About two summers ago, my co-counselor at camp introduced me to a new style of planning that would later become a lifestyle for me. She had told me about this handy-dandy little gadget called a bullet journal. After going home and watching hours and hours of YouTube videos, I was hooked.
If you haven't heard of it, a bullet journal in simple terms is a style of personalized planning for individuals to sort out their tasks and events in a way that makes sense for them. Oftentimes, people's journals are divided into monthly layouts, with weekly spreads to organize their day-to-day activities. Essentially, all you need is an empty journal (I would recommend a dotted one) and a pen and you're good to go. But, if you're like me and a variety of others, you'll likely take more of an artistic approach to bullet journaling. To learn more about the basics of the bullet journal system, check out this video by the creator Ryder Carroll.
The number of excuses that I hear about my friends who admire my journal yet choose not to start one is beyond silly. It's hard to put into words how much I love bullet journaling and how useful it's been to me. But if you're not convinced yet, here are a few reasons you should start journaling too!
There are no rules
Although there are the typical "bullet journaling guidelines," there is no right or wrong way to do it. The coolest part about bullet journaling is that everyone's is different. Each spread is designed to fit your lifestyle and organization preferences. Throughout the process, it's normal to change your style and figure out what works for you and what doesn't. Looking at how my journal looked at the beginning of last year compared to now makes me laugh to realize how much I have evolved since then.
The versatility and endless number of uses for it
It is a planner? A journal? A diary? A notebook? You decide. Besides my weekly and monthly layouts, I also have a gratitude log, a space devoted to writing down shows, books, and restaurants to check out, and even a variety of inspirational quote pages for daily reminders. Honestly a lot of times I forget to write down my assignments and daily tasks in it because I'm too busy filling it up with different things. I've seen people use it to track expenses, write down packing/grocery lists, track their sleep, or even a simple brain dump page to write down things that are on their minds. Personally, one of my favorite things I have added into my journal the past two years is a "monthly mems" page where I write down the highlights and special memories from that month to look back on.
It makes you 1000x more accountable for your actions
One of the most useful aspects that I have incorporated in my journal is my habit tracker. How it works is that each month I write out all the habits that I want to track for the month, such as eating healthy, exercising, and not biting my nails (oops). Every night before I go to bed I sit down and fill out my habit tracker, where I get to fill in the boxes of all of the habits I completed that day. If you know me and my compulsive tendencies, each day I am motivated to fill in as many boxes as possible, which thus makes me more obligated to complete these tasks and become a healthier and more mindful individual. I even started flossing because one month I decided to add it in my habit tracker—my dentist now thanks me.
It allows you to let your ~artistic~ side flow
I honestly would not have always described myself as an artistic person. Yet it is in the last few years that I have found drawing and doodling so therapeutic, and I attribute a lot of that to having my bullet journal. I remember when I first started journaling, I spent hours upon hours mastering calligraphy and now I could probably do it in my sleep. By far my favorite part is getting to bedazzle my journal with colors and doodles with my theme for the month. It just makes it so darn cute!
You can make it as simple as you want it to be
However, I will say that the biggest excuse I hear for people who don't want to start bullet journaling is because they're not "artistic" or "creative" enough. That's a big load of crap because that's not even the purpose of bullet journaling. In fact, many creators take a more minimalistic approach to journaling or have a more messy and disorganized look to their journals. The point of a bullet journal is to make your planning easier, so don't think that you need all the bells and whistles.
There's always inspiration if you're stuck
One of the coolest parts about bullet journaling is the communal aspects associated with it. There is SO much inspiration out there on all different social media platforms, each with their own style of journaling and advice to share about the process. To this day I still binge watch endless plan with me videos where different YouTubers post their step-by-step monthly layouts for viewers to easily follow along. As much as I appreciate the compliments I get on my own journal, I would be lying if I didn't say that many have been copied, or at least inspired, by my favorite bullet journalers.
If you are thinking about starting a bullet journal, check out these people for some inspiration: AmandaRachLee (my personal favorite), PlanningWithKay, and StudyQuill.
If you're a stationery addict, this is for you
Definitely one of my favorite things about bullet journaling is all the money I've splurged on brush markers, fineliners, and washi tape. If you ever need to buy me a gift, you know where to start.
For a basic bullet journal starter kit, I recommend buying Sakura Pigma Microns for writing and organizing your layouts, Tombow Dual and Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens for headers and calligraphy, and Crayola Supertips for coloring your journal.
It's especially practical for college students
In high school, my schedule was pretty much set in stone with a 8:30-3:00 school day, club meetings on the same days every week, and knowing exactly when my assignments were due. But coming to college I discovered how much my routine-oriented self was thrown off with having classes at different times every day, responsibilities for extracurriculars popping up on random days, and sorority social calendars constantly changing. I find myself now using my journal to sort out dates and times of things I have going on outside of school more than anything, which was definitely a blessing in disguise.
It's more than just a planner, it's a lifestyle
To be honest, I would never call myself a disorganized person. In fact, I would describe myself as quite the opposite. However, I have still found the process of bullet journaling to have changed my life in ways that I wouldn't have ever expected. It has helped me prioritize my daily habits, organize things in my life that aren't just school related, and reflect upon the positives in my life. In some ways, bullet journaling has even allowed me to overcome my anxious tendencies and grow into a better human being. All in a little, tiny, empty notebook!
I know it sounds slightly crazy how much bullet journaling has impacted my life. It's almost like this planning style was made for me. Combining my obsession with organization, creativity, and my desire to prioritize gratitude and introspection. There are so many endless possibilities that people use their journals for and I can't wait to grow mine throughout the year. So what are YOU waiting for? Grab a pen and start planning alongside me!
