How To Bullet Journal

The Bullet Journal has been around for a while. The mystery of how to bullet journal is not hard to figure out. When I first saw one I thought it was a shorthand book someone was practicing out of. As I investigated it more and more I was hooked on the idea of starting one.

The Magic of a bullet Journal

The magic of this type of journal is flexibility. It can ultimately look any way you want it too. You don’t even have to buy a fancy journal. I have seen some people use small notebooks, but the dots on the bullet journal are one of the things that make it so easy.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

 Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Things you will need to start your Bullet Journal Journey.

1. A Nice Bullet Journal. I recommend this one, DOTTED JOURNAL..

2. Some nice pens or pencils. I use these, Ibayam, and I love a fine point pen like THIS.

You really don’t need much to be successful to journal. A sharp pencil works just as well as a nice fine point pen. I used colored pencils a lot. It really isn’t necessary to buy anything expensive.

Successful Journaling comes from commitment

If you really want to know how to bullet journal you must make the commitment to learn it. My husband I and took Shag lessons a few years ago. If you are British, let me explain. Shagging is the State of South Carolina’s dance. It was created for dance parties on the beach. So, the movements are kind of like sliding on the floor.

We were pretty bad at it. As a matter of fact we still are. Not because we don’t know the steps, but because we never practice. I have been taught the steps but never mastered the dance because I don’t practice.

Honestly if you want to bullet journal effectively you have to just START. Start somewhere today and begin changing the way you do things.

More Than Just A Planner

I am a planner and usually very organized. Having something to write down appointments and keep track of the days is important to me. The bullet journal is different. It is a journal as well as a planner. The planning part is essential to be organized and the journal part is for the things we think about or wish for. I love it!!!!

Do you have a plan or are you just wishing for a better day, week even life? Have you ever tried to use a Daytimer, journal or any other type of method to keep up with life? I am going to explain how to bullet journal and tell you why it is so amazing.

I have tried so many different methods to maintain some sanity in my day to day life. Keeping all the things we do together is complicated. Time marches on whether we like it or not and I would like to know my own comings and goings. Maybe you are the same.

Make the bullet journal work for you, not something else you have to work at. Create pages about your vacation fund or debt payoff goals. It is your creation, just start somewhere.

Day Timer Plus Journal

I have never been one to keep a very good diary or journal. As a matter of fact I remember my high school Brit Lit teacher making us keep a journal of sorts. It was torture. My efforts were futile and who wants to write about talking to their 15 year old boyfriend on the telephone any way.

Now that I am older I actually like to look back at what went on over the last year. So I do somewhat of a journal. When I read something I want to remember I write it down. This combined with my calendar of events really has turned out to be a journal of sorts.

As you can see in my entries from last year I had a wedding. So the months previous to that involved a lot of planning, phone numbers, dates and other important things to remember. I also included some scripture I read and other things going on. I actually had 2 pages for January, so I only showed you the second page leading into February. So where do we start?

Start With A Good Bullet Journal

You really have to start by getting a dot journal. There are many brands out there. The part that is essential is the dots. Each page is lined with linear dots. Not just lines but literally dots, hence the name “dot journal”. After the dots, the inside is where your creativity begins and as individual as you are.

The Classic Dot Journal

The Man With The Plan

Ryder Carroll did a video about how to bullet journal here. To understand the reason to do it and how watch the video first. You can link to it here . Carroll gives many ideas about how to style your pages. People use many kinds of abbreviations for their pages and what they want to keep track of . It is not just any story in a bullet journal, it’s your story. Eventually it will also be your memories too. Each person has a different method and idea about how to use the journal.

Why The Dots

When you open a dot journal you will see all the dots on the page. The dots are purely for order and aesthetics. Having the dots makes it so easy to make boxes, lines and any other linear design you need to make.

