What is a bullet journal?
An actual bullet journal is a notebook that you can use as a planner, calendar, task list, and journal all in one. The purpose of a bullet journal is to maximize your productivity by having your goals, tasks, and agenda organized and contained together.
When bullet journaling became popular a few years ago, it somehow morphed into something else. Bullet journal enthusiasts shared beautifully drawn calendars and task lists with pretty embellishments online. The bullet journals on social media turned into more of a journal art project. Although ascetically pleasing, these elaborate journals kind of defeat the true purpose of a bullet journal: to maximize your productivity.
Unlike a traditional paper calendar or planner, you add pages as you go throughout the year.
Outlined below are the barebones basics on how to bullet journal and the supplies you need.
Bullet Journal Supplies
To really bullet journal all you really need is a:
- Notebook
- Pen
That’s it! How fancy of a notebook you decide to buy is up to you. If you do end up using the bullet journal as a daily organizational tool, it is worth investing in a higher-quality notebook. After using the notebook for a year, it will get some wear and tear.
You can buy a notebook that is blank, lined, graphed, or dotted. It is just a matter of preference. After using all different types of notebooks, My preference is still a college-ruled moleskin. Lined paper is a lot easier to write quickly on. Also, the size notebook can fit easily in a purse or bag.
What about markers, stickers, and highlighters? If you learn visually or like things color-coded, markers and highlighters can be helpful to use. I like to use a highlighter to highlight headlines in the bullet journal or underline important tasks.
Bullet Journal Sections
- Key
- Index
- Future Log
- Monthly Log
- Weekly Log
- Collections
Bullet Journal Key
The bullet journal key is a reference guide to the different symbols and organizing systems you use in your journal.
If you color code different sections, you can also include the color guide.
TIPS
- Keep the key simple
- Use symbolls that you already use and are familar with
INDEX
The bullet journal index is the numerical index of pages for your bullet journal. More index entries are added as you complete more pages in your bullet journal. Since the bullet journal does not follow a specific order, keeping an index up to date is very important.
TIPS
- Leave ample room for the page numbers
- Assign at least 4 pages to the index
Future Log
The future log includes two important sections. The first section is a calendar layout of the entire year. This is the most tedious section to create. Events and appointments are written to the right of the calendar layout
The second section is a bullet list of important dates for the following year
TIPS
If you are an avid bullet journal user, start working on your new bullet journal for next year in December so there is no lapse in productivity.
Include holidays and important birthdays in this calendar section.
Monthly Log
The monthly log is a vertical calendar of the month. The right page can be used to track monthly tasks, goals, and notes.
TIPS
Create the monthly log for the following month towards the end of the exisitng month to prevent a lapse in productivity
It is helpful to have all of weekly pages for month next to eachother.
Weekly Log
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collections
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