Bullet journaling is nothing new. Some may even argue that the fad is dead. Over. Done with.
But not for me.
After my brother gave me one of those dotted journals for Christmas, (this one specifically, but it broke within a week sooooo) I spent the rest of the break researching, planning, and mapping out what I wanted my bullet journal to look like. I kept busy setting up my journal for January, and I’ve been going strong ever since.
Though my first month’s not even over, I still think I’ve learned some valuable lessons for a beginner.
tip #1: Do it how you want to do it
There are many layers to this, but the first is that the journal is yours, not anyone else’s, and it should serve you.
For instance, I already have an academic planner where I have a calendar, weekly spreads already made, and a bunch of other spreads. This is where I do all my to-do lists and keep track of HW and important dates, etc.
I wanted to map out my bullet journal for my mental health.
A lot of people online show that they have a bullet journal with all the stuff I mentioned is in my academic planner. I wanted my journal to be a separate place for reflection, habit tracking, gratitude, and more.
You might want it to be an all-in-one type of thing, or use it for fitness goals, finance, mental health- It’s your choice.
Also!
Be honest about your intentions! I used my academic journal every single day before I got my bullet journal, so I knew that it wasn’t crazy to create prompts for every single day.
Habits can be hard to build, so if you don’t do it every day, that’s perfectly fine, you’ll work up to it. Or maybe that’s not something that’s ever feasible- and that’s okay! Again- it’s here to serve you.
Tip #2: pinterest is your best friend
Ah, Pinterest, land of inspiration.
Pinterest is full of artsy people, and there are plenty of easy spreads to copy and take inspiration from that range from beginner to expert level.
There are even tutorials to help you draw and make your spreads prettier! (I can’t draw for sh*t and these really help me)
Lately, I’ve been doodling in the margins of my daily pages while watching Netflix. It’s way better for my mind than going on my phone while watching Netflix… which I’m way too guilty of doing.
Tip #3: you don’t need fancy supplies
When you go on Pinterest, it can be a bit discouraging to see the super aesthetic, amazing calligraphy, but just know that all you need is a pen and a straight edge. You can use a book or an actual ruler, but I’d highly recommend some sort of straight edge for spacing, etc.
Go to Pinterest for inspiration- and don’t think that just because you don’t have the fancy supplies that you can’t do it! I found some great calligraphy tutorials on YouTube that don’t require fancy pens and markers- it’s totally doable.
(Also I have notoriously bad handwriting so if I can do it so can you)
If you have it, I do recommend some felt-tip pens and colored pencils in addition to a pen. I found some hiding in my desk when I was home for break, and they’ve been great for letting me get creative with spreads and little doodles.
Day-to-day, though, all I need is a simple black pen.
Final thoughts
A journal is something very personal. I think there is sometimes pressure for even things that no one else is going to see to be Instagram-able or pleasing. And while I like to make it look pretty and nice, I’ve really just enjoyed the process and noticed a difference in my outlook.
I write positive things every day and track my overall mood for the day. I tend to be very pessimistic but thinking of positive things and seeing overall that my mood has been good basically all month helps my outlook on life stay up.
I’d highly recommend practicing gratitude and saying nice things to yourself and about the situation you are in, even if it’s not in a bullet journal.