How to Start a Bullet Journal (& How it Changed My Life)
If you’re not familiar with the Bullet Journal, I am here to tell you how to start one – and that it will absolutely change your life.
As someone who has always had a never-ending to-do list (I really love lists), this method allows me to plan effectively on when I will do the tasks, and not to forget them. It also allows me the flexibility to not do them when I said I would, and re-plan the “when”. I know what you’re thinking: “So, I can keep track of my never-ending to-do list, not get overwhelmed by it, actually get some things done, and have built-in flexibility?” I know, it sounds like a dream. And it is quite dreamy, my friend, but it is my reality with the Bullet Journal!
There are many many many ways to structure your bullet journal. If you’re like me, you started reading this article and immediately stopped to Google the word “bullet journal” (why read this article when Google can get you the answer faster, am I right?). You probably found hundreds of thousands of pictures of beautiful calligraphied, watercolored, artistic, graphically organized journals. I LOVE looking at these. The people who have created these works of art are brilliant. However, your bullet journal is YOUR BULLET JOURNAL. You do not need to create a work of art unless you want to.
How to Start a Bullet Journal
I recommend watching this video to get started. It is from the creator of the bullet journal, and it outlines the basic necessary components of how to start a bullet journal.
That’s all you need to start. That, and a notebook. And a pen (or a pencil or other writing utensil of your choice).
How I Started My Bullet Journal
If you’re interested in learning the process I used to start bullet journaling, and how I found what I LOVE, read on.
Research
First, I watched the above video. Next, I got overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands of beautiful examples on Pinterest and Instagram. I made a list of all the components I wanted to include in my bullet journal: a mood tracker, a habit tracker, monthly, weekly, and daily spreads, a water tracker, a place to do a daily artwork….it was a long list. I read up on what journal was the best. If I wanted to include watercolor, what kind of paper would be best? I read articles where people had tried different papers with watercolor and rated them.
Then, I considered that this might not be for me after all, because this was all very overwhelming.
Then, I remembered that my to-do list was overwhelming, too, and I wasn’t really taking care of myself very well. So, I persevered.
Getting Started
I am a perfectionist, and I know this about myself. The thought of a beautiful clean journal is really appealing to me. The thought of messing up a beautiful clean journal with ink mistakes is paralyzing. PARALYZING. Some of you know what I’m talking about – you feel me. I feel you. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re very lucky. Carry on with your non-anxiety-ridden self.
To overcome this, I first bought a BIG graph-paper spiral-bound notebook (like this), so I could try out as many different designs as I wanted and mess up and rip out the pages and not care.
Then, I bought a few different kinds of pens (yes, I read many articles on that, too), and a 6-inch ruler. I chose the 6-inch ruler because I was planning on using the standard notebook size of approximately 5×8 inches, like the Leuchtturm or the Moleskine or the Bullet Journal brand. I needed a bigger ruler for the BIG practice notebook, so I used my husband’s art tools for a while.
For a few weeks, I tried out some different things. I tried tracking things, I tried keeping lists, etc. I came up with the symbols that I wanted to use.
Then, when I was ready, I bought The Notebook (Not the movie. Not the book. THE Notebook – notice it is in all caps, for emphasis that this was a big deal to me and I really didn’t want to mess it up). Actually, I bought 2 notebooks because I couldn’t decide:
Troubleshooting
I used a dotted notebook for a few months, but I was tired of drawing the lines for my weekly spread. I found a Moleskine planner that had a similar layout to what I was already doing and started using that. However, I kept making separate to-do lists (Did I mention I really love lists?). After a year of using that, I stumbled across an example on Instagram (#bujo, on Kara Benz’s Boho Berry account, @boho.berry, which is currently inactive) that included the Alastair method in a layout. This seemingly combined my love of lists with my love of planners. This was also around the same time I began feeling like my bullet journal was too small – I had too much content in the month spreads and was having to write tinier and tinier.
So I sprung for a larger Moleskine, same style, and started the Alastair spread.
A few months later, I spilled tea in my purse (more on that in a separate blog article later), and ruined my entire notebook. I bought a new one. They didn’t have one at the store so I ordered one online through Amazon, and it was here in 4 days (that’s really impressive for Alaska shipping!).
The moral of the story is this: the bullet journal is extremely flexible. You can change what you’re doing and it will be ok. Start with the basics. And try different notebooks. Lastly, change it when you feel like it. It doesn’t matter how you start to bullet journal, just get started!
What the bullet journal does for me (how it changes my life):
- It helps me track things I need to do annually. This reduces anxiety.
- It helps me track things I want to do in the future but don’t have time to do right now. This allows me to be creative and productive and not frustrated.
- It helps me manage my anxiety by giving me a place to write down EVERYTHING.
- It helps me track and build habits and routines. I am big on self-improvement, and this is a tool that helps me make progress.
What the bullet journal does not do:
- It is not magic: It is a tool, not a magic pill. You have to use it regularly for it to work. It requires dedication to work. If you don’t use it regularly, it will not work for you.
Happy bullet journaling!
Della
