As I found myself constantly feeling overly cluttered during my first year of college, I realized that I needed to form some sort of structure in my daily life. I soon came across the term “bullet journaling” and began to indulge in watching videos online on it. I immediately became intrigued at the aesthetically pleasing process of designing one’s own journal. I decided to go out and purchase my own journal that would soon become my best pal in the near future.
What really made me grow fond over bullet journaling was that I could customize it to any way I wanted. If you’re as scatterbrained as I am, you’ll find that creating your journal to your own preference and liking is quite satisfying. When I began to design my journal, I turned to Pinterest as a guide, since there is an abundance of posts on tips and tricks on there regarding journaling. I practiced adding in multiple spreads, schedules, and trackers to my journal. This made me have a routine for once and it brought a sense of control over the chaos in my life. My productivity levels rapidly increased and I found myself feeling more motivated than usual for completing even the smallest of tasks.
I was dedicated to consistently keeping up with my planning and the best thing I noticed was a reduction in my anxiety. Starting college was already overwhelming enough and bullet journaling really allowed me to take the time in my day to just sit down, plan out my tasks, and release any tension I had.
Aside from the academic and organizational side, bullet journaling has also made me tap into my creative side. I love the inventive freedom that comes with designing your own bullet journal because you can break away from the dull formats of a typical planner you’d find at the store. This allowed me to be as colorful and artistic as I wanted in my bullet journal, such as assigning certain themes to months and even adding in simple doodles to decorate. or this month of October, I made a fall-themed spread and added elements of Halloween to really bring out the characteristics of the season. I find that the process of decorating my spreads make the journal a lot more comforting in a way and it allows me to unwind any stress I have.
Having had a journal for two years now, I can eagerly say that bullet journaling has had a positive impact on my well-being. I finally found an enjoyable activity where I can freely create my own planner and feel some sort of gratification at the end of the day. Sure, one may suggest that you can simply use certain apps or reminders instead, but if you’re one who prefers to physically write things down and want a more personal, fun spin on planning, then a bullet journal is the way to go.