Are you an organized person that loves to have your entire life written down and planned out? I know I am.
Do you feel like some of the planners and planning strategies that you have used in the past have been unsuccessful in managing your time? If so this is the perfect planner for you.
I am a HUGE notetaker and literally have to write down everything, including my daily goals and tasks. But I also have doctor’s appointments, holidays, and not to mention all of my blogging schedules.
And since having my kids this has become even more crucial because I have so much more to keep track of. And if I am being honest, I am not really the best at organizing my tasks in my head.
For me, having everything visually written down in front of me makes me feel less scattered and also helps me to decide what task to do first.
However, the problem with this is that even though I have everything that I need to be written down, I am horrible about taking my notes on several loose pieces of paper. And ultimately, these papers and notes on my desk start to add up and create numerous unfinished piles that make me completely overwhelmed.
This is one reason that I have tried to incorporate so many different planners into my daily life, but have not been able to find one that fits my specific needs.
I knew that I needed to have all of my notes and daily tasks in one easily accessible book, but I also wanted to have less structure than most traditional planners offered. Another interesting quirk of mine that I have realized over my years of notetaking is that I LOVE to make cute doodles around my notes.
So after months of searching through dozens of expensive planners and not finding anything that truly felt like what I wanted, I finally discovered Bullet Journaling.
(THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS HOWEVER, I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND ANYTHING THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE IN OR USE MYSELF. YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT MY DISCLOSURE POLICY HERE)
What Is A Bullet Journal?
A Bullet Journal is a completely customizable and forgiving organization system that can be used for your to-do list, like a notebook, as a personal diary or even as a sketchbook. The best part about using a bullet journal system is that you can make your bullet journal fit your individual style and needs.
Bullet journaling has recently become very popular, especially among mommy entrepreneurs. After deciding to give bullet journaling a try, I discovered the endless possibilities that it can provide through its customizable layout.
How I Use My Bullet Journal
In my bullet journal, I am able to create a list of all of my daily tasks and even take notes where ever I want. And the best part for me is that I can decorate or doodle literally EVERYWHERE if I want.
And although I do like everything to be organized, I go through different moods of notetaking and doodling from time to time. For example, there are some days that I feel like I need to use an entire page or even two pages for just one day of tasks and notes. But then the next week I may want to use two pages to create a weekly spread to fill in my tasks.
Some of my favorite things to write in my bullet journal are:
- Daily Blog Tasks
- Blog post ideas
- Blogging Notes and Course Notes
- Budgeting Notes
- and etc…
This is why the bullet journal works so great for me. No matter how I am feeling, I can make it work for my immediate needs. And so can you.
There is truly no RIGHT way to bullet journal.
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What Do I Need to Start Bullet Journaling?
The supplies that you choose for bullet journaling are completely unique to your needs however the basics of bullet journaling require a notebook and a pen or pencil.
I would highly suggest you start off with a composition notebook or any notebook that you might have laying around first to see if bullet journaling is something you want to stick with.
Personally, I LOVE my Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Medium Dotted Journal. It uses a dotted grid which is the most popular form of bullet journaling. It is a grid made up of dots, instead of lined paper. And the dots are very faint which makes it so great for doodling and adding whatever designs you might love.
As far as pens and writing materials, I usually start off by using mechanical pencils like these here and then when I have a design completely sketched out, I use these BIC Gelocity pens.
I have also been experimenting with pens that are often used for calligraphy in the bullet journaling world like this Tombow Dual Brush Pen.
And for Mother’s Day, my husband gave me this beautiful calligraphy kit by Staedtler that has been fun to work with as well.
A few other bullet journaling supplies I have collected to make it more fun for me have been:
- Sticky notes for making notes that might need to be moved around later.
- Washi Tape for decorating my bullet journal when I am too lazy to doodle. Ha
- A Clear Ruler for making perfectly straight lines.
- BIC Metalic Colored Permanent Markers
Now that I have used my bullet journal for over six months, I can honestly say that it has changed the way I organize my time and most of my life. It provides a place for me to put all of my thoughts, ideas, and daily tasks while also keeping everything altogether without being too structured.
Are you a bullet journal lover also? If so tell me all of your favorite bullet journaling supplies. Are there any special bullet journaling accessories that I might have missed? Tell me in the comments!
I am desperately trying to get more organized, and this post helps. I have never seen the notebooks with the dots but will definitely be ordering one. You have me convinced bullet journaling is for me.
I am so happy that you are inspired to give bullet journaling a try. It has been an amazing journey for me.
Love these ideas. I still have a Filofax (yeah, from the 90s) but I will incorporate some of these ideas into it. Shared – everyone needs to know this.
Thank you!