If you journal you have no doubt heard all the buzz about bullet journaling. However, you may not quite understand what a bullet journal is, and what is involved in this method of journaling. My goal today is to help make bullet journaling clearer for you.
The main thing to keep in mind, is that bullet journaling is essentially combining everything into one place. This includes your thoughts, finances, schedules, to-do-list and more into one single journal. It's a great way of keeping you organised and allows you to keep up with your bullet journaling in one place every day. Much easier than trying to remember where you left various journals around the house! Having a bullet journal is not only fun, but is extremely helpful in helping to reduce stress and anxiety.
Top Benefits of Bullet Journaling
There's lots of benefits attached when you start a bullet journal. Please remember that there is no right or wrong way to keep your journal. Your goal is to customize it to suit your life, and to make your life easier, not more difficult. You don't have to feel pressured into having your bullet journal organised or look like other journals you may have seen on Pinterest.
Here are some different ways you can benefit by having a bullet journal:
• I love this one! Everything is in one place – First of all, all your different to-do lists, schedules, and notes are in a single journal. Many people do have journals or digital to-do lists with this type of information, but it is inconvenient having one for finances, another for home chores, and another for business to-do lists.
The bullet journal lets you have everything in one place since you are using symbols and short phrases instead of long paragraphs of notes.
• It is easy to do – A bullet journal is also very easy to put together. You can do this how you like, but typically you start by creating the index, which also becomes a broad selection of what to include. Then you number your pages and start writing.
• You can track your regular habits – Since you are writing in the bullet journal daily, you are able to track your habits and see what needs to change. It can help you see that you spend too much money on coffee and eating out, or that you aren’t exercising enough.
Choosing Your Journal
To start your bullet journal, you first need a journal to use. This can be any type of journal, but choosing one that is thick enough for all your different pages and that has nice large pages is a good idea. Some people like to use a binder so that you can easily add pages as needed. This is also a great choice if you want to include any type of printable planner or tracker in your journal. Decide if you are going to be carrying your bullet journal around with you. If so, you may want to purchase one that fits inside your purse easily. If you plan on doodling or decorating the pages look for thick pages so nothing bleeds through.
Components of a Bullet Journal
Remember, you will be creating your bullet journal however you like, but it helps to have some tips and directions for getting started.
Here are some components to try and include in your bullet journal:
• Index – Every bullet journal should preferably have an index. This lets you know what area different sections of the journal are located, such as grocery and meal planning, or finances. It is a great way to jot down fast notes as you can go right to that page.
• Page numbers – Naturally, since you have an index, you also need to have page numbers. You can be as creative as you want, but make sure every page is numbered and it corresponds with what is in the index.
• Signifiers – Signifiers are symbols that you assign to different types of notes. It can be helpful when you want to use them in place of longer phrases. This can be a happy or sad smiley face for your moods, a heart for a date with your significant other, or a Christmas tree when scheduling holidays.
With this basic information, you will be well on your way to getting that bullet journal started and you will enjoy journaling every day!
I would love to know what you love about your current bullet journal, or if you have any tips for new users. Just leave them in the comments section below. Don't forget to like our Journal Page here too!
Thanks
Sue