I started using a bullet journal a couple of years ago, mostly because I needed a creative outlet and I couldn't find a planner I loved. After looking at dozens of pictures, articles, and lists of bullet journal ideas, I begin the process with way too many things to keep up with and a very high standard for what my journal would look like.
Needless to say, I got overwhelmed and gave up on it within a month.
A few months later, I got a new blank journal and tried again. I simplified, stopped making every single page an intense art project, and created a journal that actually works with my life. I've been consistently using my bullet journal for over a year now, and I love it. I'm actually on my 4th journal (counting that first one that I gave up on).
Here is what goes in to my journal:
Calendar Stuff
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| Index |
I add page numbers to the bottom of my pages as I fill them in, then I write in the title of the page and the page numbers on the index.
When I first began, I thought I needed to index EVERYTHING I put in my journal. Now I just index things I know I'll want to find later. I index my monthly calendars, but not my weekly ones because I use them just for the week and then I don't really need to find them again. I index lists or ideas that I think I'll need again, but I don't index sermon notes or random doodles that I know I'm not likely to need to look up later.
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| Yearly Calendar |
This calendar is right behind my index, and I use it regularly. Anything that is happening in a future month goes here. As I make my monthly calendar, I look here to see what dates I need to add. The birds and fancy font are just for fun - it would be just as useful with the months scribbled on there. I don't write many details about each event here, I just add the event and the date. I don't even worry about the events being in order - they will be put in order when I get to that particular month.
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| Monthly Calendars - July |
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| Monthly Calendars - August |
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Monthly Calendar - October
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For my monthly page, I just write the month at the top (pretty font and doodles are optional), and I number the days in list form. Next to the numbers, I write M T W Th F Sa Su, so I know which day of the week each date falls on. I write any important event from the yearly calendar on this list, and them I add to it as the month continues. While it's January, I will only add events for this month to this page, not to the yearly calendar as well. If there is something happening in February, I'll add it to the yearly log until I make a new monthly calendar. I DO add these pages to my index.
I recently started adding memories to each monthly page before I make the next month as a simple, quick way to record what's going on in our lives.
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| Weekly Page |
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| Weekly Page |
This is how I plan for a not-too-busy week. A spread for a busy week would take up two to three pages. When I taught, I drew vertical lines so I could place tasks at the time of day I planned on completing them (before school/planning/after school).
If I have a large task I want to break down, I might give it its own page. One thing I love about my bullet journal is the ability to adjust it based my planning needs.
I don't add these pages to my index.
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| Daily Page |
When I first started bullet journalling, I though I needed to do a daily spread for every day. Now I only use these on particularly busy days. I mostly just use weekly pages.
I don't add these pages to my index.
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| Painting Progress Log |
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| Painting Progress Log |
This particular spread is not going to be applicable to everyone, but it's super important to me. I usually leave my bookmark here so I can find it the quickest. Here is where I keep up with where I am on various painting orders. I'm able to break up the tasks and fill in individual boxes based on what I have completed for that particular painting.
I tend to do painting in batches - especially family portrait illustrations - so it is wonderful to be able to look at the page and quickly see where I am.
Collections and Notes
This is the fun part of bullet journalling! I can use the same notebook for all different parts of my life without messing up my planning.
In my journal I have:
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| Bible Notes and Sermon Notes |
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| Bible Reading Notes and Doodles |
Though I have had separate bible journals in the past, and I probably will at some point again, I always have this journal with me, so I find that it's easiest right now to just put my notes in here.
I also add sermon notes. Though I put a heading on the page, I don't usually index my sermon notes.
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| Fonts |
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| Fonts and Doodles |
I usually index my fonts so I can refer back to them regularly. I also have pages for wreaths, faces, etc. that I have doodles and want to possibly use again.
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| Specific To-Do Lists |
When we have a trip or I have a special project, I'll add a list just for that particular task. I usually don't index these unless they are recurring or long-term projects.
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| Painting and Reading Lists |
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| Advent Ideas |
I love to collect ideas for things to make, write, or do. I index these most of the time, and I often revisit them and make adjustments or even create new pages with revisions.
For my first bullet journal, I would have been upset at the crossed out section on this page. I made the decision with my second one that I would be OK with crossing out, drawing lines and arrows, and making mistakes. That has made a world of a difference!
A Few Final Notes:
- I have a key page, but honestly, I don't perfectly use it. It hasn't really made a huge difference. I have my own method of showing what I need to do and what I have done, and it works for me.
- I used to use many different colors and highlighters, but I mostly just use black and while note because it's simpler, and I always have a black pen on hand.
- I have used several different types of notebooks, but what I'm using now is a relatively inexpensive Exceed dot grid notebook that I just picked up at Walmart. What I look for is a small dot grid notebook with thick enough pages that my pens won't bleed.
- I use pigma micron liner pens. I have a pack with various thicknesses, but the 03 size is my favorite for everyday writing.
- I do have a separate, larger dot grid notebook for homeschool lesson plans/attendance/records. I still use the bullet journal style for that notebook. I'll show that method in a later post.
Do you use a bullet journal? If so, what pages do you include in yours? If not, have you ever wanted to use one? What has held you back?
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