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Bullet journaling is something I discovered by accident. Putting pen to paper may sound old school, but Bullet Journal is a ridiculously easy system for keeping track of To Dos, goals, and tasks.
I’ve heard some gurus say that a bullet journal is like a potato. Bland and boring looking, it gets dismissed until someone shows you how to make it into a golden and tasty french fry.
Let’s get to fry makin’ then.
A bullet journal (BUJOS) is a way of keeping track of everything you need to do in one notebook. Basically, it is an “old school” system that utilizes pen, a grid or dot journal book, and a no-brainer system that can be as fancy or as non-fussy” as you’d like. Bullet Journal is really more of a system than a product and it can be tweaked to fit just about any lifestyle. At its simplest form, all you need is a cheap spiral notebook. I personally began Bullet Journaling by using a yummy hardcover quadrille pad-style book that I scored for free at a blogging conference. Basically, you can adopt the system (outlined here) in any notebook of your choosing.
BUJOS usually consists of 3-4 main parts, but I’ve seen people stretch that to whatever it takes to help their life function smoother. The parts are roughly as follows:
Part 1: The first part includes the index and key. They will occupy the first two pages of your journal and help you stay on track with what’s where and how the journal works.
Part 2: The second part consists of “logs.” These can be future logs (a list of important dates to remember, a monthly or weekly log or calendar, and then running daily entries.
Part 3: Rapid logging is your daily system that matches up with your key. Squares can signify weekly ToDos, a lightbulb symbol is for an idea that needs further attention, triangles indicate appointments, “x” indicates that a task/appointment is complete and an arrow shows that the task needs to be migrated to the next day. My rapid logging system is in a weekly format in my bujo and this “my style” tracker that keeps all the business and personal task (immediate or long-term) in the forefront of my mind. Nothing is more empowering to be than to be able to check something off my daily To-Dos!
Part 4: The last part of a bullet journal is something called collections or lists. They are just that, lists of related things you want to keep track of. For example, you may have a list of books you want to read or a list of clients you need to contact this month. These sections can also be diet and nutrition-related or even a master goal list for the year.
Additional sections in your bullet journal can be designated for things like
The Bullet Journal is an analog system, meaning you don’t need anything more complicated than a notebook and a pen or pencil. While it’s very customizable, and you’re certainly welcome to change things around. All you need to start is a simple dot or grid notebook and a kick-butt pen like the Uniball Signo.
Book-wise, highly recommend something 5×8 in size, quadrilled lined or dotted and spiral bound is great if you can find it because it lays nice and flat.
Supplies to “fun up” your Bullet Journal
If you want to “pretty up” your Bullet Journal, Washi Tape, 3M Post-It Tabs, and color pencils are a great way to give to style and flair.
Pens or Markers –My absolute favorite pen for my Bullet Journal is the Uniball 207 in black. I love the fine, crisp lines this pen makes plus it doesn’t bleed through. It also is perfect for my doodling and line art that I adorn the edges of my pages with. Pilot’s Frixon Pen is handy too because it’s erasable.
Washi Tape (optional) – Washi tape is an easy and colorful way to decorate your pages. It’s also a great way to tab or bookmark certain pages to make them easy to find.
Post It Flags: These non-permanent flags are a great way to put a colorful reminder in place if there’s a section of your Bullet Journal that needs more work or is acting as an ongoing reminder for you.
Stickers: Etsy has some awesome/unique stickers and labels just for bujo use.
Highlighters: I know some folks use highlighters to code and manage tasks and items, but seems to me they bleed through. I would suggest a bible highlight or “dry” highlighter as a better way to highlight.
Ruler (optional) – Makes it easier to keep lines straight and neat.
Colored Pencils (optional) – Used to embellish and decorate your journal. Since I am a doodler, being able to color in my page doodles with color pencils is a fun treat.
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Hi, it’s me, Becky. I’ve been blogging actively since 2009 but you may know me as Franticmommy. Currently, I am working on rebranding Franticmommy to reflect my shift in passions and projects so don’t be alarmed if you start seeing updates and blog posts from “Becky Flansburg.” What will not change is my unique perspective on life and parenting and the fact I am rocking being a 50-something wise woman with way too many pets (12 to be exact…and counting). So thank you for being a part of my life and be sure and look me up on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest!
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