come.
5. Find The Right Medium
A few years ago, I started bullet journaling in a physical bullet journal. These are usually like composition notebooks, just smaller and have dots on the pages instead of lines in order to create grids and other designs. Now, I use the Notability app on my iPad to create my journal and use the grid template. Consider whether you prefer to draw and design on paper or an electronic device. It may also be helpful to think about how practical it is to have your device or a notebook with you whenever you journal.
BONUS: Page Inspiration
Over the past two months, I have used my bullet journal for tracking goals, habits, and mood, practicing gratitude, budgeting, logging reading, and rating shows and movies I have watched. Check out this Pinterest board for mock bullet journal pages for March! Happy journaling!