Bullet Journaling 101

Over the last few years, you’ve probably heard the term ‘bullet journaling’ being thrown out a few times or seen a colourful hand drawn planner on your social media feed. And, if you follow me on Instagram, you also may have noticed a couple of my own posts in my stories. Although this type of journaling has grown in popularity, however, I realize it’s not entirely clear what the heck the it is. Since I’ve been getting quite a few questions from people about bullet journaling, I thought I would do a quick post about it!

What is Bullet Journaling?!

A bullet journal is a notebook that is ruled with dots instead of lines. Like, traditional notebooks, these journals can be used for anything you choose. However, the subtle dots provide you with a little more structure for writing than unlined pages, but a little less structure than the traditional lined pages. Generally, bullet journals have been used to create customized planners, habit trackers, and to do lists or used as a place to doodle.

 

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Why I Made the Switch

I have always loved being creative but once I left high school I no longer had an art class as a creative outlet. I’ve also always been an organized person and have used a planner religiously since I was 10. When I graduated from university last year, and I had a little more time on my hands, I realized how much I missed being crafty. It was then that my teammate introduced me to the colourful world of bullet journaling and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I use my bullet journal to help organize everything from my thoughts, to my goals, to my schedule. Before, I liked the idea of journaling about my day (and I still keep a regular journal), but I was never able write in one consistently. I wasn’t ever really sure exactly what to write about! In my bullet journal, I separate my thoughts into different pages, breaking up what would be in one large daily entry into a few small manageable entries.

For example, each month I like to create a page to track my daily mood or habits, as well as a gratitude page where I can jot down a few positive things that happened in my day.

 

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Is bullet journaling for me?!

While I love this style of journaling, I realize it definitely isn’t for everyone. Initial monthly or weekly layouts do take time, and if you’re inclined to include doodles like me, it may even take hours. Additionally, bullet journaling may be unnecessary for people who have already found a way for scheduling and journaling that works well for them.

Bullet journaling would be good for people who:

• People who want to journal but find it difficult to get excited about writing long entries consistently.
• People who are creatively minded individuals but to had trouble finding a planner that suited them
• People who like to doodle or draw
• People who want to combine their journal and their planner in one place

Two myths about bullet journaling that I wanted to address quickly are:

1. You have to be good at drawing or hand lettering to enjoy bullet journaling. Some of the most beautiful and effective bullet journals are very minimalist.
2. You need fancy stationary to bullet journal. Although I have invested in some fancier hand lettering markers, I only did so because I LOVE stationary. Some of my most used markers are the Crayola SuperTips that are very affordable.

 

Over the last year, bullet Journaling has given me a creative outlet and allowed me to journal in a more mindful way. I use it to organize and address my anxious thoughts, write down important dates and information and have a little fun with colour and for that I’m thankful.

**Need more inspiration? Head to @AmandaRachLee or @notebook_therapy on Instagram for some great examples!