Bullet Journaling: A Guide
I’ve decided to make a little guide for anyone who might be thinking about starting a bujo but doesn’t know where to begin.
What is a bullet journal and why should you have one?
It can work as a mix of a to-do-list, planner, diary, art journal, notebook, tracker etc.
you can use it as a planner for your work/school life, personal life or a mix of both
Tbh it can be anything you want, that’s what so nice about a bujo, some things may work for you and some things might not!
Use it to have some quality time with yourself, relaxing, being creative, getting your shit together. I think everyone has different reasons for having one. I do it because it helps me relax, makes me remember all I have to do and then it’s also a way for me to stay a little creative when I don’t normally have time to paint and draw so much.
What do you need to start a bullet journal?
You might have seen a lot of extremely beautiful pictures floating around the internet with expensive notebooks and fancy pens, but you don’t need anything like that at all. This is what I think you need:
Some kind of notebook. It doesn’t really matter which one, some people like Lechtturm or Moleskine, but any notebook you have lying around will work just fine. (Maybe just don’t get one with 300 pages as it will seem overwhelming to have to finish it)
Pay attention to if it has blank, lined, gritted or dotted pages tho! For a journal focusing mostly on art, I would recommend blank pages, and for writing a lined. If you want your journal to have perfectly straight lines, a gritted journal will probably work the best. If you want something in between or don’t really know exactly what you want, I think you should choose the dotted one (that’s also what I use).
Some kind of pens and pencils. Just pay attention to if they will bleed through your pages!
Optional: Scraps of paper, colored tape (washi tape), (polaroid) pictures, old tickets, stickers, watercolors, pressed flowers, cute wrapping paper or literally anything you have lying around or anything you think look cute!
Practical things like glue, a ruler, a scissor
What should/could you put in your bullet journal?
I will give you a lot of ideas to spreads etc but don’t make them just because. Some things will work for you and a lot of things probably won’t. It can be tiring to make a lot of pages with things that don’t help you at all. Your bujo shouldn’t feel like a burden, so if you find a spread not working for you, then simply drop it :)
*Start off with an intro page, maybe write your name, phone number and email in case it gets lost. Your bujo can quickly become one of your most beloved things so be careful!
*Make a key page with what symbols will you be using for tasks, completed tasks, events, birthdays, appointments etc.
*Maybe make an index. Some people like using it, but I abandoned mine pretty quickly, so again, that’s up to you.
*Weekly spreads. Most people include these pages and they might be the ones you will use the most with daily to-do-lists and the like.
*You can let your spreads be inspired by lots of different things as colors, seasons, holidays, the movie you just watched, an album, a place, a smell, a feeling, outer space, a person etc. Also don’t be afraid to play with different shapes and textures.
Page over your contacts, and important birthdays
*Habit tracker page (you can track sleep, water, exercise, spendings, medication, yoga etc) This can also easily be incorporated in your weekly spreads.
*Since we are close to the new year, you can do resolutions for the year.
Monthly/weekly/daily goals
*Memory pages. These could include a spread from new years, Christmas or a café trip with a good friend.
*Travel logs. You can write it like a diary or just glue in tickets and draw something.
*Gratitude log. Write 1-3 things every day that you are grateful for.
School assignments overview
Wishlist. Update it whenever something pops into your mind so you will have some wishes when people ask you.
Passwords for different websites
*Different writing challenges like 6-word stories or a sentence a day.
Playlists for different moods
List of your favourite things
+ literally a thousand more!
When you start your journal it can be very hard to be satisfied with it right away and you might be tempted to rip out pages. If you think this will happen, I suggest numbering your pages from the start. I would recommend not ripping anything out anyway because when you’re 50 pages in, it’s fun to see how much it has changed over time.
if you want your bujo to be a little artsy, I would recommend always outlining with a pencil before you start using your pens.
If you don’t feel like an index will work but you still want it to be organized, you can color code it with tape on the side of the paper. Ex. you can use your red flower tape every time you start a new month.
Check tags like #bujo #bulletjournal #weeklyspread and #journal on social media to get tons of inspiration.
Check some of my favourite bujoblrs out like:
@bujo-rd @bujo-ie @howlsmovingdesk @peachdanik-journal @studylustre @studygramjess @studyblr @problematicprocrastinator @kaylareads @heyrosiebee @academi @ohghiblies @hannybstudies @therobotstudies @studyquill @vanillastudies @stillstudies
+ many many more. You can also check out my blog for inspiration.
I think that’s about it, I hope I covered it okay. Happy bullet journaling!
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