I’ve been doing bullet journaling for just over five years now. In fact, I’m getting ready to set up my sixth one. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot of things. I’ve learned what works for me and what doesn’t and I’ve picked up a few little tips and tricks along the way. If you’re new to bullet journaling, keep reading, and I’ll tell you what I’ve discovered over the last five years.
You don’t really need a key
Every article about starting a bullet journal will tell you that you need to start with a key. If you follow the Bullet Journal Method, you will also see that it tells you to start with a key. I did add one for my first bullet journal but found that it really wasn’t necessary.
There are only two symbols that I really use throughout my bullet journal. I cross out or strike through anything that is completed. And I add a little arrow to indicate that I didn’t get to a task and need to move it to the next week to complete. That’s it. Just those two.
You can completely get by with just using those two symbols. If you want to add more you can. Or if you want to color code, you can opt for that as well. You could use one color for personal tasks, another for work tasks, another for school schedules, etc. But if you feel that you don’t really need a key, you don’t have to add one. It’s still a bullet journal without it.
You don’t need a future log, but you do need goal lists
The Bullet Journal Method will also tell you to add a Future Log to the start of your bullet journal. But if I’m being honest, I never used it. I never remembered to go back and add things to each month. I actually found that I needed logs that were more specific.
For example, I have a New Year’s Log with my goals for the New Year. I also have another goal page with goals broken down into quarters. I find that being more specific with the page and tailoring it to what I need, helps much more than just a month-by-month future log. Any events that are happening in a certain month, I just go ahead and write in the calendar for that month.
You don’t need a daily log but you do need a weekly log
I never once used a daily log. What I do use are weekly logs. I use 1 page for each week. Each day has its own section of the page, but that’s it. The individual day does not get any more space than that. I actually think that this helps keep things more realistic.
If you have more room for each day, you’ll write more things down on each day. But I guarantee you won’t be able to get to all of the items on that day. Which means you’ll just have to move them on to the next day and so on and so forth. If you have a to-do list of 15 items in one day, unless they’re just sending 15 emails, you’re probably not going to have time to do all 15 items in that list.
And what happens when you get to the end of the day and realize that you didn’t get everything done? You feel defeated. You feel overwhelmed. But if you have less space, then you’re giving yourself just the right amount for the things that you can actually get accomplished in one day.
At the beginning of the week, I recommend starting with the things that have specific deadlines and add those to your week. Then go back with all the tasks that don’t have deadlines and space them out throughout the week. If you have the opportunity to give yourself some breathing room in your day, do it!
You may want to go big!
I started out with a Moleskin XL Dotted Notebook which is 7.5 x 9.5 inches. For my first two years I used this notebook, but I’d find myself running out of room before the end of the year. My calendar spreads were still two pages but so were my weekly spreads. Between that and all the lists I wanted to create and the fact that I used it a lot for travel planning, I found myself running out of space quickly.
So, I moved to the Leuchtturm 1917 A4 Plus notebook which is 8.75 x 12.5 inches. But it also has 233 pages! And a pocket in the back that you can keep loose items in. I was able to switch to single page weekly spreads and I still have pages leftover at the end of the year.
You’ll change your lists year after year
Every year that you set up your bullet journal will be new. Over the years, you’ll learn what you use and what you don’t use. You’ll re-evaluate lists and decide whether or not to include them in your next bullet journal.
I have copied over my bucket list and my reading list year after year. I had a capsule wardrobe page for the first two years but after that, I realized that I just didn’t use it and I haven’t added one in a bullet journal since.
Sometimes it seems like a hassle to copy whole pages over when you’re setting up a bullet journal each year but it is definitely worth it. But I do not recommend trying to set one up in just one sitting. If you spread it out over a few days like through the 7 Day Bullet Journal Challenge, it’s much easier to do.
You’ll get more creative
In the beginning you may just draw your calendar and draw lines to separate out the days in each weekly spread, but over time, your bullet journal will start to become something a little bit more creative. When you start following Pinterest boards for inspiration, you’ll see ideas you’ll want to try.
You can draw on your monthly spreads, your weekly spreads, your lists, or just anywhere in between. Not every month has to have a theme or be decorative. It’s perfectly fine to draw a really cute theme in February but then just keep March simple. Just do what suits you and what you have time for.
An index is needed
An index is a must! I recommend leaving at least two pages for this at the beginning of your bullet journal. Write down the title of every page along with the page number. This makes it so much easier to find things rather than flipping through your bullet journal trying to find it.
You can also use markers around the edge of the paper to indicate where a particular section is located or even use washi tape around the edge to help you locate a section. Bullet journals can be over two hundred pages so this is particularly helpful.
You’ll go off track at some point
There will be times where life will get busy and you will forget to keep up with at least one part of your bullet journal whether it’s the trackers or the lists. But it’s okay. You can get right back into it even if you’ve slacked off for a month.
It seems like March is usually that part of the year for me. Historically around March, I fall off the wagon and only halfway keep up with things in my bullet journal. But then in April, I force myself to get right back to it. Getting off track doesn’t make you a bad bullet journaler. It makes you human.
You may think you should keep a separate one for work and one for personal stuff, but it’s much better to keep just one
For the first 2 years I tried keeping anything work related out of my bullet journal. I told myself that my bullet journal was just for me and my personal stuff. But things at work started picking up and I needed a place to keep track of all of that stuff too.
So I had a bullet journal for my personal life and then a planner for work, but it became too much to try to keep both updated. At that point, I migrated everything over into the bullet journal and have never looked back since. You can absolutely keep track of your personal life, your day job, and your side hustle all in one book.
Colored Pencils Are Better for Full Drawings
I use markers for a lot of things in my bullet journal, however, if I get the urge to do a full-page drawing, I use colored pencils. Markers still bleed through pages even if you’re using a nice quality bullet journal.
If you’re doing a full-page drawing, it will bleed through a lot so it’s better to use colored pencils for this if you’re planning on writing on the back side of the page. Another alternative is to glue the next page to the back so that you have a clean slate.
Bullet Journals really can help you with your goals
Bullet journals can help you break your bad habits, start good habits, and keep you on track with your New Year’s Resolutions. I know it might seem a little far-fetched that a bullet journal could do all of that but it really can.
You have to think of your bullet journal as your accountability partner. Most people these days are given more than they can possibly keep up with. And because of that, there is always something that falls through the cracks.
I like to use fitness as an example because it’s actually one I’ve struggled with a lot! When I first got my Fitbit, I had a goal to walk 10,000 steps per day. So, I made a tracker for it in my bullet journal. And at the end of each day, I would record whether or not I made it. Blue square I made it, white, I did not. At the end of the first month, I had 4 blue squares. I was disappointed in myself and knew I had to do better.
But I also knew that maybe the 10,000 steps per day was too much starting out. So, I went smaller. I decided to aim for 6.000 steps per day. That next month, I had around 20 blue squares. Not perfect, but it was definitely getting better. And the next month, I tried even harder. Those little blue boxes were holding me accountable each month.
When you start to feel like you’re getting closer and closer to your goals, your motivation starts increasing too. And it’s that motivation that helps you eventually reach them. These bullet journal trackers, will give you that extra push in the right direction.
Why you should start now
2020 has thrown all of us off course, some more than others. And this year has not been anything like I planned and I know every person out there feels the exact same way. Most of us feel like this has been a lost year. That’s why I think it’s more important than ever to use a bullet journal. It’s time to reclaim the goals that were lost. It’s time to get back on track and make next year, the year we all reach our goals!
Need some help getting started? Join my free 7 Day Bullet Journal Challenge and get your 2021 bullet journal set up today!
