For a while now, you have been encountering this topic on every corner: on the Internet, in bookstores, in department stores. Bullet journaling is simply omnipresent. But is there just another trend behind it or is it actually linked to a valuation methodology that can support you in your everyday life? We have taken a closer look at the BuJo (as it is often called for short) and give you tips and suggestions to design your own.
What is the purpose of the BuJo anyway?
On the surface, for many, such a journal is actually more of a distraction and funny painting than a real tool. plug in baby swing the colorful pictures remind you a bit of the calendar from school days, in which you scribbled big plans during the history lesson, but which were never implemented. This is exactly where the BuJo starts and which it is supposed to change: complete tasks. Hence the name: Bullet is English and stands for paint or bullet point.
With the Bullet Journal, the infinitely long to-do lists, which never get shorter and usually build up pressure rather than really help you organize, should finally change. The underlying method is clearly and clearly structured, whereby a clear system is established and you can better cope with your everyday life. At the same time, the BuJo is also about a kind of mindfulness with which you can observe yourself closely and thus gain insights into where problems may lurk undetected.
So this approach is definitely more comprehensive than a list scribbled in the homework notebook. But that doesn’t mean that young people can’t work with it. On the contrary, our children’s everyday lives have become more and more packed in recent decades. Problems that we deal with as adults also end up more and more often on the table of our little ones. Stress and excessive demands are well-known results. Bullet journaling can therefore also be started wonderfully during school time.
Where does the method come from?
It was in the early 2010s when Ryder Carroll was finally able to celebrate his breakthrough in a matter that was extremely important to him personally. The New York designer was diagnosed with a learning disability in his youth, which is why everyday life was very difficult for him. For a long time, he was looking for a way to remain productive and focused despite this limitation. In the course of time, he developed his very own system from numerous experiments, until bullet journaling finally emerged.
Keywords that the artist himself gives about this methodology are, for example: “Track The Past, Order the Present, Design the Future.” So a very important component of his path is time. Only those who have a quick and targeted overview of everything that is important can plan and organize accordingly.
The second description of Carroll for the BuJo is that you go from being a passenger to a pilot of your own life. This is therefore also associated with significantly higher intentionality. It’s not just about the what, but also about the why. Because only when the two interlocks can a balance of awareness, satisfaction and productivity be achieved.
How does a BuJo work?
That all sounds too good to be true? A method that helps you so much and supports you in self-optimization? This must certainly be highly complex and therefore not really practicable. In fact, this is exactly the highlight of the BuJo, because the principle is really quickly understood and simply has to be internalized. We’ll tell you how to do it.
The basis: Rapid Logging
The first thing you have to deal with is also the basis on which everything else is built. It is the basic principle for bringing order to chaos: the so-called rapid logging. Behind this is a very simple and broken-down essential system of certain symbols. These tell you at a glance what a particular note actually is and what processing status the point is on. The symbols can be changed accordingly.
Of course, the system can also be individually adapted. If you find other symbols more intuitive, then you can use them wonderfully. By the way, it is advisable to create a kind of “key” so a legend at the very beginning of your journal and to maintain it. You may even be able to set it up as a flap so that you can always unfold it and see it, no matter which side you are on in your BuJo. With this foundation, you can then go to the actual organization.
Planning: Future, Monthly, and Daily Logs
The most interesting point about the BuJo for most at the beginning is the task planning. For this, the different logs are important. The Future Log deals e.B. with the annual planning. Here you create an overview of the next 365 days and write down all important things such as e.B birthdays, events, holidays, big projects, and so on. The nice thing about it is that you are not bound to the classic calendar system in the true sense. You can start at any time and design these representations the way you need them: from March to December, from April to March of the coming year, or just for the next 6 months.
The next level is the Monthly Log. This is where somewhat more detailed planning takes place. To do this, you list the days accordingly and can then enter the important events here again or more precisely. In addition, you have space for tasks that are still undetermined, i.e. have not been planned for a specific day or are not part of the normal routine. Doctor visits, spontaneous excursions, or making an appointment for the next TÜV would be classics for this overview.
