The Way of the Bullet Journal
Planning for Productivity
I am obsessed with the idea of being productive. I’m not very good at it.. But I like the idea of being productive, as if it leads to a magical state. This has made me a planner fiend, forever looking for the perfect planner.
First of all, it doesn’t exist. I could wax philosophical and say - despite the fact I’m a lifelong, anxious perfectionist - there are very few things that are actually perfect, let alone physical items, but I digress. Short version - I’ve tried out a lot of planners. I even found a company that let you design your planner. Worked for awhile, but, meh.
Here’s my problem: My life needs are constantly changing. Typically, planners don’t offer that kind of flexibility. I just - there’s always something going on. And if I wanted a planner I could fit in my bag, typically, I wouldn’t have much room to write in each day, and there were plenty of days I needed more room than what was offered. Flexibility. I needed it.
My mind really thrives on lists, reference materials, and physically writing stuff done; that last one being why I have not just fully immersed myself in apps, Lord knows there are plenty of productivity ones. I like keeping track of things. There is just a lot of information trucking through my head.
So when I bemoaned to my Facebook feed that I was struggling to find a planner I liked for the new year, I received a variety of suggestions. But I wasn’t feeling any of them. Just meh. Nothing stood out. And then bullet journaling was suggested a couple times.
Well, bullet journaling (affectionately also known as BuJo) wasn’t something I was unfamiliar with. I had tried it before, went all out with the stencils and the markers and whatnot. Never really took off with it because, despite all the Pinterest research, I couldn’t fit myself into a system. So, yeah, it didn’t last long. I got bored. I didn’t feel like I was doing it “right.” When I saw the suggestion, again, meh.
Bullet Journaling, Briefly
But, first, you might be thinking, “What the hell is bullet journaling?” If you check out the official Bullet Journal website, there’s a philosophical vibe to the page. There is also a subscription and class that can teach how to bullet journal (There is also Pinterest and Google to do these things and get ideas for free).
The bullet journal creation story is pretty interesting and inspiring. The founder, Ryder Carroll, needed an organization methodology to adapt to his learning disabilities and helped him maintain focus and be productive.
Bullet journaling is a methodology. It is not pre-filled out for you. The website states:
It's best described as a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system. It's designed to help you organize your what while you remain mindful of your why. The goal of the Bullet Journal is to help its practitioners (Bullet Journalists) live intentional lives, ones that are both productive and meaningful.
I love the explanation from this VeryWellMind.com article that hits on how bullet journaling can be for anyone:
Such a system can be appealing to those who enjoy such structure and organization. However, such complexity can be daunting and make it less likely that people actually stuck with the system. The great thing about the bullet journal approach is that it is highly adaptable—you can personalize your bullet journal to meet your specific needs, keeping it as simple or as complex as you desire.
It is fascinating to me - probably because my mind doesn’t recreate visuals in the way it seems to for designers at all - how one person creates such a system that leads to so many individual interpretations. The possibilities are infinite.
Full disclosure - there’s an app, an online community - I don’t do any of the stuff associated with the official Bullet Journal brand beyond the fact that my primary notebook is the official brand. I didn’t even realize it was this vast, like with the classes and everything. I am, however, a member of a couple BuJo groups on Facebook. And a lot of pinning, even some Instagram hashtag creeping. But beyond the methodology at its core, I’m not really tied into anything official. Plus, like I said, infinite interpretation possibilities.
Which brings me back to being suggested bullet journaling. My best friend of 20+ years, Ashley, responded to the comment that suggested bullet journaling saying that she loved it as well. Eventually, I decided to text her about it. Here is what caught my fancy:
Literally the first thing she said was how flexible it is.
No guilt of not utilizing pages.
It is made for you, by you.
And so the wheels started turning, as did my research.
Bullet Journaling and Me
So, bullet journaling and me.
In theory, all you need is a journal and a pen. But it isn’t a “normal” journal. The official journal has pages with dot grids as opposed to the typical lined journal or blank pages. A dot grid design lets you keep it flexible. It can still act as a guide on the page, but you have the freedom to draw and create what you need. But use whatever it is you're going to get the most use out of.
I started late December because I could (not being tied to any dated pages).
Guys, I am obsessed.
Evidently, it took someone (in this case, Ashley) actually telling me that it didn’t have to be perfect or check off every box that has helped me let go of my typical perfectionist tendencies:
I have tried several different weekly layouts, even after having already prepped ahead, redoing layouts because I found something that works better.
