What Is Bullet Journaling?
Bullet Journaling has been a hot trend for a little while in the planner and getting organized communities online, but it may still be new to you. In a previous post, I talked about creating a Christian Bullet Journal, but now I'm going to talk about Bullet Ryder Carroll created the Bullet Journal. He created the system as a better way to stay focused and productive. To learn more about Ryder Carroll visit Bullet Journal.com.
**This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission from the sale. This is done at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases via the links in this blog post.**
A Need for a Bullet Journal
If you have too many things to remember and think about them on a daily basis then you need a simple system to help you keep track. Keeping a Bullet Journal will allow you to keep track of all you have to do, it will also keep you focused on your tasks. Bullet Journaling helps people who are distracted by their to-do list or overwhelmed by it.
We all have a lot of different daily tasks, appointments, and various things we need to remember. Trying to keep track of everything in your head becomes exhausting. And if you manage a team at work or a family at home, it becomes near impossible. Just think of how much more productive and less stressed you’ll be if you can stop trying to remember all this “stuff”.
A New Journal
When you decide to start bullet journaling one of the most important decisions to make will be what kind of journal. I have used several types and the best journal out there is Scribbles That Matter. They have a large line of journals that have a thick paper that markers won't bleed through, and the journals open flat to allow easy creation of new pages.
A bullet journal is a way of keeping track of everything you need to do in one notebook. It usually consists of three different parts.
Parts of a Bullet Journal
Part 1: The Key and Index
The first part includes the index and key. They will occupy the first two pages of your journal and help you stay on track with what’s where and how the journal works. The key is a list of symbols that help guide you through your to-do list. The Original Key and a New Key are both used in bullet journaling. Both use symbols that guide you through your lists. I have included both keys that are below. It is really up to you which one you use, and if you wanted to, you can make your own key to follow. That is one great thing about Bullet Journaling, you can create what you need to keep you on task.
Original Key:
⃞ Task
■ Completed Task
⍈ Migrated Task
⃝ Appointment
⬤ Completed Appointment
⟴ Migrated Appointment
– Notes
New Key
ᐧ (Dot) Task
X Completed Task
> Migrated Task
Appointments and notes are used as before.
Setting up a bullet journal is easy. The first two pages are for your index. Then record to-do items on the following pages.
Pick the key system that seems most intuitive for you and start Bullet Journaling.
Part 2-The Monthly Calendar
The second part consists of a monthly log or calendar. With a bullet journal, you set aside the first two pages for your index, and then record your to-dos as they come up throughout your day, week, or month. At the beginning of the month, you set up a monthly page. This is your space to record appointments, anniversaries, and the like.
Some bullet journalers will simply make a list of 1-30 (or 31) and then leave space to note appointments as they come up. Others prefer to draw a more traditional monthly calendar grid over two pages. Try both and see what works better for you. As you draw each monthly grid or list at the beginning of the month, make a note of what page it is so you can add it to your Table of Contents.
Part 3-Lists in Your Bullet Journal
The last part of a bullet journal is something called lists or collections. They are just that, lists of related things you want to keep track of. For example, you may have a list of books you want to read or a list of clients you need to contact this month. A great way to think of this is that you are creating an ongoing to-do list.
At the end of the day, you should review your list. Items on your to-do list that are not completed need to be crossed out because they are no longer relevant or important, you could also move those tasks to tomorrow. If you don’t want to, or can’t tackle an item or two the next day, leave it open and make sure you review and work it in at a later date.
Bullet Journaling is a great way to keep your life organized and to keep you focused on what has to be done. Now that you know the basics of a bullet journal you are ready to get started on your own.