I’ve been using my bullet journal for about three months now. If you haven’t heard of this method, you really should check out the website and the short video there. It’s a really neat method for organizing daily and monthly tasks, events, notes, lists, and pretty much anything else you can include in a notebook.
For my journal I’m using a Moleskine Cahier Squared Journal
One of the most important parts to this method is the index page at the front. That allows you to easily find whatever you’re looking for without having to include tabs or sections or waste any space. I love the index! However, I like to put spaces in between items for readability’s sake, and I think I’m going to run out of room on my index page. Next time I will make sure to leave the first few pages blank.
If you watch the video overview, you’ll see that the bullet journal can be a great method for a daily task list. I tried that for awhile, but I found that I simply don’t have enough tasks to list most days, and the ones I do have are mostly routines. Plus, I am deeply entrenched in and rely upon my Things app. I do try to be super productive on the weekends though, and usually I will write out a weekend task list in my journal and leave it out on the counter during that time. I like having it there in a visible spot and it does help me to write everything out by hand.
Some other ways I am using my bullet journal are:
- church sermon notes
- weekly meal plan
- brainstorm sessions
- home decorating project & idea list
Overall I really like the system and its flexibility. The idea of numbering pages and using an index is genius! I’m definitely going to keep using it for all my random lists and notes.
From Nora:
You find the most creative ideas! I haven’t heard of this one before; definitely seems like something my mom would have liked. I can see the appeal with the ease of use, quick look at things and etc. Thanks for sharing with us!
From Jen:
I’ve been longing for something like this. I’ve wanted an Erin Condren (because, peer pressure), but it doesn’t meet my needs. Thanks for sharing! I’ll be doing this as soon as I get back home.
From yours truly, melissa:
Interesting! I love lists and I love writing things out in bullet form so this sounds really appealing to me.
I believe I’ve read of another blogger who was doing this as well…I just actually need to check out the links.
From Sarah:
I’ve read about the bullet journal idea several times but can’t quite bring myself to start, I think because I basically do a similar thing already in Evernote (various categories, long-term checklists). But I do like pretty journals!
From Melanie:
This is so simple, but brilliant! I am a nerd, I think this might be the perfect system for me! I keep trying planners but they just aren’t flexible enough or something. I really like how this allows for random thoughts and notes about things.
From Kinter:
I have found that I remember things when I write them down but that putting them into an electronic list just doesn’t work for me. I’m in the process of beginning the bullet journal using a spiral bound notebook but when my Field Notes arrive, I’ll go whole hog into it. It’s an excuse to use my fountain pen, too! I have a Plan Ahead calendar but the pages in between the months went to waste because I didn’t use them. With the bulleted list, I find that I’m accomplishing more.