When a new year comes around, people tend to create resolutions and promise to stick to them all year long. Sometimes it’s going to the gym more, sometimes it’s eating healthier. Those resolutions can be life changing, especially if you commit to your goals for the next 365 days. This year I wanted to take a non-traditional approach on my New Year’s resolutions. My goals this year are to create meaningful memories with the people I love in my life and keep track of the moments that made the year special.
I just stumbled across a new phenomenon called the bullet journal, where I was completely free to create a customizable journal, life tracker or agenda. So, I did a little research on Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram to see how other influencers and bloggers organized their bullet journals. If you’re new to bullet journalling or if you just want some added inspiration while creating your own journal, take a look at some of the resources I found and the things I learned throughout the process.
1. Do your Research
One of the most important things I learned while bullet journalling was to really research what kind of journal I wanted to create by using other people’s templates for inspiration. I’m personally not artistically gifted, so sometimes drawing and doodling can be a challenge. I decided to plan out the different types of pictures and artistic add-ons I could easily draw so I wouldn’t become stressed out while creating my bullet journal.
Also, it is important to research where you can find aesthetically pleasing bullet journals that will encourage you to be creative. These specific journals will make it much easier to create even charts and doodles because of the formatted “bullets” or dots that are already printed in the book. I got mine from Indigo.
I decided to watch other people draw and write their own bullet journals so I could really understand the process and plan out how long it might take me. Let me tell you, it took a lot longer than I was expecting, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it. This daily activity also relieved some stress and calmed me down after some of my most hectic days.
Here are a couple YouTube videos that are really helpful:
- My Bullet Journal Setup 2018 by AmandaRachLee
- Plan With Me: January 2018 Bullet Journal Setup by AmandaRachLee
- How to Bullet Journal by Bullet Journal
2. Plan Out the Template
There are many different ways that you can plan out your bullet journal. Many people use it as an agenda while others use it to track monthly or bi-monthly progress. The choice is up to you, so do what makes you feel most productive!
I decided to use my bullet journal to track monthly progress because I already have an agenda that I love and helps me stay organized. Instead, I designed spreads that focused on memories, recipes, birthdays, fitness and de-stress methods as a reminder to take time for myself.
I used pencil first on the couple of pages that I wanted a lot of drawings on so that I could really get my page looking the way I wanted to before I outlined it in different artistic pens. You obviously don’t have to do this if you feel comfortable with pen, but for beginners, it’s probably the easiest way to go!
Some monthly or yearly calendar inspiration:
3. Add your Personal Touch
The most important thing when creating your personalized bullet journal is to really let your own interests and personality show. If you like clean and simple calendars or love to doodle, this is your chance to really create something you will love to use all year long.
Here are some interesting and cool spread ideas for your bullet journal:
- One Year in Polaroids (glue in a fave polaroid each month)
- Healthy Recipes Tracker
- Networking Tracker
- Writing/Blog Ideas
- Birthdays of the Year (so you don’t forget any!)
- Monthly Inspirational Quotes
- Gym Activities Tracker (what you did and didn’t like each month)
- Favourite Yearly Memories
- De-Stress Methods
While researching different types of bullet journals, I was really surprised to see some many unique and artistic spreads. Here are a couple pictures that I hope will inspire you!
Overall, I really enjoyed creating my bullet journal and I look forward to keeping track of my health, fitness and writing down the memories that made me smile throughout this upcoming year. I would definitely recommend for anyone to try this out and get yourself organized!
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