One Month Bullet Journaling: What I've Learned
If you've been following my blog for a while now, you must have noticed that I have a small addiction as far as my bullet journal is concerned! Put it plainly, I'm obsessed!!!
If you've been following my blog for a while now, you must have noticed that I have a small addiction as far as my bullet journal is concerned! Put it plainly, I'm obsessed!!!
Before I go on, a quick reminder of what Bullet Journaling is, for anyone that doesn't know:
It's an analog system for the digital age. It helps record the past organise the present and plan for the future. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook and diary and all the above.
That's how the creator of this system, Ryder Carroll, describes it in his very informative website that you must visit to see all the information and the detailed videos that thoroughly explain his system.
For me, bullet journaling has been an amazing experience so far! I found that it made me be more organized and focused on the tasks that needed to be done. It makes me be more creative and I also find it to be very therapeutic. At the same time, it worsens my addiction for pens and stationery - if that was possible!!!
A PEAK INTO MY BULLET JOURNAL
I'll add here some pictures of a few of the pages that I've created in my bullet journal this month. I can't show everything, but I've made a selection of the ones that I haven't shown before and that I really like. :)
After the 3 index pages the first page you come up to is one of my favourites. It's my word of the year and my mission statement. I like to come back to it and remind myself what my focus should be on this year.
I also decided to add a 'Useful Numbers' page. Moving to a new country means learning everything from scratch, including all the emergency//useful numbers :) It puts my mind at ease to know that I have this page in my bullet journal, plus my kids are old enough now to know what to do in case of an emergency.
A key page is one of the basic pages that you're supposed to add in your bullet journal. It basically shows the symbols and the colours you use in your bullet journal to indicate different things. While I've been using it I realised that some things were not working for me. For example, now for the tasks I prefer to use a dot instead of the box, because I found that all those little boxes made my pages look too crowded. I've also changed some of the colours because they didn't work for what I wanted (especially the turquoise I used for 'work' was bleeding through the pages so it had to be changed ASAP!).
One of my most favourite pages in my bullet journal is my gratitude log. When I started writing it, I wasn't sure what to add to it every day. But pretty quickly I tuned into it and now I can't wait every night to think through of my day and add the two things that I'm most grateful of.
For my first month I also decided to create a doodle a day page, where I would draw something that reminds me of that day. It's been really fun and I love how colourful it looks.
I have been uploading lots of pictures with the progress of my bullet journal as I'm filling it in, so don't forget to check out my Instagram and Facebook accounts. You can also join my Newsletter!
THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED
Even though I've been bullet journaling for only a month, some things became apparent to me straight away.
- Just Start
My bullet journal arrived a bit late in the post and the month had already started. So I was contemplating in the beginning whether to wait for the next month so that I start on the 1st, or not. I'm very happy that I started when I did and my advice to you is to just start! Don't wait. I promise you, you'll love it!
- Keep it Simple
When you first start bullet journaling, you might find yourself in the beginning being bombarded with various styles and ways of doing things. That can make you feel a bit overwhelmed and you might don't know where to start. Just keep things simple and start slowly. You don't have to add everything in your bullet journal straight away. There is no right order. What I did, was that I made a list of the things that I'd like to include in my bullet journal, and I've been adding them as I go along. The basic thing for me was to have a yearly, monthly, weekly and daily spread, so that I don't miss appointments and keep up with my everyday life. The rest can be added slowly.
- Trial and error
You just have to try and adjust the different methods available to suit your needs. That way you'll figure out what works for you and what doesn't. It's a simple case of trial and error. That's what has happened to me, especially with my weekly spreads. And if nothing works for you the way you want it, then create your own!
- Get Inspired
There is so much inspiration and creativity on line, it's unbelievable! You only have to do a search and you'll be amazed. By far, Instagram and Pinterest are the best places for BJ inspiration! The following IG accounts are some of my favourite: @boho.berry , @passion.themed.life, @maryj13, @tinyrayofsunshine, @therevisionguide, @write_it_on_the_wall, @wundertastischdesign ... and the list goes on!
- Community
There is an amazing bullet journal community out there, ready to welcome you and help you along the way! If you're interested in bullet journaling then you should totally check out the Bullet Journal Junkies group on Facebook.
- It doesn't have to be perfect
Whether your lines are not straight or you've made a mistake while writing down your daily spread, just don't worry about it! It happens.
You either use Pentel Presto and erase it or just ignore it like I did!
- Have Fun! :)
Enjoy your time while bullet journaling!
This pretty much sums up my first month with my bullet journal. Can't wait to start setting up for April. ;)
Weekly Spread Ideas for Bullet Journals
Being a bullet journal newbie, you find yourself in the beginning being bombarded with various styles and ways of doing things. You get inspired by your favourite Instagram accounts, or from posts you find on facebook groups (like this one) etc. But in the end, I guess you just have to figure out what works for you and what doesn't. It's a simple case of trial and error. That's what has happened to me, especially with my weekly spreads.
Being a bullet journal newbie, you find yourself in the beginning being bombarded with various styles and ways of doing things. You get inspired by your favourite Instagram accounts, or from posts you find on facebook groups (like this one) etc. But in the end, I guess you just have to figure out what works for you and what doesn't. It's a simple case of trial and error. That's what has happened to me, especially with my weekly spreads.
