You have probably heard of Bullet Journals by now, and likely thought to yourself, “wtf is this thing” or “that looks way too complicated, no thanks”.
But, before you skip over this because you think it’s too hard, just hear me out. Think of it as everything in your life condensed into one little journal. Your calendar, your organizer, your to-do list, your diary, your doodle pad, your habit tracker… You get the gist. It’s a really good way to keep yourself organized without having to conform to the constraints of a regular journal; this way you can personalize it to fit your personality.
Ryder Carroll, the creator of the Bullet Journal, defines it by saying the following on his website:
“The Bullet Journal is a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less.”
Basically, it’s everything. Personally, I find it helpful because being organized is a good habit to have. It’s a fun and creative way to keep myself on track and accountable, plus it helps me remember things, which is good because I have the memory of a goldfish.
How-to:
I started my Bullet Journal journey by looking up endless articles and videos on YouTube about it. These are great because they can give you artistic and organizational tips, along with being really satisfying to watch. Find a simple how-to here, and one of my faves here.
The Bullet Journey is a system that uses dots, lines, and other symbols that give you a shortcut for your journal entries. Find out more about this system here.
Besides having normal calendar stuff like yearly, monthly, and daily calendars, you can also add some extra fun pages such as book lists, music pages, and habit trackers. Anything that seems interesting or fun, add it! Add in whatever personal twists that interest you.
Some people like to make their journals really fancy by colour coding, using fancy symbols, and adding intricate drawings; while others like a crisp minimalist look. It’s really dependent on what works best for you.
One of the best things about a Bullet Journal is that if you don’t like your layout this month/week, you can change it up the next! Remember, it’s YOUR journal and you can lay it out however you want, and change it up whenever you want.
What you need:
To get started on your Bullet Journal journey, all you really need is a journal and a pen. From there, you can decide how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go and start investing in some fun pens and stencils.
Check out one of the most popular journals here, and a more stylish type here. Basically, any journal that has grids or dots will work.
Here’s a popular brand of regular pens, some fancy brush pens, and some stencils if you want to up your embellishment game. Washi tape is also a fun way to add some extra pizazz to your pages.
However you decide to plan out and decorate your journal, you’re sure to be much more organized, as well as get yourself into a good habit while enjoying a fun little hobby.
Happy journaling!