BULLET JOURNAL: Returning to a Paper Bullet Journal
UPDATE: This was supposed to be Thursday's (October 25) blog post but it was delayed. Sorry about that!
Bullet Journals have become the go-to planning and organization tool of the last few years, thanks to its' simple design, flexibility and freedom to be creative. It provides the person the canvas in which they can both write down their to-do list and decorate it to their heart's content. Thousands of bullet journal posts are posted on social media, all showcasing the personal tastes and talents of their creators. I started Bullet Journalling back in 2016, in which I went through 3 journals, enjoyed a beautiful emerald Leuchtturm journal for 2017 and now have a TUL Discbound Notebook, Junior Size (a teal color, of course).
But for some, myself included, there's the overwhelming sense of FOMO and inadequacy that comes with comparing yourself with others. Some think it's a lack of talent, others a lack of time to truly make their pages stand out. I'm probably a mixture of both: wanting the aesthetics of a beautiful scrapbook-like bullet journal, while also trying to maintain a minimalist look and managing with a lack of time (and energy) after a long day's work.
I've since discovered that a bullet journal doesn't have to be a time-consuming activity to meet expectations. I still forget to journal on occasion, but the point of the journal isn't to make it pretty, it's to make it work for you. It's about keeping your life organized and collecting everything from your day in one place without resorting to sticky notes or add-ons that only further complicate the information gathering process.
The temptation to have your journal be as pretty as all the other posts is incredible, especially when you want to start out. But as I write this shorter post, I say: start simple. Start with the most basic of functions, which is to log your day, and any thoughts that comes to mind.
My journal writing takes place in two very defined time periods: the active logging and the decorating phases. The Active Logging is when I write everything throughout the day, the classic rapid logging method. The Decorating Phase is pretty much after the Active Logging phase. This is the phase where I can doodle or stick pretty post-it notes, et al. This phase doesn't take up more than 30 minutes, and it has to be something that I feel inspired to do, and within my means. I don't always decorate, but I try to write everything in as much as possible.
I close this short post by reiterating that the Bullet Journal isn't about how stylish you can make the page, but what the function of it is. The Bullet Journal should be a written record of the day, what the tasks were accomplished, and whatever else needs to be remembered. It's about following a habit to remember everything that needs to be remembered, pardon the redundancy.
In future posts, I'll actually take some pictures and discuss my process properly. Thank you for reading!
- SP
Bullet Journals have become the go-to planning and organization tool of the last few years, thanks to its' simple design, flexibility and freedom to be creative. It provides the person the canvas in which they can both write down their to-do list and decorate it to their heart's content. Thousands of bullet journal posts are posted on social media, all showcasing the personal tastes and talents of their creators. I started Bullet Journalling back in 2016, in which I went through 3 journals, enjoyed a beautiful emerald Leuchtturm journal for 2017 and now have a TUL Discbound Notebook, Junior Size (a teal color, of course).
But for some, myself included, there's the overwhelming sense of FOMO and inadequacy that comes with comparing yourself with others. Some think it's a lack of talent, others a lack of time to truly make their pages stand out. I'm probably a mixture of both: wanting the aesthetics of a beautiful scrapbook-like bullet journal, while also trying to maintain a minimalist look and managing with a lack of time (and energy) after a long day's work.
I've since discovered that a bullet journal doesn't have to be a time-consuming activity to meet expectations. I still forget to journal on occasion, but the point of the journal isn't to make it pretty, it's to make it work for you. It's about keeping your life organized and collecting everything from your day in one place without resorting to sticky notes or add-ons that only further complicate the information gathering process.
The temptation to have your journal be as pretty as all the other posts is incredible, especially when you want to start out. But as I write this shorter post, I say: start simple. Start with the most basic of functions, which is to log your day, and any thoughts that comes to mind.
My journal writing takes place in two very defined time periods: the active logging and the decorating phases. The Active Logging is when I write everything throughout the day, the classic rapid logging method. The Decorating Phase is pretty much after the Active Logging phase. This is the phase where I can doodle or stick pretty post-it notes, et al. This phase doesn't take up more than 30 minutes, and it has to be something that I feel inspired to do, and within my means. I don't always decorate, but I try to write everything in as much as possible.
I close this short post by reiterating that the Bullet Journal isn't about how stylish you can make the page, but what the function of it is. The Bullet Journal should be a written record of the day, what the tasks were accomplished, and whatever else needs to be remembered. It's about following a habit to remember everything that needs to be remembered, pardon the redundancy.
In future posts, I'll actually take some pictures and discuss my process properly. Thank you for reading!
- SP
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