And finally, the Daily Log follows. This is where the actual final and day-to-day planning of all tasks and appointments takes place. For this purpose, work is usually carried out on a weekly basis. But since not every day is the same, it is advisable to let the lists grow dynamically. If a day is particularly packed, it may be. If, on the other hand, the next one is quite tidy, then the list may also remain short. So you don’t waste any space, but you don’t have to squeeze anything. You can structure and present everything in such a way that it is clear and can concentrate on the matter and not on the documentation. Notes, thoughts, reminders, tasks, appointments, whether private or professional: Everything has its justification here!
The Mindfulness Part: Habit Trackers, Lists and More
In addition to all these to-dos, bullet journaling also consists of options with which habits, feelings and certain courses can be documented. For this purpose, the so-called habit trackers have established themselves. With these, you can become aware of certain behaviors, consolidate new routines and log the progress of certain projects.
Very different display variants are possible for this. Whether as annual overviews, monthly lists or even at the weekly level, you can determine individually. Also whether it should be a kind of brushing model, you work with color coding or come up with another symbol legend, is up to you. It is important that these trackers are guided regularly. This is the only way to become aware of the observations.
Apart from this component, the bullet journal is supplemented by a free part. You can also keep wonderful lists (gift ideas, your own wishes, recipes,). Holiday memories can also be recorded here, as well as a classic diary. Or you can create inspiration pages or mood boards for a specific project you are working on. Whatever helps you in everyday life – in BuJo you can implement it freely and flexibly. Due to the open design, the next monthly overview can be easily pushed.
Ideas and tips for trackers
While the scheduling and task planning usually results by itself – you certainly have more than enough of that – you can perhaps come to a standstill with the freer part. What are you supposed to “observe”? What is worthwhile to be tracked? As always with bullet journaling, whatever you like is allowed. But we still want to give you a few suggestions on this topic:
Mood Tracker – how did you feel on the individual days of the month?
Sleep tracker – sleep times documented, possibly also sleep quality?
Drink tracker – how much was drunk a day?
Sport Tracker – when was which sport done during the week/month?
Headache tracker – when did you have a severe headache and how?
Nutrition tracker – what was eaten (fast food, meat, veggie, …), possibly also when?
Media tracker – how long have you watched e.B TV or consumed social media?
Financial tracker – when was money spent on what, when money was earned?
Savings tracker – how much money has been set aside this month/week?
Work Tracker – how many hours did you work today?
Creative Tracker – were you creative today? How long? What did you do?
Writers Tracker – did you write today? How many words/pages?
Pet tracker – when was played, brushed, litter box cleaned, …?
Household tracker – when were which tasks (laundry, bathroom cleaning, …) done?
Reading Tracker – how many pages/books have you read by day / week / month
By the way, you can do really great things with the trackers. Whether you develop a kind of pie chart or mark it in a monthly overview with different colors, on which day you felt like, is up to you. Here you will find many beautiful inspirations on the Internet!
The right pens
In order to make your BuJo clear and beautiful – because a certain, appealing look also helps to continue the system – different pens and colors do well. On the one hand, you should have fineliner on hand,baby limit for a baby swings preferably in neutral colors such as black, blue or gray. With it you draw all the lines and write. But you can also design decorations with it. They are your main working tool. It is advisable to use waterproof variants. So nothing smears in retrospect if you go over it with a different color.
Speaking of color: It’s best to choose one or two solid colors that you work with and set accents. So it does not become too wild and confusing. You can use e.B. brushpens, felt-tip pens and markers for such purposes. This allows you to design headlines, highlight important things, fill in the trackers and also paint decorative elements.
Other accessories
At the beginning we already said: A ruler is one of the most valuable tools. Because with bullet journaling you will design many lines and overviews depending on your preference. The deeper you dive into the matter, the more practical other helpers such as a geotriangle or circle templates could be. Also not missing should be pencil, eraser and sharpener as well as scissors and glue, in order to be able to stick in some pretty memories. Stamps and stamp pads, decorative tapes and pretty Post-Its are also pretty decorations.
Equipped in this way, you can create your very own version of a bullet journal. Let your imagination run wild and don’t be shy. Many different techniques flow together here: From hand lettering to sketch notes and collages, everything is possible. But also very simple, simple looks are allowed – because in the end the whole thing does not serve to distract from your tasks, but to optimize them.
