Over the past two years I have started a bullet journal, which if you are not already familiar with is pretty much a planner and journal combined, only you are the one who creates the formats and spreads. Essentially, a bullet journal is a completely customizable system to fit whatever needs you have for it. It’s a great way to keep organized, especially if you have found in the past a normal planner has not worked for you.
The Basics
All you’ll need for your bullet journal is simply any journal or notebook you have and some pens and/or markers. I personally like using journals with either dotted line or grid paper, my current bullet journal is the Leuchtturm 1917 which I know many people who bullet journal also use. Some other supplies that I like using are markers to add colour and some washii tape for decoration on my pages.
Getting Started
Once you have all your supplies, most usually create a table of contents where they list what page has what spread for easy access to what you’re looking for. To find inspiration for different spreads Pinterest, in my opinion, is the best resource but there are also a lot of images on Instagram and Google. Some of my favourite spreads include the mood tracker one shown in the image above, which only requires colouring in a bubble with a colour associated to how the day went everyday for a year. Other popular page ideas include habit trackers, lists of movies to watch, books to read, gift ideas, birthday lists and weekly and monthly logs. Overall, bullet journals are really good for those who find that a normal planner does not work well for them, but also want a way to keep information like birthdays, budget planning and assignment due dates in one place. For more information on bullet journaling or ideas for new spreads there is a really good series on Youtube produced by Seventeen Magazine which goes over the basics as well as creative spreads.