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Notebooks and a cup of tea

Bullet journal: the tool you never knew you needed

By Lara HayesPublished 3 years ago 7 min read
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Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash

Let’s be real, notebooks have been taken for granted for years. I won’t say they are more convenient, easier to carry around and faster than a smartphone, but if you’re anything like me, they will make you a thousand times more productive than your phone — or laptop for that matter.

A few months ago, I was looking for an alternative organization system that made me more productive and allowed me to better plan my daily tasks as well as long-term projects. That’s when I stumbled upon the Bullet Journal method — and months later, I can proudly say that it completely changed my life. It skyrocketed my productivy, I am more organized than ever, I have everything in the same place, and I have a lot of fun drawing on it.

What is a Bullet Journal?

A Bullet Journal is a system created by Ryder Carroll that allows you to organize your life however you want according to your needs. It essentially works like an agenda or a planner would, but it’s extremely flexible and 100% customizable, so you can add or leave out anything — and everything — that isn’t working for you.

With a Bullet Journal you can track the past, order the present and design the future — Ryder Carroll

Ryder Carroll is a digital product designer and author living in Brooklyn, New York. He was diagnosed with learning disabilities early in life and he was forced to figure out alternative ways to be focused and productive, and that’s when he created the Bullet Journal method.

How to Create a Bullet Journal

While it is true that some Bullet Journals have lots of colors, pleasing designs and stunning drawings, to create a BuJo — which is short for Bullet Journal — you really just need a pen and an empty notebook. A Bullet Journal can look however you envision, but here are the parts that most people use and that have helped me be more productive and organized:

1. Key

The key is the page that you are going to reference when logging tasks or other things in your Bullet Journal.

It is completely up to you, but the most used symbols are the following: a bullet point for tasks, a cross for completed tasks, an arrow for migrated tasks, a line for cancelled tasks and a triangle for appointments. You can also add more symbols — I use a dot for notes and a square for school — to make it suitable and fitting to your needs.

Pro tip: Color coordinate your tasks, it helps with organization and productivity because your brain will recognize the tasks more easily.

Photo of the 'Key' page on my Bullet Journal.

2. Index

Since the notebook you are going to be using is empty, creating an index where you can write in which page to find everything is certainly handy.

Pro tip: Buy a notebook specifically designed to be a BuJo, since some of them already come with an index at the beginning of it.

Photo via Pinterest.

3. Future Log

A future log is where you are going to write down long-term priorities and far-off commitments, such as medical appointments for months later, big project deadlines, etc.

Because in the Bullet Journal method you only write tasks and set up one month — or week — at a time, you need a page where you can keep track of all of the things that are happening in the future and that you will incorporate in the current month once you are setting up a new one.

Photo via Pinterest

4. Monthly Log

A monthly log works like a regular calendar, so it allows a broader and more general view of the month and the most important tasks.

Pro tip: It’s also a great page to write goals in, projects to start, or big to-do lists that will carry on throughout the whole month.

Photo via Pinterest

5. Daily / Weekly Log

This is where the tasks, events, notes, deadlines… — each marked with its own symbol as established in the key page — will be written.

Everything that is in your hundreds of messy and unorganized to-do lists will go here, and as the day — or week — goes on, you’ll cross them out when finished.

Photo of a weekly log from my Bullet Journal

6. Collections

Collections are pages used to track things, make lists or create art.

Useful page ideas that have helped me be more organized are: master to-do lists, habit trackers, expense trackers, fitness trackers… and the list goes on and on.

Photo of a 'Study planner' collection on my Bullet Journal.

How I use my Bullet Journal

Flexibility.

While there are a lot of productivity systems out there that can help you achieve productivity, not a lot of systems are as flexible as a Bullet Journal and allow you to track so many things in the same place.

Having all my goals, lists, plans, appointments… in the same notebook has saved me a lot of time since I no longer spend hours looking for that wrinkled post-it note that had a very important to-do list written on it, but that is most likely in the trash can. It has also made it easier for me to carry around all my thoughts and life plans together; all in all, it has saved me time and effort, therefore, helping me with productivity.

Rapid logging.

One of the reasons why I love using a Bullet Journal for productivity is because it offers me the possibility of “rapid logging”. This is a system that uses the symbols previously established on the key and it allows you to log every single task or event that’s happening while keeping it organized and without wasting time or losing context.

Cross it off.

Let’s be honest here, crossing off things in your to-do list feels amazing. That’s because it frees your brain from those tasks and it gives you a sense of accomplishment, even if it’s a really small task.

The bullet journaling method is great for that. Writing down everything that I need to do — even if the task seems irrelevant or insignificant and it can be done in under 5 minutes — has boosted my productivity immensely. That's because when I feel productive, I want to keep it that way.

Writing things down.

Cognitive psychology research suggests that typing information is way less effective than handwriting it, as handwriting is something that requires more conscious thought. Therefore, when writing down your tasks, you are actively processing your ideas, thoughts, appointments, tasks… Besides, writing things down on paper gives me more focus and clarity, and it also increases self-awareness and reflection.

Habit trackers.

As silly as it may sound, habit trackers are one of the things that saved my life — productivity speaking.

I have taken advantage of the habit trackers that I design according to my needs. Not only do they keep me focused and I stay productive throughout the day, but they have also made me more aware of my habits — the good and the bad — and helped me eliminate them.

Artistic outlet.

Most productivity systems simply act as daily planners or agendas, but Bullet Journaling helps with creativity and it drives personal innovation and development. It does that by allowing you to brainstorm ideas and quickly register them throughout the day in the same space.

In addition, the BuJo pages are blank, so it allows me to draw, paint, write, stick things throughout the page... nothing is off limits, which really helps my inner artist relax and enjoy the amazing feel of pen on paper.

Photo of a creative page on my Bullet Journal.

Final Thoughts

“Wait, but I don’t have time to make my Bullet Journal look pretty” — Well, lucky for you, you don’t have to, if you’re into drawing and painting and all of that, do it; if you are not, just don’t. Your Bullet Journal has to be convenient and easy to use, not a piece of art like the ones you see on Pinterest.

Before starting my BuJo, my life was messy and unorganized, so I can’t even explain how useful and valuable this method has been to me. It has helped me get more things done than I ever dreamed of. It helped me implement healthier and more productive habits into my life, as well as serving as a creative outlet for my inner artist.

Once you get going you realize how powerful and helpful the Bullet Journal method can be. I highly recommend that you develop a journaling habit because it has lots of positive effects on your life. For me, 5 minutes of journaling a day makes me a happier and more productive person. Oh, and most importantly, it helps me keep sane in these stressful times.

self help
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About the Creator

Lara Hayes

Hey, I'm Lara! Welcome to my 3 a.m thoughts and sometimes unpopular opinions.

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