Weekly spreads are an important part of my monthly planning. Especially with the kids and all the activities and the events they go to, I knew from the beginning that I had to find a weekly spread to accommodate everything - Personal, Kids/Family, Blogging, Events/Appointments and so on.
So, the quest for the perfect weekly spread begun!
My first spread looked like this:
I took inspiration from the latest video I watched on Boho Berry's YouTube channel, where she was talking about the weekly spreads she has been using. After I made some adjustments to fit my needs, I created what you can see in the picture above. I've created a FREE Printable of the above spread for you, both in coloured and black and white version.
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I guess it was ok for a first attempt and I liked that I could see everything that was going on during each day at a glance. However, while I was using it during that week, I noticed some things that were not working as well as I thought.
For example, the first column titled 'Appointments/Events' ended up being the dumping ground! I was using it for everything that didn't match any of the other categories. I thought that using boxes in front of each task/event made everything look crowded and cluttered. I also found that the space allocated for each day was too small and therefore in some instances I could not fit all the tasks that I had. Lastly, I thought that I was not using effectively all the space available on the two pages (like the space next to the month-title).
So, on week no.2 I changed things around a bit:
I moved everything up, using as much of the space as possible. And I also made the boxes bigger, so that I had more room to write all the daily tasks/events. I changed the title on the first column to 'Appointments/Misc' so that I have an excuse now to dump everything there :) and I started using dots instead of boxes in front of every task. I also used dashed lines to separate each day in order to make everything to look a bit lighter.
I have to admit that it looked much better and also it was more functional than the previous spread. However, again I found some things that bothered me and that I wanted to change - again!
Me being the only vegan in the family, means that I have a different menu from the rest! So I wanted space to note down what I am cooking each day for me and for the family. In the 'Goals/To-do' column, I was writing everything - personal and work related - and that felt a bit confusing at times. Also, I still wanted to have daily spreads as well, and having everything on my weekly spread somehow made the daily ones redundant...
So, I changed it again!
First of all, I made a master weekly housework to-do list, that basically has all the things that I usually do on each day every week. That way I don't have to write everything down again and again.
I created two columns on the first page for my 'Appointments/Misc' and my 'Blog' that are separated with the dates. That way I have lots of room and it makes everything look neater.
On the other page, I separated the 'Meals' category into two columns (one for my meals and one for my family's) and I also did the same for the 'Goals' one (one for personal and one for my blog).
Lastly, I created a 'Notes' category at the bottom of the page where I write tasks and appointments that I'm going to transfer to next week's spread.
I think this looks cleaner and less cluttered, and hopefully it's going to work even better than the previous ones! ;)
I would love to see your weekly spreads to get more inspiration! Please make sure you leave a link in the comments below. Which aspect of your bullet journal did it take you quite a while to make it work for you?
>> If you want to see my favourite Resources that I use every day with my Bullet Journal, click here to find out what I love to use. For more inspirations for your bullet journal, you can follow my Pinterest or my Instagram account.
Have an amazing day!
Leuchtturm1917 - My new Bullet Journal
I never thought that something so small like a notebook could have such a big impact in my life, but it's true!
I've always been a big planner and journal enthusiast, with little notebooks and calendars to note down all the appointments, events and interesting things that happened throughout the day. But no planner that I've ever bought was exactly how I wanted it. It might not have had enough space for me to write on or doodle like I tend to do, or it might not have had the sections that I needed for my every day notes and so on. I then turned to Etsy, in order to find the perfect planner for me. However, I still didn't find what I was looking for and also I'm not fond of having my notes on loose paper or in binders. So, while I was looking around, I stumbled upon a video on YouTube by Kara where she was talking about her Bullet Journal and my world changed! (yes, it was that dramatic!!!)
But what is a Bullet Journal?
It's an analog system for the digital age. It helps record the past organise the present and plan for the future. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook and diary and all the above.
That's how the creator of this system, Ryder Carroll, describes it in his very informative website that you must visit to see all the information and the detailed videos that thoroughly explain his system.
I knew straight away that this was the perfect system for me, so I obviously had to get that bullet planner. You can use any notebook you want with this system, or you can get the original Bullet Journal from their website. However I am a girl of colour, and I wasn't very font of the black notebook. That's when I discovered the magical and colourful world of Leuchtturm1917 notebooks!
Don't let the name deter you - I can't even pronounce it for the life of me! Fellow planner and journal enthusiasts - I'm introducing you my new love, my new Leuchtturm1917 notebook!
Oh, it's poetry! I chose the light blue colour and the size is A5 (dimensions 145x210mm). For me this is the perfect size - not too big and still compact to carry with you every day. You can also get it in A4, A6 and A7 sizes.
I prefer the dotted one, but it also comes in 3 other styles - plain, ruled and squared.
It comes in 17 different colours, and between you and me, I want to get all of them. (Don't tell my husband though!)
It closes with an elastic band that I really like, because I tend to have little notes and pieces of paper usually in between pages, and not one but two page markers.
It has 249 already numbered pages, which helps a lot with the bullet journal system. And at the front there are 3 pages with a blank table of contents, so you can fill them in as you go along.
One more cool feature that it has, is an expandable pocket at the back. Now all my little notes and pieces of paper have a home! :)
The Leuchtturm1917 is a thread bound book that opens flat - very handy when you write or sketch things - with ink proof and acid free paper. That means that you very rarely get bleeding through the paper. You can however get some ghosting, but that doesn't bother me at all.
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