When I don’t like how pages have turned out, I have straight-up washi tape’d X’d the page out.
I have accepted the fact that my pre-determined section numbering may not align with what I actually need, and that’s okay. Really. It’s okay. Nothing a little scribbling and washi tape can’t fix.
It is also okay if I can’t fit one year into it. I’m literally making it up as I go along.
It is okay if I don’t use every component of the system. For example, I don’t do the symbol methodology which I know is something completely necessary for others. Some people don’t use the futures log because they utilize an app.
Nobody is ever going to read the damn thing and be judgy about it. For one, I can’t think of a reason why anyone would read it. Two, to be frank, if they are going to be judgemental about it, ultimately, I probably won’t (or shouldn’t) give much thought to their opinion.
Which leads me here: There are a ton of really great resources out there to help you figure out the bullet journal system. But there is one point I want to reiterate: Ultimately, it is about what works for you. No gatekeeping here.
It is probably fair to say that my journaling does look as intentional as others’ might. I’ll be damned though if this hasn’t helped me significantly when it comes to my organizational skills, both on page and in my thoughts. Lord, this has helped me organize my thoughts!
When I think “intentional” or “mindful,” I see something neat and tidy. In my mind’s eye (and maybe kind of on the page), mine looks like I’m throwing paint and seeing what it creates. But it works. I’m trying to create something, and I’m starting to figure out what that looks like, so I may need to tweak my mind’s eye’s vision of intentional and mindful.
Also, stickers are really useful in BuJo, so if you’re a stickers fan, remember that.
An X’d out page (no washi tape involved)
The More, the Merrier?
So what does my BuJo include?
Plot twist - I have three bullet journals.
The Big Three
In part, this is because I realize fairly early on in setting up my first journal that I couldn’t do everything I wanted to do with my journal unless I wanted to buy a new one every four months or so, if I got that far.
The three BuJos: Life, writing/freelancing, and fire department. I’m only going to talk about the life one.
My life BuJo includes a calendar section, project section, and list section which are then broken down even more. For quick reference, at the beginning of my journal I have “Dates to Know” in 2023, such as birthdays, concerts, or events like my brother’s graduation and graduation party. Ready and available. These things are all available in my phone as well, but writing stuff down really helps things stick for me. And I can just look at those two pages, and it is right there. The other page I’ve included in my beginning are payment due dates. Fun stuff, right? Again, despite being in my phone, email alerts, I like being able to have a quick reference. And when that bill is coming up in a weekly section, I write it there too.
A successful weekly layout
What else do I keep track of? Project planning for one, which originally included writing, fire department, jewelry making, and career but now is primarily just jewelry making and career. For jewelry making, I have goals, skills I want to learn and improve, seasonal items, ideas, show dates, costs, etc.
Kind of scattered throughout, I have a few finance pages where I keep track of finances,expenses, list bills/subscriptions/etc.-type costs, budgeting, random tips I find. I also included a section that allows me to look at the values and benefits of what different subscriptions offer me.
Then there are the lists. Lists are fun. I love to make lists; I bought a notebook once that was just blank, numbered lists. Some of the lists include books I want to read in 2023, books I have read in 2023, skills to learn/improve, purchases, medications and side effects, leg pain, etc. Some of the more unique things I track are shoes that don’t aggravate my leg pain or gel polish brands I like.
Keeping track of an insert system I’m trying for help with my leg/foot pain. See how exciting?
I’m really happy with how my bullet journaling is going, and I really look forward to continuing it.
And I’m enjoying working with my other two journals. I also tend to have numerous notebooks for different things, primarily fire department projects and planning my writing.There’s an app for that? There’s a notebook for that.
Utilizing the bullet journal method has really helped me organize and centralize my notes. If anything, it helps me map out where the rest of the info is.
That’s the thing though with the bullet journal method - it really has helped my focus and processing immensely. My brain feels so much more organized, which is weird to say, but how I feel. I use OneNote all the time for my 9 to 5, and I’ve completely revamped how I keep my notes since starting BuJo.
Like I’ve said, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to make your bullet journal fit to your needs and no one else’s. There are plenty of resources and ideas available online, and they can be great for inspiration. I’m hoping this is just the beginning of the BuJo life for me!
