Bullet Journaling Can Fix Your Life

By: Karla Leung ‘22

Now that the semester is coming to a close, you might have realized that your current system of organization might not be working for you. Whether you might want to start getting things organized in time for finals or start for the new year/semester, bullet journaling is an amazing system to organize and keep track of everything going on in your life. Starting to bullet journal this semester has helped me organize my life and keep track of everything that needs to be completed. Although bullet journaling has a defined system, the premise of bullet journaling is to make it your own and be creative!

Materials

First of all, getting the materials is a lot easier than it appears. You might see fancy spreads and layouts of journals that require expensive tape, markers, and pens, but none of that is required! All you really need is a journal and a writing utensil. You can find bullet journals of different tiers based on quality, such as an Amazon Basics for $8, this Moleskin for $18, or this Leuchtturm, a cult classic, for $20. There are some pens that many bullet journalers love to have, such as the Sakura Pigma Microns, the Pilot Metropolitan, or the Pilot G2. Some also like to buy stickers, washi tape, markers, and rulers to easily decorate their journals. But really, any notebook or writing utensils will work! What really comes down to bullet journaling is the method of journaling. 

Bullet journaling usually consists of the Index, a Future Log, a Monthly Log, and Weekly Log. However, you don’t necessarily have to follow this (I personally don’t make an Index because I never remember to update it). However, this is the general structure of the bullet journaling method. 

Index

After numbering all of the pages, the very first few are reserved to create an Index, which is essentially a table of contents that you build upon as you use your journal. Just like a table of contents, this is to easily refer back to what you’ve made, which can be very helpful if you want to look back on past goals and tasks that you may have forgotten.

Future Log

You then create a Future Log, which consists of everything coming up in the long term. This usually looks like a year calendar with important events, birthdays, and holidays. School-wise, I like to put finals, exams, papers, and project due dates here. This is also a great way to keep track of flights and breaks, as well!

Monthly Log

Then, you can make a Monthly Log, where you can break down the entire month and zoom in those events. This usually looks like a monthly calendar or a list of days to keep track of main events, such as homework, plans with friends, or appointments.

Some people like to create habit or mood trackers for the month, which you can use to log your overall feelings for the day or keep you on track with things you should do every day (e.g. going to the gym, reading, etc.). They help keep you accountable and using your journal daily!

Weekly Log

Then, you can go even narrower with your Weekly Log, breaking down your week by days. You can include reminders, assignments, and plans with friends, just like a normal planner. This is where you can get the most detailed, so this is where I include the times of appointments, smaller assignments, and daily tasks.

Daily Log

When things start to get really busy, I will occasionally make a daily log, which will break down my day even more than the Weekly Log does. These are usually times like finals, where I want to plan my day out by the hour and figure out when to study, when to take breaks, and what to prioritize that day. They provide a zoomed-in and focused breakdown of that day. They can be a lot of work to make every day, but remember they don’t always have to be super creative! All that really matters is that it works for you. 

Signifiers

Signifiers are essentially your own system of symbols to keep track of things. Use whatever is most intuitive for you, but many people use squares for tasks, a heart for a memory, a dot for a reminder, and more! Signifiers work best when they make sense to you. You can also incorporate colors, as well. 

Collections

Collections are my absolute favorite part about bullet journaling and what I personally find most useful! You can use collections within your journal to jot down your favorite books, movies to watch, meal plans, internships, places to travel, really anything!

There are millions of layouts, combinations, and layouts you can use for your bullet journal! Don’t be intimidated by fancy spreads and creative designs, bullet journaling is about the usefulness and application towards you. It’s a lot easier than it seems, and once you get the hang of it, it becomes a habit that will help you stay productive and organized!

If you want to learn more about bullet journaling, check The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future by the founder of bullet journaling, Ryder Carroll. You can also check out websites such as bulletjournal.com or The Lazy Genius Collective. 

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