The Ins and Outs of Bullet Journaling

Ryder Carroll, the creator of the bullet journaling, describes it as “a mindful practice disguised as a productivity system”, influencing “intentional living”. Intentional living is the idea of practicing value-based actions – things that are intended to make your day to seem more worthy and productive, positively influencing your mental health.

 

Carroll was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and struggled with organisation and productivity, that is, until he created the bullet journaling system whilst in college, when he realised that he could focus more in class when doodling than looking at the teacher.

 

There is complete creative freedom in bullet journaling. That’s why all our notebooks have dotted pages, instead of lined, so you can draw and design the pages exactly how you envisioned. Whatever style works best for you to increase your productivity and control your anxiety is what your bullet journal should be centred around – and this is where the key components of bullet journaling come in:

 

Firstly, you need to create an index. This is what keeps your bullet journal organised. Every section is listed in the front of your journal, so you know exactly which page to turn to. That being said, don’t forget to number your pages!

 

Then, you build the future log, pages dedicated to writing down important upcoming events, like birthdays, holidays, appointments, and deadlines. This is often laid out on a double page spread, with all the months displayed in a calendar like format, but of course, how you’d like to display it is up to you!

 

To add more detail to your plans, the next step is to create the monthly log. When it comes to laying out the monthly log, it’s a good idea to write down the days of the month alongside the number they correlate to in order to keep track of the correct days. This is often spread over two pages, consisting of a to-do list, a section to log your goals for the month, and a place to log your mood over the course of the month.

 

And now what comes to most people’s head when they think of bullet journaling: the daily log. This is a place for you to write down everything that you feel and do on that day. Some people prefer to wake up and journal to start their day. This means that they might plan their whole day out in their journal before even getting out of bed or write down their intentions for the day. Other people prefer to journal before going to sleep as a way to reflect on the day and manage their emotions. Some people do both! Some people do not have a designated time to journal, as prefer to do it throughout the day as things come to them that they feel should be written down.

 

Many people who bullet journal use signifiers, such as different shapes, symbols, or colours to define a task. A page dedicated to a key for these signifiers is also a good idea.

 

Bullet journals are a place to pour out all your thoughts on a page. You can really do anything you want with it, like have designated pages for books or films you’d like to watch, a fitness tracker, income tracker, the list goes on.

Check out our personalised notebooks instore and online in 8 different shades and in the words of Ryder Carroll, ‘organise your what, while you remain mindful of your why.