Building a Bullet Journal
Sometimes life can get crazy hectic - trust me, my life is constant chaos. Everyone is familiar with the basic daily planner, one that gives you a spread of the month in the beginning and then gives you space to write out whatever it is you need to keep track of (appointments, parties, meetings, etc). I remember becoming almost addicted to planners in high school when we got them at the beginning of the year - being a young, single mother having a planner was a Godsend. And now, as a mother of two and a full-time student, having a planner with me at all times is more than a Godsend; it is literally a lifesaver. But sometimes just having a pre-designed planner can be boring. Am I right? The amount of personalization you can put into them is rather minimal, and it just seems so business-like. So...formal.
Recently I've discovered a method of planning that is restriction-free. Hard to believe, I know. But bullet journals are an amazing way to keep track of the events and tasks of your daily life and be creative and free. But what is a bullet journal? And how do you build one? That's what I'm here for - to give you a foundation for how to build a bullet journal.
What is a bullet journal?
A bullet journal is a customizable organizational system. It's your to-do list, your diary, a scrapbook, a notebook. It's everything and anything you want it to be.
What goes into a bullet journal?
Anything and everything! And I mean that in all honesty. You can put anything and everything you want into your bullet journal. Some examples are:
>> Your to-do list(s): school and/or personal
>> Inspirational quotes
>> Notes, class notes...research...personal notes
>> Photos, paint swatches, doodles, pen swatches
>> Shopping lists
>> Trackers (habit, exercise, water)
>> Key, monthy view, budget
And literally anything else you can think of.
What do you use?
This can vary depending on how personalized you want your bullet journal to be or how creative you want to be. The most basic essentials for building a bullet journal are a notebook or journal and your favorite pen or pencil! Some bullet journals can be made with loose-leaf paper in a three-ring binder.
Aside from those basics, whatever else you use in building your bullet journal is entirely up to you. Some people use stickers or Washi tape to decorate their pages. Any inspirational quotes or doodles you add are also means of decoration to spice up your pages.
Not creative? That's okay! The official bullet journal website gives you a basic run-down of the "official" setup for a bullet journal (but you don't need to adhear to those guideliens), but they also give you the option to purchase a bullet journal that is pre-designed. And while that sort of goes against the idea of customizing a bullet journal, it gives you more freedom than a typical pre-designed planner.
So how do you build a bullet journal?
As I said, a bullet journal is very personalized and customizable. The way you set up your journal and the way you follow through with designing your journal is entirely up to you. But if you're like I was when I first started out and have no clue where to start, hopefully this will help you out a little bit. These photos are of my bullet journal for building this website. I have a personal journal that is set up very different than this one, and I also have a seperate school planner (because I'm an odd human).
Journal & pens are all you really need to start making a bullet journal!
Adding scrapbook stickers to the pages of your journal can really personalize them.
A little color can make your journal pages easier to revisit.
Journal & pens are all you really need to start making a bullet journal!
Bullet journaling is different for everyone. Everyone has a system that works best for them, and a lot of people change their system every month. There are a few generic guidelines for building a journal, but they are completely customizable. The slideshow above shows a few page set ups from my website bullet journal - my journal dedicated to building and maintaining this website and nothing else. Because of its nature, the set up and layouts I'm using aren't all that fancy or elaborate. But they can be examples of the things you can do with your bullet journal.
The supplies I've used for my journal are pretty basic - a lime green Poppin journal from Staples and any pens I have on hand. Typically I use a black Sharpie pen and colored Staedtler pens (mainly because the tips are so thin and the writing is so much smoother). Occasionally I add some stickers or Washi tape to the pages for some color, some flair, but a majority of the time it's just my hand-written notes about the things I need and want to add to the website.
The first "page" of my bullet journal isn't really a page at all; it's the "What is this journal?" page. So it's labeled as my website bullet journal and it has a few random doodles (in case you can't tell, the bottom one is a penguin and the top is a bee. And yes. I know. The bee is orange.).
The key can be designed in whatever way you feel is best. Like I said, bullet journals are extremely customizable. The point of the key is to help you keep everything in order. Think of it as a legend. That's probably a better way to think of it. It helps you to keep track of your events and tasks at a single glance - certain shapes and symbols for certain things. Mine is basic, but it's still a little more complex than I actually need for the purpose of the journal.
This is a closer look at my key. As I said, it's pretty basic; I've seen other legends/keys that are far more detailed than mine. But I don't really used all these symbols throughout my journal simply because of it's purpose.
Some of the most important features of the key are the indicators of when tasks have been started, completed, cancelled, or moved. When you use this system throughout your journal, it makes keeping your life in order and on track.
Because of how easy it is to personalize your journal, you can create your own system. You can make something that works best for you, and there are no rules that state you must stick with the same system throughout the use of your journal; if you find that what you're doing isn't working, change it up! I've seen bullet journal users change the style of their layouts and the system they use at the start of every month. Honestly, that's just part of the charm and the appeal of the journal.
Other pages of your journal can vary depending on the type of person you are. I don't have any trackers in this particular journal simply because it isn't designed to keep track of anything more than this website. But I've seen a lot of journals that have different kinds of ttrackers listed - hydration trackers, habit trackers, things like that. All the other pages you put into your jouranl are as customizable as you want them to be. Journal entries, lists, academics... You name it, it can be in your journal!
I know this page seems kind of airy and kind of circular in logic, but a bullet journal really is that open! You can search for inspiration on Pinterest, on the official bullet jouranl webpage, and this YouTube video has some great tips for beginniners. So go ahead. If you're having trouble keeping your life straight, and you want a planning system that is as unique as you are and fits your crazy life, give bullet journaling a try!