Going through the ‘get started guide’ from the official Bullet Journal people, I title my pages and number them just like they recommend. I know it sounds silly, but those numbered pages have been really helpful to me more than once already! I don’t number the whole book at once though – I do 10-20 pages at a time.
I don’t log in full sentences, but phrases instead.
I use the bullets and signifiers for tasks, events, appointments, notes, as well. I have also added a heart for memories.
Modules:
I definitely love the index! It goes hand-in-hand with the numbered pages and I use it more than I thought I would. Not daily, but when I need to go looking for something, it’s always there for me.
I tried using a future log & found I never updated it OR referred back to it. Also, the dates and events that mainly filled my future log are in my Google calendar. Writing them again here, in a format I don’t refer back to just didn’t seem efficient to me. That one didn’t get included in my set-up for this year’s layout.
The monthly log didn’t work out so well for me either – I tried the calendar part, and found that I wasn’t updating it, like the future log, or when I did update it, there wasn’t enough space for what I needed, even using abbreviated entries. I do like the monthly task list and have a page for that each month.
I like to free write or find a poem or thought for each month, if one strikes me as perfect. I like to start the month that way.
What I added, in lieu of the monthly & future logs, was a weekly log. I found this idea on social media somewheres and it works really well for me.
I start each month with a new weekly log, so my logs always run 1-7 and the days of the week change. I look at my Google calendar for appointments, holidays, etc… and mark them over to this weekly layout. This keeps the amount of information I need to focus on pertinent without being overwhelming.
I usually use my time writing out my week as a little bit of self-care and add a quote or thought on the opposite page. Sometimes I decorate or embellish it, sometimes I don’t. More on that later!
What I always do to my weekly log is use washi tape along the edge, to help me turn to the current week quickly. And it’s pretty. So there’s that.
Between weekly logs, I use the daily log.
I use the daily log almost exactly as described by Ryder, the creator of the bullet journal. Some days have lots of bullets, others have a few, sometimes the day doesn’t have anything I feel like recording! And all of those are okay. It’s always there, with a fresh page, when I get back. There’s no guilt from flipping past several pre-printed pages with dates and lines and NOTHING written on them. I know it’s a little thing, but it really bugged me before. No more!!
I also journal in my bullet journal; but only when I feel like it. I just start writing where there is space on the page, or on the back of my daily log page. I write until I feel like I don’t have anything else to say and my next daily log goes on the next blank page. There’s something wonderful about venting all over a page and then having a nice clean page up the next time you pick it back up. You’re done with the stuff you wrote before; you don’t need to read it again unless you choose to.
Another really popular aspect to bullet journals are habit trackers. You can track anything you like: sleep, water consumption, savings, moods, bodily functions, intimacy… the sky is the limit. Seriously, if you want to track it, someone on Pinterest has ideas for how to do so.
These are harder for me, as I don’t tend to flip all the way through my journal every night. I think they are a good thing, though. I’m going to try to continue working on creating this habit to see if any trends emerge. If I find a better-for-me way to habit track, I’ll share.
Donita Westman 