I have been bullet journaling since my freshman year of high school, and now – as a college freshman – I believe it is one of the best decisions I have made towards organizing and inspiring my life. Bullet journaling is so unique because of the way it can be tailored to include everything you want. From agenda and spread planning to gratitude logs, trackers, memory pages, the possibilities are completely endless.
Bullet journaling was created by Ryder Carroll, a 39-year-old digital designer who used to be a multiple-notebook person. Carroll describes the multiple notebook person as someone who keeps multiple notebooks for different purposes – lists, planning, ideas – and eventually finds themselves in a sea of notebooks and no sense of direction.
Carroll, who grew up with ADHD, says “Having ADHD is like trying to catch the rain […] The Bullet Journal Method is the result of me trying to get better at catching the rain. It all started by trying to figure out ways to be less overwhelmed by the daily data deluge.”
The Bullet Journal Method started with the purpose of capturing and filtering information to make daily life easier. It is a process that allows you to make sense of the little things and get through the storm. Throughout the years, bullet journaling has gone viral and is shared by millions of people who have been inspired by Carroll’s method. Many have begun using it as an artistic escape.
People like Amanda Rach Lee and Papery Thoughts have gone viral for their intricate bullet journal spreads and have built their followings by inspiring people through their bullet journaling. Individuals have also started businesses where they sell ethical and vegan journals; my favorites are from Archer & Olive.
I started bullet journaling because I wanted a creative outlook and often had a hard time finding planners that included everything I wanted in them. Soon, I grew obsessed.
Every month, for the past four years, I have sat down and scrolled through Pinterest for inspiration to prepare the next month in my bullet journal. I grab my favorite markers – Crayola Supertips – and fully immerse myself in the process for an hour or two.
Many have told me that they would not bullet journal because of how “complicated” and “time-consuming” it seems. In reality, it is a customizable process that you can make as simple or as complicated as you need it to be.
I share my October bullet journal set up with my favorite spreads in hopes that you are inspired and consider trying it yourself:
cover Page
The cover page of each month is where I establish my theme and create a division from the past month – like a new chapter. I usually find my theme inspiration on Pinterest and this October I followed a spooky bookshelf theme. Considering how I got back into reading recently, I loved this theme and how it hinted at Halloween without being super direct. On the left of my cover pages, I always include a quote: usually a small motivator that I can easily look back on.
Monthly Overview
The monthly overview is my lifeline. This is where I write everything: events, appointments and plans with friends. The monthly overview is something I reference every day as someone with a busy schedule. Because of how hectic life can be, I keep this page simple and neat to not take away from its purpose.
Assignment Overview
The assignment overview is a spread I just started using this past September. This page is like the monthly overview except for the fact that I just write what assignments are due each day – even color-coding them by class. As a visual person, I find this page extremely useful when it comes to visualizing the tasks I need to complete to stay on track with my classes. The overview page is customizable to you and can be adapted to your needs.
A Line a Day/Notes
For the past four years, I always include “a line a day” page in my monthly set-ups. I use this page as a memory and gratitude tracker to reflect on my days. Whether it is writing what I did that day, a small highlight, what I am grateful for or something I am looking forward to, this page serves as a source of growth for me, making it one of my favorites.
The notes page in my bullet journal is extremely basic. Still, it is always included to serve as a place to write any thoughts or ideas down and usually gets filled from edge to edge by the end of the month. From article ideas to grocery lists to events happening after the current month, the notes page is tailored to you and how you want to use it.
Weekly Spreads
The main purpose of my bullet journal is to serve as an agenda. My weekly spreads are where I completely dump out my life and create daily to-do lists. From assignments, workouts, classes and even simple things like making sure I get my groceries, the weekly spreads serve as a way to stay productive even when all that is on my list is “movies with friends @6:00.”
Recently, I discovered that providing a small space above my to-do lists to write events and things that have bigger time blocks – like workout classes and meetings – has been extremely useful in knowing where I must save chunks of my days. I think the weekly spreads are the most versatile of them all because of how customizable they can be – people have gone as far as listing 45 different ways to set up your weekly spreads.
Highlights Page
The highlights page is my favorite spread every month. I leave two pages blank, and once the month passes, I choose my favorite pictures along with any tickets, passes or business cards and collage them into my bullet journal. This is an extremely fun spread for me, and I sometimes even use other supplies like colored paper and washi tape. The best part is being able to look back on the pages years later to remember and reflect on what you were doing each month out of the year.
Bullet journals are such a versatile and unique way to organize your life. It is truly a creative outlook that I think everyone should try – no matter how artistic you consider yourself to be. By sharing my October bullet journal setup, I hope you are inspired and consider trying it for yourself.