Bullet Journaling: The Most Aesthetic Way to Organize Your Life

You may have heard about the artsy trend that started popping up on Instagram a couple years ago involving a dotted notebook, colorful pens, calligraphy and a whole lot of organization. And if you haven’t, you need to. Bullet journaling is one of the best things I’ve ever done.

A bullet journal is essentially a DIY planner, to-do list, journal, scrapbook and creative outlet all rolled into one. In other words, it’s whatever you want it to be. The next time you’re taking a (well-deserved) study break and have the urge to click on the “Oddly Satisfying” Snapchat story, simply go to Pinterest and search “bullet journal” instead. I assure you, the elegant handwriting and beautiful weekly layouts will be so much more satisfying. Hopefully your dive down the Pinterest hole will even inspire you to start a bullet journal of your own.

I first heard of bullet journaling three years ago after my sister came home from a bullet journaling workshop and could not stop raving about it. I’ve always loved art and journaling, and the concept of pairing the two together was like a dream come true. Upon hearing my sister’s glowing review, I asked for a Leuchtturm1917 dotted journal and brush pens for my birthday and spent my entire winter break starting my bullet journal. The random to-do lists I always had scattered around my room disappeared as I added them into my journal instead. My thoughts and my life in general became a lot less cluttered because I gave myself a designated space to brain dump any random ideas or tasks I didn’t want to forget. 

Every month, I have a theme and a particular weekly design. I formulate my designs with drawings and colors that tie in with the theme to give each month a unique vibe. So far in 2020, my themes have been New York City (a gray-scale, architectural theme to commemorate my first visit there in January), cherry blossoms (a bright pink floral theme to bring some light into the dreary February days) and sunflowers (a pastel yellow theme to celebrate March and the beginning of spring). Some of the spreads I may include are a monthly calendar, where I jot down all of my pre-planned events; a habit tracker, where I hold myself accountable for routines such as exercising and eating healthy; a media tracker, where I record the books, music, TV and movies I’ve consumed in a given month; and of course, my weekly layouts, which I use to track my assignment and events. I also like to use my bullet journal as a space to reflect, documenting something positive from each day in my “Line a Day” tracker. These are some of my favorite spreads to look back on, bringing a smile to my face when I remember even the smallest things that bring a particular memory to mind.

I’m someone who loves (and needs) to have organization in her life, and aesthetic organization just makes it a thousand times better. I’ve transformed my schedule so that my Sundays, usually the most dreaded day of the week, are my bullet journal/get my life together days. I’ll go to a coffee shop with my friends or put on (too many) episodes of New Girl to set up the upcoming week, writing down my assignments and events and mentally preparing myself for what’s to come. It gives me a moment to breathe and take time for myself, to do something I love, which can be all-too-easily forgotten in the midst of a hectic school week.

My art skills, themes and materials have evolved as the years have passed, but my bullet journal remains something I’ve always prioritized and managed to (mostly) stay on top of. It’s been with me through my junior and senior years of high school and now onto my freshman year of college. As my workloads have become increasingly more stressful, I’ve actually tried to channel more time and energy into my journal. I need a space to organize my thoughts, de-stress after a long week and channel my creative energy that is often stifled after an insane amount of time spent studying. Bullet journaling offers the perfect outlet to combine organization and self-care, and I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone and everyone, regardless of what you may think your artistic abilities are. I promise you’ll thank me later.

• art
• bullet journal
• creative
• self-care