Bullet Journals: they seem to be this really great and fun trend that is super cool and easy to make... That is, until you actually sit down to create your own.
Well, I am here today to show you how bullet journals are actually super fun to make; they don't have to be stressful and they only have to be what works for you.
To begin, what exactly is a bullet journal? A bullet journal is set up to be an analog system that is designed to be a to-do list, diary, notebook, sketchbook, all in one convenient place. It was started by Ryder Carroll, a digital product designer in Brooklyn, NY.
Basically, bullet journals are a catch all for your schedule, your random thoughts and any other things you want to keep track of.
A common misconception about bullet journals is that you have to be super artistic to make one. Well, I am here to tell you this is very much so not the case because I lack a lot of artistic skills and get most of my ideas off of Pinterest. Some of the pictures below are from my friend Alyssa who is one of the most artistic people I know, and even she says that she pulls a lot of her inspiration from ideas off of Pinterest!
To start your bullet journal, you need some supplies. Your supplies definitely varies based on how much time you want to put into your bullet journal. For myself, I have a ruler, a pencil, my mechanical eraser, colored pencils and PaperMate Felt tip pens. They are super smooth and don't leak through the pages at all. You are also, of course, going to need a journal. This can really be anything you want, a composition notebook, a spiral bound notebook, a Moleskine notebook, or really any journal you can find. I found mine at TJ Maxx for $4.99
To begin your bullet journal, you start by making your index. This is where you will log what pages each of your different items are. This is also where you can put a key, if you choose to have one. I don't follow the traditional bullet journal so I don't use a key but if that works for you, totally go for it!
After your index, you make your future log. Some people do this for the entire year, but I only did mine for 6 months. Eventually I will make the next 6 months, but for now I don't need to really think that far ahead.
Now that you have your index and your future log done, you can really get into the meat and potatoes of the bullet journal. You can set up your first month page and then start each of your weekly logs. I like to set up my weekly logs for the whole month at one time because then I can record assignments that are due in the future more easily, but if you aren't a college student or are using this as more of a task tracker, then you can just do one week at a time. I have two pictures here that show you what my weekly log looks like when I start it and when I finish it because I am a really busy person and this helps me keep my life in order. Not all weekly logs look as chaotic as mine I promise!
After that, you are basically free to do whatever your creative or non-creative brain wants. If keeping it simple is good for you then that's all you need to do. This allows you to have a creative outlet and be productive. If you want to do even more that's where you can get really creative!
A bullet journal is often times used for tracking: tracking health, tracking meals, tracking books and movies, tracking travel. Basically anything you can assign a number to you can track. I have used my bullet journal to track birthdays and weightloss goals and bill paying. It is a really great place to keep all of this information so you don't have different paperwork lying around everywhere.
Another fun thing to do is just to have an inspirational page at the beginning of each month. This allows you yet another way to get creative and it is fun to look at every time you turn to your monthly page.
My final tip to first time Bullet Journal makers is do not be afraid to make mistakes. I hate writing in pencil so even though I mess up a lot I constantly do it in pen. If you make a mistake, it is totally okay! I just cross mine out, cover it up with a sticker, or if I need to, I just rip the page out. Mistakes happen, and this is what makes your bullet journal more unique!
Have fun with your bullet journal, don't let it stress you out, use it to relieve your stress. Make it colorful and bright and messy, or make it black and white, super crisp and clean. Whatever you want, your bullet journal is for you and you only.
