Intrigued, I clicked on the pin for bullet journaling and BAM!!! my mind was blown. Someone took a simple concept that has been around forever and marketed it in a way that appealed at an extremely large audience. A deeper search netted all kinds or artistic and colorful layouts, trackers and to do lists. Oh my! So many that I actually researched the darn thing for three months before I broke down and bought my first journal.
Advisement: This post contains affiliated links. That means, if you click on one of the contained links and purchase the item,
I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
 |
Northbooks 5x8 Notebook | 96 Dot Grid Perforated Pages | Made in USA |
"The Bullet Journal is a customizable and
forgiving organization system. It can be
your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and
diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above.
It will teach you to do more with less."
Ryder suggests that every bullet journal contain at the very least, these items:
- Index/ Key
- Future Log
- Monthly Log
- Daily Log
Some very basic elements of the bullet journal include:
- Rapid Logging
- Topics and Pages Numbers
- Bullets
- Tasks
- Events
- Notes
- Signifiers
The bullet journal is designed to be flexible and to meet the needs of any lifestyle. Will the bullet journal of a college student look like the bullet journal of a Wall Street stock trader? Not necessarily, but the basics will be in both. The student might include course schedules and research paper outlines and deadlines. Whereas, the Wall Street stock trader might record market trends and future trading strategies. But they both will have Future, Monthly and Daily Logs with to-do lists and marks that indicate whether the task was done.
In future posts, I will go into greater detail about different spreads that can used in your bullet journal and how the bullet journal can be customized for teachers and students. These posts may be a lot more fancy then what you see on the Bullet Journal website. Keep in mind that fancy is an option not a requirement. If the idea of doodling on every page turns you off, then don't do it. If black and white appeals more to you then rainbow, then use the black and white. What I will be offering in future posts will be options for people that more then a basic bullet journal.
So, what did you first bullet journal look like? It was a mess. Several times I wanted to rip out pages and start over. But every time I had that feeling, I resisted, because the mistakes are part of the learning process of what was working for me and what was not. Now, when I want to change a layout or alter the types of spreads I use, I go back to those "failed" pages to remind myself of what worked in them, if anything, and what didn't.
In future posts, I will go into greater detail about different spreads that can used in your bullet journal and how the bullet journal can be customized for teachers and students. These posts may be a lot more fancy then what you see on the Bullet Journal website. Keep in mind that fancy is an option not a requirement. If the idea of doodling on every page turns you off, then don't do it. If black and white appeals more to you then rainbow, then use the black and white. What I will be offering in future posts will be options for people that more then a basic bullet journal.
So, what did you first bullet journal look like? It was a mess. Several times I wanted to rip out pages and start over. But every time I had that feeling, I resisted, because the mistakes are part of the learning process of what was working for me and what was not. Now, when I want to change a layout or alter the types of spreads I use, I go back to those "failed" pages to remind myself of what worked in them, if anything, and what didn't.
For anyone interested in starting a bullet journal, I do not suggest going to Pinterest and searching "bullet journal". You will be overwhelmed quickly. What I do suggest is to visit Ryder's website (bulletjournal.com) and watch his video ().
My last note before I send you on your own to discover and explore is try not to get wrapped up in the frilly and fancy. Find a good notebook, ANY notebook, and a good pen that you ENJOY using. A lot of the "suggested" notebooks are expensive ($20+) and do not last long for beginners. You can save a lot of money by purchasing a lined, spiral notebook to do your beginning journaling. Then after you are comfortable with what you want out of your journal, INVEST in a notebook that is better quality.
The Mrs. MathMagician is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
