Create and Use a Bullet Journal to Stay Organized

Planning

May 6

Create and Use a Bullet Journal to Stay Organized PIN 3.png

Creating and using a bullet journal is ideal for anyone who wants to be organized. You can purchase planners and journals but often they don't fit your individual planning or organizational style.

A bullet journal is a useful way to organize quickly and easily in a way that suits you.

Entries are designed to be quick to make and read so full sentences aren’t required unless you want them!

Choose a Notebook

You can use any notebook. There are specific blank bullet journals that you can purchase but any notebook will do. Generally, an A5 size is the most popular, but again the size, color and page style (blank, lined or squared) is entirely up to your preference.

Create an Index Page

The Index is important as it will help you locate pages that you use quickly. As you'll be creating specific pages and spreads as you need them you just add the title and page numbers to your Index as required.

Decide What Pages You Need

This is where the power of the bullet journal really lies. You choose what to include to suit how you need to plan and organize your life. Your journal could be for personal or business use. It could also be a combination journal.

Ideas for pages include:

Goal Setting
Daily Pages
Monthly Pages
Meeting/Webinar Notes
Product Ideas
Brain dumps
Inspirational Quotes
To Do List
Morning Pages
Doodling
Journaling (reading, prayer, gratitude)
And just about anything else you might want to jot down to keep and remember

As you add your pages don’t forget to title and number them or use a Leuchtturm1917 notebook that has the pages already numbered. Most bullet journalists like to use the dotted notebook but I prefer the squared format like this Pacific Green Leuchtturm* I just received a few weeks ago and can’t wait to start using it.

Once that’s done enter the details into the Index so you know where they are. Then you just need to design the layout of the pages to suit your needs. You can be as creative and inventive as you wish.

Related: Planning Resources

Create a Key

As your journal fills up you will need to have a way to locate important information quickly. The Index is one method but other ways to help you find and organize your journal contents are color coding and tabs.

Bullet journaling also uses symbols to identify specific tasks and note types. The ‘official’ Bullet Journal site recommends the following symbols:

Bullets:

• Indicates tasks

X Indicates completed tasks

< Task scheduled

> Task migrated

- Indicates a note

O Event

* This symbol is called a signifier and is used to show important notes and put to the left of the original symbol allowing you to find the most important information fast.

! Indicates inspirational material such as quotes or ideas.

An eye represents ideas to explore further.

Learn more about how this system works from the original bullet journal site.

A bullet journal could be the key to your organizational needs as it is a journaling system that you create to suit your unique needs. Since it is based on a blank notebook you’re not restricted by pre-made pages and content.