If you haven’t heard already, one of the newest trends circulating social media is bullet journaling. Personally, I have been using my own journal for almost a year now; it has sparked a new-found creativity that I never knew I had! After trying different methods, using different journal styles, and trying endless amounts of writing utensils, I feel that I have finally found what works for me. I want to share my tips, however, I challenge you to add as much or as little to your own journal. Here are my tips to starting and utilizing your own bullet journal:
1. Find a journal.
You can use any notebook that draws your interest: lined pages, dotted pages, blank pages, etc. The purpose of starting a journal is to spark creativity and utilize the abundance of pages to stay on top of your game. Make this all your own; don’t be influenced by people! Gathering inspiration, which we will discuss later, is important. However, this journal is all your own! You do you girl!
2. Compile your favorite writing utensils (and other tools as well).
My favorite pens to use, that don’t smudge in my bullet journal, are the Sharpie Pens and both the Pigma Micron 03 and 08 pen. To give my journal some color, I like to use the Tombow Brush Pens, which come in a variety of colors, perfect to create your own color scheme. Looking at all of the color makes me excited to open up my journal every day. Some extra tools that are not necessary, but are good for a perfectionist like me, is a ruler and some white-out.
3. Get creative.
Now that you’ve collected your favorite journal and tools, we can get started! You can create as many or as little structured pages as your heart desires. You can use this journal as more of a planner, a diary, or a mix of both; the point of the bullet journal is to create a system and a creative outlet that works for you and your style. Personally, I have pages filled with inspiration boards, and tons of lists: wish-lists, packing lists, places that I would like to travel, etc. I also use a mood tracker to track how I’m feeling on a daily basis, and to see how it has varied from day-to-day, and month-to-month.
4. Find inspiration!
My favorite way to gather inspiration for my bullet journal is through Pinterest. I also appreciate the content that some YouTubers put out, showing how they put together their bullet journal every month. I am a firm believer of gathering inspiration and ideas from those around you, but never copying them! In order for your journal to have meaning and to have purpose, and for you to be drawn to utilizing your bullet journal, you have to create it for you and your needs!
My bullet journal continues to inspire my creativity everyday, and I’m constantly adding new ideas to it; I even carry my journal to classes with me, my mind is always running! I hope this post sparked some inspiration, and you create your own journal; let us know how it goes!
HCXO.