When I was much younger (and I’m not that old), I wrote in journals all the time. I filled up books and books with my thoughts on anything from things that made me angry to things I aspired to be. Writing in my diary was an extension of myself-- you couldn’t have one of us without the other.

Since then, I have tried to start journaling as avidly as I once did, only to have that passion fizzle out time and time again. But now, I’ve discovered something a little different… the bullet journal.

This is a system of journaling and list-making that started a few years ago and picked up popularity. What is attractive to me and to others about bullet journaling compared to traditional journaling is that it’s a journal that doesn’t include a big time commitment and has the flexibility to be as creative (or not) as the journaler wants to be. For me, it’s a different way of thinking about journaling because it’s pushing the boundaries that I thought existed.

I researched bullet journals and the people who create them before I attempted to create my own. I first watched Cheyenne Barton’s combination bullet journal/diary/art journal and became inspired and eventually found my way over to Boho Berry’s series on bullet journaling and became even more inspired. By watching these two women show how they created their bullet journals and by watching others as well, I realized that there is no one way to bullet journal.

The primary function of a bullet journal is a planner and a tracker. Most bullet journals feature calendars; monthly calendars to look into the future and see what is coming next, weekly calendars to have a little clearer perspective of what’s to come, and daily to-do lists to get into the nitty gritty of what needs to happen from day to day.

Some people choose to create habit trackers to start or maintain positive behaviors they want for themselves. Another way you can use your bullet journal is by including lists. Daily to-do lists dominate the bullet journal, but include lists of things they like to keep track of. I created lists that align with my New Year’s Resolutions: a list of books I’ve read in 2017, charts to keep track of how much water I’m drinking and what kind of animal products I’m eating (with the goal of cutting back), for example.

I haven’t been on the bullet journaling train for very long, but I’ve found this method of journaling to be so fulfilling. I like having my life all in one place. I love having a creative space to think and to keep track of the things I want to keep track of but have had difficulty tracking in the past. I also appreciate that my bullet journal can change with me as I change. Even after two weeks of keeping this journal, there are already things that I will be changing next month because I have learned a little bit about how I function with this journal-- what I actually use and what I could really use more of to keep me on track to meet my New Year’s Resolutions.

Bullet journaling is a liberating way to journal and is flexible in terms of how you would like to do it. It’s a journal that molds to you. What can be better than that?