Look at these amazing lines. For someone that loves clean symmetry I am drooling over this journal. This journal is designed by a girl named Nicole. You can look more closely at her journal entries here. You can see what the dots are for. Helping to keep your journal clean and organized.

Bullet Journals Are As Unique As You Are

The biggest reason I love a bullet journal is the variety. What works for you may not work for someone else. Since you are the one setting it up it is all about you!!!!

Have you ever bought or received a planner? They are so stinkin’ pretty. I love to look at them and the planners always tempt me. Just because of the covers. Sometimes they come with all kinds of stickers to add to pages. I really do love them, but guess what? Planners that I did not make have pages in them I will not use. Stickers are given to my grand kids and some pages are NEVER used.

The planner is not used as effectively as it should be and I lose interest in it before too long. This has never happened in my bullet journal. I love using it. I put what I want to on the pages. When I leave the house the bullet journal goes with me. On Sundays I look at the month and get ready for Monday. About mid-month I start to look towards the next month and get it set up.

It’s Therapeutic To Plan and Write

Planning and writing are therapeutic.

• Planning something is looking into the future. Looking towards the future is important to our self care. It means we can be hopeful. Looking ahead and planning means placing ourselves in the future.
• Writing it down makes it seem even more possible in our minds. The written word makes our plan seem real. It’s like we are making a claim for the future.
• Plus writing important dates down helps us to remember where we are supposed to be. Remember in school, we listened, we read, we saw the word and we wrote the words down. Involving all of our senses helps us to remember.

What Kinds Of Things Do We Put In Our Bullet Journal?

This is where you may only be limited by your imagination. If you are limited by your imagination, well just pin bullet journal ideas on Pinterest and you will see lots of lovely ideas. Some things people like to put on there pages,

• Goals, financial, personal, or business.
• Weight loss tracking
• Water tracking
• Birthdays
• Monthly Calendars
• Weekly Calendars
• Daily Schedules
• Book List for the year
• Gardening Tips
• Decluttering Schedule

The list is endless. Just start out small and let your own ideas take over from there. You can’t finish something you never start and you will really regret it if you never try this.

Supplies

So here is a list of the things I am using right now.

• Northbooks Lechtturm A5 medium hardcover pages are 5.75 x 8.25
• Tombow Twintone Brights
• Micron 02, 005, and 08 black pens
• Staedtler Triplus Fineliner 0.3mm Pens 12 Color Set
• MEEDEN Real Brush Watercolour Brush Pens Set, (Set of 20 Colors)

Now I am kind of nutty about pens and pencils. I always have been and you certainly can use any kind of pens you like. This is your bullet journal with your ideas. Do it however you want to.

How To Bullet Journal

So let’s recap some things to do and how to actually use your journal efficiently.

• Get Your Supplies
  • Journal
  • Pens
  • Colored Pencils
  • Fine Point Markers
  • Stickers if you want them
• Start Your Pages.
  • Travel Plans
  • Wishlist
  • Phrases You Love
  • Weight Loss Tracker
  • Appointments
  • Prayer List
  • Bible Verses You Love

Once You Know How to bullet Journal it’s all up to you

I Love The Bullet Journal!!!

Here’s why

Productivity

When you start tracking your goals and other worthwhile events you will become more productive. You will find the acts of preparing, looking back and checking things off as you finish them rewarding. The initial investment is very little compared to a phone or other smart device you may buy to help plan out your days. So start now and try this amazing way of keeping it all together.

Organization

Always take your bullet journal with you. Set up YOUR system and use it consistently. Taking it with you everywhere is important. If you want the journal to be your Grand Central Station then you can’t leave it at home. Jotting down all the tidbits of information that needs to be dealt with is the first part of being organized.

Memory

Not only does the act of writing something down help us to remember, but it also leaves us with the memory itself.

Start today, get your own journal and begin the journey.

Please ask about the bullet journal. I would love to hear what you need to make your life more organized and productive. Your comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading today, Honestly, Janet.