Bullet Journaling is an art form that has become very popular in the past few years. This article will answer common questions that surround the topic.
What is Bullet Journaling?
Bullet Journaling is a mix between a planner, sketchbook, and scrapbook, and is highly customizable.
What is a Bullet Journal?
A Bullet Journal is typically a 5 by 8 inch notebook with pages containing small dots or bullets. These bullets make it easy to divide the pages and draw lines. These books are fairly affordable and can be found at most craft stores or online.
Why Would Someone Choose to Bullet Journal?
Bullet Journaling is a creative outlet and can be used instead of a traditional planner. This leaves room for creativity to make layouts that work best for you. For example, most pre-printed planners have the week starting on Sunday, but the pages of a Bullet Journal can be customized so that the week starts on Monday.
What is Needed to Start a Bullet Journal?
Just a few items are needed when starting a Bullet Journal.
- A Bullet Journal
- A black pen/fine-liner- one of the most important things needed because it will be used to design all the pages.
- A ruler- to create straight lines.
- Colorful markers or gel pens, and tape- optional for color enhancement.
How to Organize Your Bullet Journal
Pick a theme for the month. What object or idea do you want to draw and focus on for that month? A theme can be anything you choose. For example, I chose under the sea as my theme for January.
Now that you have selected your theme, start by making a monthly cover page; this will be what represents the theme that has been chosen for the month. Make sure that the month is written in large letters, so it can be easily viewed.
Then, make a page with the whole month laid out on it. Important dates can be recorded and planned out on this page. This is where you can really customize your journal by choosing which day to begin the week with. If you like, you can also include elements from your chosen theme to make the month more cohesive and interesting.
If you want to make your journal even more personalized, try adding a habit tracker with goals that you feel you want to achieve during the month. Every day that you complete a habit on the tracker, you can check off the box that corresponds with that day.
Finally, it is time to make a page for each week of the month, also known as a “weekly spread”. You can make the pages all at once or as you go. When creating weekly spreads, make 7 columns on the page for 7 days. The columns can be vertical or horizontal depending on your preference.
Bullet Journaling is a creative alternative to the traditional planner and is an art form that can be customized to whatever fits your needs. You can make your pages as simple or complex as you want, just be sure to enjoy yourself and have fun!