Have you ever scrolled through Instagram and come across a perfectly arranged, decorated and organised planner, and asked yourself – why can’t that be me?!

I have. And, like many of you, the temptation was so strong that I got to the point of picking up a notebook, a pen and some washi tapes, and getting to work.

You might be where I was a few years ago – starting off and full of ambition for your new book. Or you might be looking for a switch-around of the status-quo – a new beginning. Here’s why I want to share some knowledge I have acquired in my time with my trusty old bullet journal.

But before that, let’s take a moment for all the newcomers to this beautiful practice – are you wondering what exactly a bullet journal is?

Contrary to the name, it has nothing to do with bullets and everything to do with journaling! Namely, it’s a journaling strategy – one that combines all aspects of your day-to-day life into one streamlined and personalised system, and makes it nice and pretty.

It’s the perfect marriage between the part of your brain that wants discipline and order to tame the chaos that is everyday life, and the other part of your brain that wants to colour outside the box and unleash colour and creativity.

Bullet journaling lets you be in control of your own narrative – how you plan, when you plan, and what you plan.

And it plays on the human brain’s love for aesthetics to get you to fill in to-do lists and calendars, dreading leaving an empty space.

As fun as it all sounds in theory, the actual “doing” part is a slightly different story. When you stand face to face with your excessively busy schedule, when you factor in the brain’s need for short-term gratification, and when you find yourself obsessing over your calendar doodles for hours, the relation hits that bullet journaling can be quite the commitment.

Nevertheless, it’s a priceless investment to make, and it definitely pays off when you do it right. As a rather seasoned bullet journal-er, let me share some things that I wish someone told me when I first got started:

1. Start simple! There’s plenty of time to be extra!

As bullet journalers, we are well versed in the art of being extra – the whole point of bullet journaling is going the extra mile to take back control of your days!

And that’s a huge source of ambition for new faces in the bullet journaling movement. It’s very easy to fall in love with the perfect calligraphy, the creative themes, and the bespoke supplies used by influencers online.

But there’s a charm in starting simple – just a calendar spread, to-dos and a braindump should do the trick for your first spread! Starting off simple will allow you to see what you’re missing, and it generates excitement for adding it in next month!
Also, it prevents the risk of getting overwhelmed, which is what happened to me so I had to take a break – it wasn’t fun. I find that it’s much more enjoyable to add spreads on an ad-hoc basis than it is to leave spreads empty because you went too far on your first go.

4. Throw the rule book out the window!

Wanna start journaling the way you want? The first step is, and pardon the cliche, to forget everything you thought you knew. Start by exploring what it is that you wanna get out of this.

Let me give you an example from my own life. I start by listing my responsibilities: I am a full-time university student in a science subject, I manage a business, I’m on a research internship, I manage projects and I volunteer. Then, I figure out the rest: my hobbies, spending time with my loved ones, travelling and sleeping.

Once you have a good idea of what you’re working with, what you need from a bullet journal should reveal itself. For me, it was spreads like academic trackers, monthly/weekly/daily spreads and a hefty to-do list spread. I also wanted to further my gratefulness so I incorporated memory spreads (check out our article on the power of gratitude).
And the best thing? My journal doesn’t have to, and probably does not, look like anyone else’s. And neither should yours! True organisation comes when we recognise every dimension of our life and give it enough attention.

5. Beauty’s on the inside!

The classic saying takes on a new meaning when thinking about your bullet journal and how you can make it spark joy for YOU. Not for anyone else – for you. Your bullet journaling journey then becomes intertwined with your personal style, or the search for it.

What I truly enjoyed is bullet journaling with this question in mind: “what do I find beautiful?” It makes you think about how you define beauty, and whatever the answer to your question is, your bullet journal will start to reflect that.

Worried that it’s easier said than done? The best way to start making your journal beautiful to you is to follow your instincts. When I started bullet journaling, I found a pretty leaf in my driveway, so I took it and stuck it inside my bullet journal.

On a walk with my family, I found a pretty pink flower on the ground. What did I do? Yep – I stuck it in my bullet journal. Old train tickets from a happy trip abroad? It’s in my bullet journal. A random quote from a friend that’s become a heartwarming inside joke? Bullet journal!

For me, beauty comes from memories and emotions, so that is what my bullet journal shows.

6. Make upgrades!

As with anything in life, you can rarely get it right the first time. What happens to most of us is we mess up along the way, and success comes from learning from those times and making upgrades.

Bullet journaling is definitely no exception. You can’t expect everything to line up the first time! Spare yourself these expectations, and I promise you’ll feel so much more motivated – you’ll enjoy building your journal.

So what I mean is this: don’t be scared if next month’s spread looks nothing like last month’s. If a spread is not doing it for you – it has no place in your journal! Changing it up is actually evidence that bullet journaling is working – it shows you’re in control.

7. Timing is key

Bullet journaling is a powerful thing. It takes up time and it gives back great results. Which is why you shouldn’t underestimate the level of commitment required.

I would love to tell a bullet journaling story that’s all rainbows and sunshine, but that’s hardly ever the case. A big part of bullet journaling is disappointment – which is what came for me when I found myself having less and less time to do my spreads, to the point where I just had to stop.

The issue came from scheduling, or the lack thereof. Life does not stand around waiting for you to plan it – oftentimes it’s happened even before you’ve managed to pick your washi tapes!

This is why you should make sure you’re ready to start the transformative habit before you pick up your journal. And make sure you know what your day looks like, and when your mind and body are in their best state for reflection. From this point of view, oftentimes making a commitment to get up early in the morning results in lots of yawns and empty spreads…

What tends to work best for most people is doing it after work, or after dinner. The relaxing feeling of slipping your shoes off (or turning the last Zoom call off) is fertile soil for the seeds of thought to grow.

8. Your journal is your friend!

Yes, I know this sounds a bit odd, but trust me – this way of thought helped me make progress with my journal. I thought of this very improvised strategy and it ended up really aligning my mindset into being more ready for change and productivity.

I started thinking of my journal as my best friend (not as sad as it sounds…). What I mean by that is be excited to spend time with your journal, don’t go anywhere without it, and when you’re writing inside, try to imagine that you’re telling your best friend a secret. Building an emotional connection to your journal is key to sticking to it.

This strategy helped me fight the feeling that writing in my journal was a chore. It started to make me feel relaxed, when I could put down my thoughts on paper.

With this advice, I hope to communicate one main message: there is no right or wrong way for your journal to look.

But, below the surface of your journal’s aesthetic is a powerful tool that can bring wonders to your life as long as you do everything to maximise this power! And that comes with recognising all steps of the process and paying them respect – from the moment you first see a bullet journal post on Instagram, to the moment you fill in the last page, looking to recognise yourself in your journal is what will get you on the right path to an elevated journaling experience.