Tips for Starting and Keeping a Bullet Journal

Diary meets planner meets to to-do list. Bullet journals have become quite popular recently. So many of the kids at school as well as my teachers have started using bullet journals to organize their thoughts and lives. I too, have started a bullet journal and it is one of the most fun things I do. Bullet journals make great planners and the possibilities are honestly endless as to what you can do with a bullet journal. Here’s a few tips for keeping a nice bullet journal.

  • Get a nice journal. You should pick a journal that reflects you and your personality. I recommend something smaller, that is easier to carry around.
  • Get a collection of pens, calligraphy pens, markers, colored pencils, etc. Having a variety of writing utensils to work with makes working on your journal so much fun. Color-coding things is a great way to stay organized too.
  • Keep a daily/weekly/monthly planner in your bullet journal. Currently, I use my bullet journal as more of a monthly planner because I’ve established a separate system for my planner. There’s a lot of people that use their bullet journal as their planner, and honestly, I think that’s the best way to go. This helps you stay super organized and on-top-of your schedule from a day to day basis. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to create each weekly and daily planner.
  • Create a key and stick to it. This adds to the organization aspect of the journal but also helps with consistency of it overall. With my journal, my key is set up that certain highlighted things represent different parts of my life like: tennis, work, school, and so on. Different symbols also mean different things, like a light bulb may represent an idea or a heart may represent a birthday or special occasion. For tasks, and this goes specifically with my to-do lists, I typically use boxes and when they are completed, they are checked off. If there’s an appointment, that typically gets a box as well, but then it receives a special additional symbol to remind me that it’s an appointment. There’s a lot you can do with a key, just stay consistent and actually use it.
  • Let your creativity run wild. Bullet journals are a fantastic way to express yourself and work on your artistic abilities. For those who aren’t quite art-oriented, Pinterest and the internet in general are great resources for inspiration. Some pages in your journal should be dedicated to doodling or coloring or drawing pretty pictures, and so let your mind do it’s thing.
  • Don’t stress over a bullet journal. Bullet journals are meant to be something you want to do and something you’re willing to spend time on. If you’re stressing about your bullet journal or freaking out about it, you might want to reconsider having a bullet journal.
  • Share bullet-journaling ideas with others. Several of my friends and I spend time weekly showing each other our bullet journals. This is a great way to bond and also a great way to see how others work through their bullet journal. I’ve gotten a bunch of creative and fun ideas from collaborating on my bullet journal. If none of your friends have a bullet journal, there’s Facebook groups for bullet journaling as well as plenty of ideas on Pinterest.

Organization is key when it comes to bullet journals and I strongly believe that they are a great way to help organize your life. There’s so much you can track in a bullet journal too, from your sleep habits to your mood and even the books you read and the movies you love. If you want something fun to do and a great way to get your life together, try a bullet journal. If you’d like additional information on bullet journals and even more on how to get one started, click here. Happy journaling!

Bullet Journal