What is Bullet Journaling? What you Need to Know & How to Do It
#BuJo seems to be the latest craze in journaling. What actually is bullet journaling? Find out how it can help you streamline your to-do list, stay organized, and bring visual creativity into your journaling practice…
Search the hashtag #BuJo on Instagram, and you’ll find over two million pictures of stunningly beautiful notebook spreads featuring neat handwriting, impressive illustrations, eye-catching colors, and plenty of individual flair. But what exactly is bullet journaling, and how can it help you streamline your to-do list, stay organized, and bring a little visual creativity into your journaling practice – and possibly improve your health and happiness along the way?
We’ve outlined five things you need to know about bullet journaling so you can decide whether this productivity craze sweeping the internet is worth a try…
What Is Bullet Journaling and How Does It Work?
If you’re like me, you’ve probably tried every planner, app, and productivity hack out there to get your life in order. But have you heard of the bullet journal method? It’s a game-changer. A 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.
Key Components of a Bullet Journal
At its core, the bullet journal method lets you capture and organize tasks, events, and thoughts efficiently through rapid logging. Rapid logging is the heart of the bullet journal method. It uses short, bulleted entries to indicate what something in your list is and at what completion stage it is. Creator Ryder Carroll released a book last October called “The Bullet Journal Method,” which is now a best-seller.
Benefits of Using a Bullet Journal
I’ve been bullet journaling for years, and I can tell you firsthand that it’s been a lifesaver. The bullet journal method aids in better time management. By using the monthly, weekly, and daily logs, you clearly understand your schedule and can allocate time accordingly. This allows you to balance tasks, appointments, and personal activities more efficiently, reducing stress and increasing productivity. But more than that, it’s helped me stay creative, reflective, and mindful. There’s something about putting pen to paper that just helps me process things in a way that digital tools can’t.
1. It encourages you to step away from the screen
Bullet journaling is a process of getting your to-do list, important events, and short and long-term goals down on paper, which helps you ditch the apps and phone notes and organize your life in an entirely analog way. Starting with a blank journal is ideal as it serves as the essential foundation for bullet journaling, emphasizing the simplicity and versatility of a blank journal for customization and personalization.
The blank pages within this journal act as a canvas for organizing to-do lists, goals, and events, highlighting their importance in the bullet journaling process for organization, tracking, and flexibility. It means you externalize thoughts and get them out of your head, which frees up brain space for other things and helps you concentrate more fully on tasks. Writing down your goals by hand helps signal to your brain that they’re important – which might make you more likely to stay on track.
2. You don’t need fancy equipment
Yes, many of the bullet journals featured online feature elaborate designs drawn out with multi-colored gel pens, but as long as you have a pen (any pen will do!), a notebook (blank is fine, although many people prefer a dot grid design) and 15 minutes, you’re good to go. Incorporating a daily log into your bullet journal allows you to track day-to-day to-do lists and future goals efficiently.
Additionally, the future log and monthly calendar are essential for providing a bird’s eye view of future tasks and events, helping you easily organize your month and the next six months. The monthly log is specifically designed to log memorable and important experiences and track monthly tasks, events, and goals. We recommend this bullet journaling tutorial to get you started.
3. Bullet journaling combines a to-do list, A Monthly Log, A Planner, And A Diary In One
Rather than just using a planner, which focuses on the future, or a diary, which focuses on what you did that day, keeping your bullet journal allows you to track your day-to-day to-do list, your future goals, and log any memorable and important experiences (books you’ve read, films you’ve enjoyed, trips you’ve taken, recipes you’ve made, DIY projects you’ve completed, good times with friends, things you’re grateful for, etc.) – helping you simultaneously plan, keep track of, and record your entire life, across all its elements.
In your bullet journal, you can create collections based on your needs and preferences, such as lists of books to read, shows to watch, recipes to try, and favorite restaurants without overdoing it. Remember to number your pages, create an index, and utilize signifiers to categorize content, making your bullet journal a truly personalized tool that evolves with you.
4. Anyone Can Start Bullet Journaling!
Despite what you see on Instagram, you don’t have to be an artist or an illustrator to start a bullet journal. Your journal is unique to you, so don’t worry about making it picture-perfect. Instead, focus on making it work for you. Not great at drawing?
Stick to a typographic style or incorporate stickers, stamps, or other decorations. Your bullet journal should be easy and enjoyable to fill out – so keep it simple, and don’t worry about making a mess!
5. It could make you happier and more productive
Bullet journaling devotees say that writing everything down on paper helps them get out of their heads and makes them feel more in control of their life.
The practice’s founder, a Brooklyn-based designer called Ryder Carroll, originally started it to help organize his life and manage his ADD. And plenty of research links a regular journaling practice with increased happiness – which means it might be time to bite the bullet!
Setting Up Your Bullet Journal: Key Pages and Layouts
Now that you’ve got your supplies, it’s time to start setting up your bullet journal. Every bullet journal should have a few key pages and layouts.
Creating an Index
An index is a crucial component of your bullet journal, as it helps you quickly locate specific entries or collections. Reserve the first few pages of your notebook for the index, and as you create new entries, add their page numbers and titles to the index for easy reference. I like to keep my index simple with just the page number and a brief title. But some people get really creative with color-coding and symbols. Do what works for you.
Designing Your Future Log
A future log is a yearly overview that allows you to plan for upcoming events, deadlines, and goals. Divide a two-page spread into six sections, one for each month, and record important dates or milestones. This log is a reference for long-term planning and can be used with your monthly and daily logs. I find the future log especially helpful for keeping track of birthdays, vacations, and big project deadlines. It’s like a bird’s eye view of your year.
Setting Up Your Monthly Log
A monthly log is a two-page spread that provides an overview of the current month. On the left page, create a calendar-style layout with the dates and days of the week. Use this space to record events, appointments, and deadlines. On the right page, create a task list for the month, where you can jot down goals, projects, and to-dos. I like to start each month with a fresh slate and migrate any unfinished tasks from the previous month. It helps me stay focused on what’s important.
Structuring Your Daily Log
Daily logs are the core of your bullet journal, where you record your tasks, events, and notes daily. Start each day with the date, and then use rapid logging to capture your entries. Utilize bullet points, dashes, and other symbols to categorize your entries, making it easy to identify tasks, events, and notes at a glance. I’ve found that keeping my daily logs simple and concise is key. I rapidly log throughout the day as things come up, and then, at the end of the day, I review and migrate any unfinished tasks to the next day or week.
In Summary
Just like that, we’ve skimmed over what makes bullet journaling so incredibly special. It’s not just about keeping a notebook or crossing off tasks (though that’s part of the fun). Think of it as crafting your solution, allowing you to bypass distractions and concentrate fully on priorities.
Feel like you’re always busy? Or maybe you’re an imaginative type—or just plain overwhelmed by life’s demands? Bullet journaling could be the answer to streamlining your thoughts and celebrating wins big and small in everyday existence. It’s a tool, a practice, and a way of thinking that can transform your life and work.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a notebook, a pen, and an open mind, and dive into the wonderful world of bullet journaling!
