I have always been a lover of stationery–always have, always will be. Because I am a fan of all things stationery (such as washi tape, stickers and journals), I decided to make my first bullet journal in 2022. I have not stopped since, and the format for each journal has been everchanging. I am on my third journal, and I cannot guarantee that the journal after this will have the same set up.
Each person does their bullet journal (bujo) differently. If something works for the user, they add it. If it does not work out, then they take it out. For example, many people have something called a habit tracker, which is a spread to track daily habits. I used to have one, but I always forgot to fill it out, and I was not using it much anymore, so I took it out.
Here are four of my favorite spreads that are easy to use in a bullet journal. If you are not a fan of bullet journaling, you can find ways to incorporate these spreads into your regular journal/planner.
#1: Gratitude log
It is so easy to get caught up in the negative aspects of our lives. Even if it’s a small thing, it is easy for it to get in the way of the day. Do not let that happen! Instead, add a gratitude log to build a more positive mindset. This way, we focus on the joy in our lives, which in turn makes our day much better. I personally named this spread my “yay of the day.” My yay of the day could be from something small (I had lunch with my friend) to something larger (I passed this exam). Either way, the next time you have a bad day, you can read these entries and remember the blessings in your life.
How to set up: Your gratitude entry could range from one line to a couple of sentences. That part is up to you, but most people do one line a day. If you do one line a day, you number the days in the month per row and write an entry in each row. Most people make a gratitude log on one page.
#2: Assignments Tracker
A bullet journal is very much like a planner; when I have many assignments to do in one day, I need a place to track all this stuff. This is when an assignment tracker comes in handy.
How to set up: On a single page, make three columns with the largest in the middle. In the two smaller columns, write class in one of them and due date in the other. In the middle, write down the name of the assignment. When you are done with an assignment, cross it off!
#3: Yearly calendar overview
The first two-page spread I have is always a yearly calendar. I like having this spread so I can see the year at a glance, and when I work on monthly spreads, I have this spread handy to make a monthly calendar spread.
How to set up: Across two pages (or one), make 12 boxes, going seven dots horizontally (days) by the number of weeks (vertical). Have room for two extra rows at the top, one for days of the week (S for Sunday, M for Monday, etc.) and one for the month title. To make it even, I put six months on each page. Use the rest of the space to either decorate the title “Calendar” or year “202x.”
#4: Book tracker
Reading books has always been an “in” for many people at the start of the year, myself included. Who can blame them? Reading is a fun hobby, whether it’s a physical, audio, or electronic book. I like to keep track of how many books I read a year, because it makes me proud to see how much time I spend reading instead of scrolling through my phone.
How to set up: Everyone does this differently, so there is no standard way to do this. The most common way is to draw little “shelves.” Then, draw book spines (as many books as you want to read this year). Some people color in the spines beforehand, some color them after they read a book. This spread can take up one or two pages. The number of books you read is completely up to you! For me at least, if I do not meet my goal, I decrease my goal by five books. If I do meet it, however, I will increase my goal by five books.
at the end of the day…
Your bujo is your bujo. You make it yours. You may even have unique spreads that make your journal truly stand out from others–that is the beauty of creative hobbies like this. From person to person, you can sense that each journal is different. I promise this is one of the hobbies that you will never get bored of, especially when you look at your journal collection in the future. All will be packed with memories that you can show others (but only if you want). Happy journaling!