A Beginner-guide to bullet journaling
How to escape the comparison demons and high expectations and just start your own bullet journal—for you
I see them too. The beautiful, artistic bullet journal spreads on Instagram and Pinterest. But if you’re curious about bullet journaling, I have one very key piece of advice—ignore those images. O.k., well, maybe admire them briefly, but then m o v e o n. If you hope to start bullet journaling thinking that your post-worthy spreads will change your life, it’s only a matter of time before the habit fades into a box full of partially filled journals, pens, markers, stencils, and rulers.
What do I know anyway?
I’m currently on my 6th year of bullet journaling. I found the method when my husband sent me a YouTube video of Ryder Carrol explaining his method for organizing tasks, thoughts, appointments, and whatever else life throws in. I was immediately captivated. I had wanted to start something like this, but I hadn’t known exactly what I wanted. Ryder’s plan was simple, organized, and could be launched in his own designed hardcover Journal, a journal you already have and love, or a spiral notebook crammed in a junk drawer.
I followed Carroll’s suggestions for organizing thoughts, to-dos, and appointments all in one place. My layouts mirrored the examples he showed on YouTube and his website (the book hadn’t come out yet). I credit my lasting commitment to bullet journaling to his simple, clean plan. There’s a reason that his method exploded into a trend. He had very specific reasons why it worked for him (watch the video or read his book (or on Amazon)). I believe it is this foundation on a clear purpose that made it work so well for him and it can for you too.
So, start where?
Admire the fancy spreads, artistic title pages, intricate trackers, and all the areas of your life that you could organize in your journal…for now. And then start small! My first journal was pen and paper. It looked more like a list than a journal. Several years later, my husband referred to my 2021 journal as a work of art. I don’t know if that’s true, but I will say that my 2021 edition is my favorite so far. Small steps, trials and errors, additions, and omissions brought my journals from someone else’s format to my format. I’m not done yet—I can’t wait to see how my 2022 journal evolves. I was fortunate to start before the method went viral. If I started today, I wouldn’t have a 2021 journal. I would be overwhelmed with the massive content library that follows #bulletjournal (or #bujo if you’re nasty). That doesn’t mean that you can’t start—I’m just here to help you eliminate some of the noise so that you can begin your process.
I highly recommend Ryder Carroll’s reference guide (available by scrolling down to the bottom of the BuJo website and subscribing to the newsletter—worth it). I also recommend that you take a minute to choose fewer than five things that you want to keep track of in your new journal. Remember what I said earlier about purpose and intention. Establish those FIRST. This is YOUR life documented. It gets to be whatever you want it and need it to be. If your biggest stressor is finances, then maybe look for a couple budgeting tools to include. If your biggest stressor is your schedule, then stick to that—it can be a calendar with a few notes to begin with. Trust me when I say that this journal will grow with you. As you develop your habit with your journal, you will also realize needs for organizing other aspects of your life.
early days
“My first journal was pen and paper. It looked more like a list than a journal”
1st year of Bullet Journaling
One step at a time
About a year after I started my first bullet journal, I sunk into a period of severe anxiety and depression resulting in hospitalization. Therapy became a large part of my life. I used my journal to add tools and reminders of what I worked on in therapy. Since my phone can be a rabbit hole of distraction, my journal was the perfect place to capture these thoughts with something that I always had nearby.
As a result, I began tracking my moods—I needed to collect this data, and again, my journal proved to be the perfect place. I have gone through many iterations of how I track this information. Over time, I found my way to a method that worked for me. The first several examples that I tried looked amazing on Pinterest, but they didn’t work for me. Be willing to scrap ideas and start something fresh at any time. That’s another beautiful thing about bullet journaling—you just need to turn the page. Resist the temptation for it to be perfect or even Instagram worthy. As I look back on my trials, attempts, unfinished pages, I am grateful for this record of my thoughts at that time.
As a result, I began tracking my moods—I needed to collect this data, and again, my journal proved to be the perfect place. I have gone through many iterations of how I track this information. Over time, I found my way to a method that worked for me. The first several examples that I tried looked amazing on Pinterest, but they didn’t work for me. Be willing to scrap ideas and start something fresh at any time. That’s another beautiful thing about bullet journaling—you just need to turn the page. Resist the temptation for it to be perfect or even Instagram worthy. As I look back on my trials, attempts, unfinished pages, I am grateful for this record of my thoughts at that time.
“I have gone through many iterations of how I track my moods. Over time, I found my way to a method that worked for me.”
Reframe this tool
Yes, the bullet journal is an artistic expression AND a powerful organization tool. For me, it has become a pillar of my mental health routine. In fact, if my husband notices that I am getting visibly overwhelmed he’ll ask, “have you used your bullet journal lately.” If he has cause to ask this, the answer is usually not for a while now. I’m not perfect at using it by any means. However, if I’ve lapsed, I will go back to my book, collect my thoughts, and the sudden calm is more effective than any massage, nap, or cup of tea. AND it’s not a Tamagotchi—if I skip a couple of days, it’s right there waiting for me to pick up where I left off. Don’t try to go back and fill in what you missed—keep moving forward.
“As I look back on my trials, attempts, unfinished pages, I am grateful for this record of my thoughts at that time.”
