It’s a new year, and it’s time to set up a new planner or calendar. The problem is that so many pre-made calendars are not set up for your lifestyle or limit the amount of information you can record. Organizing your personal, social, and work life in one system may seem impossible, but it’s not with bullet journaling. Bullet journaling is a customizable way to schedule, organize, and reflect in your own book. Even if you’ve never thought about starting a bullet journal, this bullet journaling for beginners guide can help you get started.
Parts of a Bullet Journal
A bullet journal usually has three main parts. First, you’ll have an index and a key. Unlike typical books, the index usually comes in the beginning. It’s really more like a table of contents that organizes and tells what pages certain sections or trackers are on. Many users find it helpful to number their pages for this reason. An index, like any part of your bullet journal is not a requirement. Some journalers omit an index to allow them to customize their journal as they go rather than set up a whole book from the beginning.
Most bullet journal users also include a key. This may be an entire page or a fold out slip. It shows symbols you’ll use in your journal. The term bullet journal comes from the original form of bullet journaling where empty circle or square bullets were used for tasks, filled in bullets for completed tasks, and half filled for in progress tasks. Arrows are drawn through the bullets to migrate incomplete tasks to a later date.
The second part of your journal is the typical calendar. Journalers use all or some combination of monthly or daily calendars. Monthly calendars give a nice overview for important task or events for the month. Daily logs are often used as ways to plan out days to the hour with specific times listed. Another part of the calendar section is a future log, usually a two page spread with a six month calendar to track important events and goals.
Finally, the last part of the journal is collections or lists. This is the part of the journal that is so unique to you. You may choose to log all the books you’ve read in the year or track your meals. Collections and lists are great ways to keep goals and can be done by using gorgeous images and drawings or keeping it simple with words and text.
Supplies
Search bullet journaling supplies on Amazon, and you may find yourself overwhelmed with the amount of pens, stickers, and notebooks available. You can get as extravagant as you’d like, but bullet journaling just requires a notebook and a pen. That’s it! You can even use simple, lined composition notebooks for under $2 to get started. Options for notebooks include blank pages, square grid, and dotted. Choose a cover that suits your personality. You may want to have a solid color to customize with stickers, words, or artwork. Otherwise, there are hundreds of options of cover designs, brands, and materials for journalers to choose from.
The best pens are ones that won’t bleed through your journal paper. Simple ballpoint pens work, or you can try more colorful pens like Papermate Flairs. These hold up against most types of journal papers without bleeding or ghosting, and they have so many colors to choose from!
Check out planner stickers, rulers, and other fun tools to up your creative journal game!
Keep it simple.
It’s easy to want to make a collection for everything you love, a list for every aspect of your life, and goals for everything from fitness to home repair. However, if you take on too much in your journal early, you’re more likely to abandon it. Start with the basics, and then add more as you feel more comfortable. A bullet journal should help aid in your productivity. The creative, artistic aspect that can come with bullet journaling can be fun, but it’s not a requirement. In fact, some users love using pre-made printable layouts, still making the journal customizable for them while saving some time.
The most important thing when focusing on bullet journaling for beginners is to do what works for you. From simple supplies like a spiral lined notebook up to fancy bound books, bullet journaling is for everyone, so give it a try! Here’s a little printable to get you started… it’s very plain so you can add your own little sketches and designs. We have a slew of Journals… Bullet Journals… Planners and more … so just scroll down a little and check out the links! There is even a 50+ Page Personal Journal. Wishing you luck on your journaling adventures!
Click Here for Your FREE PRINTABLE BULLET JOURNAL!
If you are looking for some more alternatives… we have tons of Printables that will help you in your Journaling and Planner quests!:
Free Printable Floral Bullet Journal
Free Printable Birthday Planner
Our MOST Popular 50+ Pages Floral Personal Planner
The Best Personal Planner
That Will Organize Your Life
The Best Kitchen Planner To Organize You Entire Year
There are a few links in today’s post that are affiliate links… just need you all to know that any small amount that is made on them will be donated to various Animal Rescues that we feature on Saturdays on Down The Rabbit Hole.
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