Five Things I’ve Learned From Bullet Journaling
It’s that time of year when I’m settling into using my new bullet journal. I still remember when I was introduced to bullet journaling back in 2019. I was watching a video on productivity at the time, and saw a video about someone setting theirs up for the month. I was curious, and dug deeper. I think the main thing that drew me to it was the fluidity of the system. It can be whatever you want it to be.
1) Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New
Even though I’ve been using the bullet journal system for years I’m still learning new things about it, and ultimately how I can use it in my favor. I used to set it up fully in January, so that I didn’t have to set up any layouts for the rest of the year. Because of this I didn’t really have a space to write about things daily. I had an overview of the month and of the weeks, and that was it. I was always hesitant to using a daily log, as it was unpredictable how much space would be needed for each day.
With this year’s journal I decided to give the daily logs a shot, and found that it has helped me a lot with keeping a closer watch on some tasks. Usually I will list finishing a project as a goal in my weekly overview, along with some smaller steps that lead to completing it. With the daily log I can now see which days I spent working on the project, and it reminds me of what needs to be done next for it to progress further.
2) Keep Things Simple
Bullet journaling can have a reputation of being complex, but that really depends on what you choose to do with it. Some of the spreads online are beautiful! That being said, they would take me too long to make, so I stick with things that are simpler unless I have spare time. I’ve found that there are smaller things, like adding snowflakes along the top of the pages that still give it a fancier feel, while still taking less time.
3) Bullet Journaling Gives You Something To Look Back On
One of my favorite things about the journal is that when I look back at old ones they are a window into what my life was during a certain stage of my life. I get to see what I was busy with, and what things I was interested in at the time. One year I looked back at all the meals that I made, and created a list from that to use for meal planning. I’ve used some journals only for tracking tasks, but I’ve found that the ones that I’m interested in looking back on the most are where I listed the books I read that year, or my top favorite songs. In my newest one I’m trying to make note of what I did for the day and how things went.
4) It’s Best If It’s Used Regularly
I’ve seen with myself that the journal is only useful if I use it regularly. It’s something that has to become a habit for it to be the most effective. When used regularly it becomes like an assistant, and is very helpful for keeping an eye on tasks at work. I’ve also seen that it’s good with showing me where my time is going, and areas where I’m prioritizing something I shouldn’t be. I fell off of bullet journaling for most of last year, and it’s surprising how much more free I feel with writing my to dos down instead of keeping it all in my head.
5) Journaling Is Relaxing
It’s a really good way to wind down for the day. I think it’s something everyone should try at least once. All you really need for it is paper and something to write with. I like that I can write down everything I need to do tomorrow, because then I don’t have to keep thinking about it before I turn in for the night. It’s also very useful for reviewing tasks that need to be done at the start of the day, as that gives me a guide on what I need to prioritize so that I get my work done efficiently.
With all I’ve learned, I’ve found that using my bullet journal makes my life more organized, and helps things go smoother.