I\u2019ve always loved journaling and I can\u2019t count how many notebooks I have spread all over the house. If tasks are not on a to-do list, they simply won\u2019t get done. So when I found Ryder Carroll\u2019s bullet journal system (BUJO for short), I immediately fell in love.<\/p>\n
So just what is a \u201cbullet journal\u201d, anyway? I\u2019d love to summarize this super-easy system here for you and show you some of the basics. You can also find links to Ryder\u2019s official Bullet Journal resources below and I highly recommend checking those out!<\/p>\n
Ryder calls this the \u201canalog system for a digital age.\u201d That right there hooked me. I\u2019m tired of using multiple apps on my phone to track and organize my life (which actually made things more chaotic), I want less screen-time and I adore writing by hand. Perfect, perfect, perfect.<\/p>\n
Before we dive into the \u201chow\u201d, let\u2019s take a quick look at the \u201cwhy\u201d. On the surface, the BUJO is simply a system to allow you to rapidly track and organize your life using a simple bullet system in any notebook.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s SO much more than that. When I say this system has changed me, I don\u2019t mean it\u2019s made me more organized (although it\u2019s definitely done that!). I mean I am more \u201cinto\u201d my life, more mindful of myself, more grateful, and more connected to my goals for the future. I’m using it to track and cope with my chronic illness. I\u2019m no longer walking through life reacting to things — I\u2019m purposefully and intentionally planning, dreaming and reflecting. I\u2019m truly happier and feel more positive about my life.<\/p>\n
Ryder started this system out of a desire to reduce distraction and lead a more intentional life. Listen to him speak on this topic here<\/a>!<\/p>\n This is where the fun begins. To get started, you really only need a notebook or journal and a pen or pencil. Now let’s take a look at the system and the pieces that make the whole thing magical. The bullet journal has a couple of key concepts: Rapid logging, Modules and Migration. Let’s go through each.<\/p>\n The key is to get your tasks, events, ideas, etc. down as quickly and easily as possible in bullet form. There are specific bullets for different types of entries, and you can add a little \u201cextra\u201d to your list with signifiers such as stars and exclamation points.<\/p>\n The four modules are the way to keep all of your entries organized. They consist of:<\/p>\n The Index is exactly what it sounds like and keeps all of your important collections and logs organized so you can find them later.<\/p>\n The Future log is a great way to capture all of the events, tasks and other entries that are coming up a few months down the line. When you capture them here, it\u2019s really easy to move them over to the Monthly log when that month comes up. Here\u2019s how my Future Log looks before I\u2019ve added entries:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Your Monthly log layout is a simple page with the dates (and days of the week, if you like) listed down the page. You will add any big tasks, events, appointments, etc. here so that you can then refer to it when you\u2019re making your Weekly log and Daily logs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The \u201cWeekly log\u201d is not something that was originally described with the Bullet Journal system, but many people use it –it’s one of the more popular additions by the BUJO community. This simple weekly spread layout below has enough space for tasks and events in each day, with a small section for notes and tasks at the bottom. There are tons of variations on the Weekly spread and it’s something many of us experiment with!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This the heart of the BUJO and where you\u2019ll spend most of your time. I want to stress that when you start your BUJO you really should stick to a simple layout (the header\/date and your bullet list). As you discover patterns to your day, you could add things like a daily tracker, a gratitude section, a place to jot down memories from the day, etc. Keeping to the simple format helps you stay in the habit, even though it’s okay to go to weeklies if you need to.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Migration is just the act of moving tasks from one area to another so that they will be completed. Most migration happens monthly or weekly, while other tasks need to be migrated to the next daily log.<\/p>\n Everything in your bullet journal is a “collection”. All of your logs are collections and you can index them as such. But other types of collections make the BUJO really come alive. My favorites are usually lists, journal \/ reflection pages, trackers and mind-maps. There are endless ideas for collections, but some of the more popular include things like a savings tracker, bucket lists, gratitude logs and meal planning ideas. For my chronic illness planning, I have my flare symptom tracker<\/a>, medication and appointment pages, and lots more!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n You just need a notebook and a pen. That\u2019s it. Any notebook and any pen will do.<\/p>\nHow to Get Started with a Bullet Journal<\/h2>\n
Rapid Logging<\/h3>\n
Bullet Journal Modules<\/b><\/h3>\n
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The Bullet Journal Future Log<\/h3>\n
The Bullet Journal Monthly Log<\/h3>\n
The Bullet Journal Weekly Log \/ Spread<\/h3>\n
The Bullet Journal Daily Log<\/h3>\n
Migration<\/b><\/h3>\n
Bullet Journal Collections<\/b><\/h3>\n
Bullet Journal Tools and Supplies<\/h3>\n