For the last few months I’ve been trying to figure out how to get myself organized and motivated to do anything other than sit on my butt playing computer games and watching shows. I’ve heard the buzz word “Bullet Journaling” floating around but didn’t think too much about it.
I started creating a journal that was going to work for me and went online to look for an idea for a health journal or tracker. I wanted to see how often I get sick and what symptoms I get most often. I also wanted to track how often I exercise and hopefully motivate myself to do it more often. That’s when this “Bullet Journaling” came up again in full force. Apparently that was exactly what I was trying to create.
In case this is your first time hearing about bullet journals, it is a journal that you create yourself. You choose what you want to include, how you want the layout to be, what order you want the pages to be in, etc. That’s the best thing about them; you can customize it to the way that is going to work best for you. And if what works best for you changes, then you can change the layout again or add pages without being stuck with a planner for the rest of the year that you hate.
Originally I was just going to use a binder that I had here and pages of loose leaf. I had a really pretty binder already and I didn’t really feel like going out to buy a journal when I had something that would work already. I went on Pinterest and started planning out my pages, and tweaking them if I didn’t like the first layout or font. I moved the pages around to make it flow better. That was the best thing about using a binder; you could move or remove pages that weren’t working.
When I was at work I knew we had some little sketch books and that it wouldn’t cost me very much to buy with my discount ($4!). I wasn’t sure if it would be big enough but I brought it home and it was perfect. I started copying my pages that I had set up in my binder, and my bullet journal was born.
A bullet journal is not going to be perfect, at least not the first one. There are going to be mistakes and it will be a learning process. But that is another thing I love about it. You will be able to see your progress and growth as you go through the year and you learn what works for you and what doesn’t. I already made a mistake and ripped a page out of my new journal (now the page numbers are off, but no one will notice). There are headers I don’t like and others that I love. It’s all a learning process.
One of my goals for this year is to be more creative and I think this journal is also going to help with that. I have seen some really beautiful bullet journals online with some really beautiful pictures drawn in. I don’t think I am very good at drawing but if I start practicing by decorating the pages in my journal, maybe by this time next year I will be!
Maroon Caludin
December 17, 2017 at 11:50 amAwesome looking journal! I’ve been keeping them for 2 years. When I make an effort to use them their helpful! I suppose I should start getting this years one ready!
Britney
December 17, 2017 at 4:16 pmI’ve been contemplating starting a bullet journal as well. I love that you designed yours yourself. It looks really nice.
Susanne
December 18, 2017 at 12:45 amSo this is basically a journal that you do yourself using a pen? Kind of handy! I just don’t know if I’d be able to plan it and make everything fit. But I don’t like the typical ready made Swedish planners, because they all look the same (although I’ve found another type of planner recently), so I suppose this would be a good thing. Maybe in the future!
Pauline
December 22, 2017 at 5:19 amI actually started a Bullet Journal 2 years ago and loved it whilst I had it but found it difficult having to carry it everywhere and realised that my laptop served me a lot better so everything is digital now. I use Todoist and Google Calendar to keep everything in check!
Bullet Journals don’t need to be perfect, they just need to be a place for you to get everything organised! I hope it works for you 🙂
Have a great holiday season!
Kya
December 25, 2017 at 10:46 pmAwesome! Your bullet journal looks so good, and I am glad that you mentioned it does not need to be perfect! It’s a very personal thing. 🙂
Hiro
December 27, 2017 at 8:58 amI think I commented when I saw your journal on Twitter or Instagram or something, but welcome again to the BuJo train! I love it, and I love the flexibility it offers me. Sometimes I wish I could just print out stuff to paste in (like monthly calendars), but I hope those kinds of things will improve with practice… And also when I actually get myself a dotted notebook as opposed to a lined one. That’s my one biggest regret with my journal. Perfect size, sturdiness, etc., But lined instead of dotted… Definitely getting dotted for my next one!
Hope you get a lot of goals crushed with your new journal!
Deanna
December 28, 2017 at 3:52 pmYes, the dotted journals look so cute! I like that mine has no lines or anything but I would like a dotted one if I see any.
2017 In Review: Part Four | Stubborn Ox
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2017 In Review: Part Four – Stubborn Ox
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