In high school, there was nothing better for me than having a class period where we strictly took notes. For everyone else, that was much too boring, but I was a bit different. I was the girl with the different colored pens and highlighters sprawled out across her desk. With each lecture, I attempted to make my notes neater and prettier, just for my own enjoyment. To me, it was like a strange hobby of mine, until I discovered that many people were doing the same online.
In college, I started learning about all of the planners out there – even owning a couple of Lilly Pulitzer planners and a Happy Planner. While working on those, and might I add that I loved working with them, I noticed that my planner needs often changed based on how busy each semester would be.
Enter the bullet journal.
This is my first bullet journal. I decided that, since I have so many notebooks, that I wouldn’t go out and buy a dotted one, but this one has been working well just the same. I’ve been working with it a lot lately, and am still figuring out what’s best for me, but that’s a part of the fun of it. Here’s why I got started (and kept going) with the bullet journal – whether you’re getting started or are looking for inspiration, keep reading!
1. It can be minimal, artistic, or anything in between.
Throughout my childhood in teens, I took a lot of interest in art, but since then, I haven’t really had an informal outlet to re-learn what I’ve done in the past and experiment with colors, concepts, and mediums. My bullet journal is a perfect way to document my growth and progression as a person, not just with life events, but also with art. My first bullet journal spreads weren’t entirely minimal, but as I’m getting more comfortable with it I’m working towards putting more decorative pieces inside, whether those are doodles, paintings, or fabrics.
Of course, having just the basics in your journal is great as well since it draws your focus to exactly what’s important – what needs to get done. Had I been bullet journaling in school, I would definitely have taken this approach when I had heavier semesters.
And the best part is, you could do both! Experiment one week with a decorated spread, then do something more simple the next. It’s all up to you.
2. It can be a complete documentation of your life.
Bouncing off of the last point, flipping through your bullet journal can show a clear progression of who you were in the past vs. who you are now. It is a great place to keep track of your goals, habits, and anything else you are working towards. Since the bullet journal can be more than just a to-do list, I like to look back on mine and reflect on what I was working towards just a couple of months ago. I think it’s a great way to remind ourselves that we’re always working towards something and that we’ve accomplished more than we realize.
3. It can be entirely flexible to suit your needs.
I really loved my planners in college – the only problem was, depending on the semester, I may have needed larger or smaller sizes. Finals and midterms required more space than usual, and over winter and summer breaks, there wasn’t as much on my to-do list. Then, when I graduated and started working, I was documenting completely different things.
The nice thing about the bullet journal is that you are in complete control. Should you have an increase in work to do, that could be as simple as dedicating a whole page to one day instead of 7 days to two. If you have other goals deserving of their own pages, tracker pages are great for that too. And as you progress in life, you may add or remove certain elements to accommodate your lifestyle. For example, someone who may not have needed an expense tracker in the past may feel the need to now that they have their first credit card. It is now easier to be in control of not just space, but also content.
4. The indexing system.
My one concern about starting a journal so free was having spreads thrown wherever, but creating an indexing system that works well for you can help with that. Not only do I have numbered pages and an index at the front, but I also have pages I often refer back to taped down for future reference. I have seen others make tabs or color the edges of the pages by month as well. I’ve grown to like how spreads don’t need to wait until a new month or year to be put down; I think it shuts down my need for my journal to be perfect, and my journal is still well-organized in this way.
5. The community and constant inspiration.
I love seeing other people’s creations just as much as I love working on my own. I think it’s amazing that so many people are willing to share a personal glimpse into their lives by showing the world their journals. From browsing other creator’s journals, I have been inspired to try new spreads and develop my own personal style.
I hope this gave you a little inspiration to organize and keep track of your goals! How do you like to keep yourself organized? Let me know below.
Sincerely,
Julie Anna x
