Doctor appointments. Special school assignments. PTO events. Homework schedules. Work deadlines. Dentist appointments. Parent / teacher conferences. After school schedules. My days are jammed packed with activities and without my bullet journal, my days would be a mess.
Some may ask, “What is a bullet journal?” The beauty is that a bullet journal is whatever you want it to be. You can use it to store immediate to-do lists and future plans or goals or use it to keep track of important events. You can also use it to keep track of your meal plan and shopping lists or to manage your mental health. You can even use it to keep track of your future business endeavors. I love bullet journaling because I can use it to track every part of my daily life and is not limited to a printed planner.
You are probably wondering how do you start a bullet journal. All you need is a journal and a pen. There are no requirements for the type of journal you need. I’ve used everything from fancy lined journals to blank notebooks. Even though there are no real requirements when choosing a journal, I usually pick a notebook / journal that matches my mood at the time. When I’m feeling extra girly or in need of a visual pick me up, I usually go for a glittery, fun, and eye catching look. When I’m feeling mellow or just need a few minutes to breathe, I usually go for a relaxing and calming design.
Now it’s time to start journaling!
First I begin by dividing my page into sections to capture what I “need” for that day. Most days, I create an “important items” section that is very small to the top. I purposely make that section very small because it is reserved for items that absolutely must get done that day. If you go over your daily routine, you will find that much of what is done are fillers or procrastination habits and very few are “important items.” I also make a “to do eventually” section. There is where I place everything else that needs to be done but is not an important item and can be pushed to a later date. I also have a “reward” section because who doesn’t love rewards? If I complete everything for that day, I usually reward myself with an ice cream cone, smoothie, or anything that I’m feeling like that day.
Bullet journaling is great because you can create whatever section you want and name them anything that you want. In the past, I’ve had a daily scripture section where I wrote the Bible scripture that will guide me throughout the day. I’ve had a gratitude section where I listed everything that I was grateful for throughout the day. I’ve also had an idea section where I jotted down random ideas that popped into my head that I wanted to research more.
When I write in my journal, I love to have color options. I have multicolor fine liner markers and gel pens that I use to doodle in my journal whenever I need to clear my mind.
Bullet journaling helps me in so many ways, and I love it because I can choose what works best for me which constantly changes.
