Why is everyone so into bullet journaling?
Do you want to know how to start a bullet journal? Click here for your beginner's guide to bullet journaling, with ideas for pages, pens, journals and more from @onyxandblushco. #BulletJournal #BuJu #JournalSetup
If you’re not a little bit crazy, then you probably aren’t doing life right. But having a crazy life is a little like glitter. It’s exciting, sparkly, and fun, but it’s also messy and hard to keep all together. And if you want to make a masterpiece with it, you’re gonna need a little glue!
Enter… the bullet journal. The glue of my messy, beautiful life.
What exactly IS the miraculous bullet journal you ask? To put it simply… it is #everything.
Seriously.
Table of Contents:
As a full-time working mom running a blog and trying to finish my degree, I hit rock bottom trying to figure out my life and keep my thoughts straight. I couldn’t manage my to-do lists, I was missing appointments, I didn’t have time to be creative, and no matter what I tried, there just wasn’t a system that worked for me.
I tried all the daily planners, calendars, to-do notepads, diaries, apps on my phone, and various forms of note-taking. What I found was that I had a bunch of scattered appointments and ideas all over the place, from sticky pads on the fridge to scribbled reminders in my purse, from a desk calendar covered in clutter to random notes that found their way all around my house.
How did I keep anything in my life straight?
Well… I didn’t.
So I started to do some research to find a system that was all in one, and I stumbled across a bullet journal.
What is a Bullet Journal?
The bullet journal system was unlike anything I’ve seen because unlike a standard planner or notebook, you create it from scratch and can personalize it entirely to you.
It is a modern, functional life organizer that can be as simple or detailed as you want. It can function exactly as you need it to function. And my FAVORITE part about the bullet journal? You can get SO creative with it!
Because history was my favorite subject in school (ha! If only that were true…) let’s have a quick history lesson.
The bullet journal was developed by Ryder Carroll as an analog system to keep track of yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily to-dos all in one place. He created a system to index each item by importance as an event or to-do, by date. At it’s most BASIC form, the bullet journal is very clean and organized.
But we’re not basic, are we? (Maybe I am, I still like my Starbucks frappucinos!)
How Do You Use a Bullet Journal?
The world of bullet journaling has become so much more than a basic analog of goals and to-dos.
It has become a place to keep lists of books you want to read, inspirational quotes, notes, track habits, store appointments, and so much more. It can literally be as unique as the person that creates it.
You can add your goals, create collages of memories, keep track of all of your lists, and write down random thoughts – all in one place!
For me (and I know I’m not alone!), bullet journaling is about getting creative and trying to keep making the organization of my life beautiful, both on paper and in reality.
There are TONS of methods you can use to turn your bullet journal into a masterpiece.
If you are running low on inspiration, just check Pinterest! Although be careful… Pinterest is a rabbit hole I personally tend to fall down for hours and then I forget all about my original search for inspiration… stay focused! Who’s with me on that?
How to Start A Bullet Journal
If you are brand new to bullet journaling, I think it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all of the options and variety of things you can do with your journal, especially if you plan to really make it artsy and creative! I know I was certainly overwhelmed when I first started!
So I started to do some research to find a system that was all in one, and I stumbled across a bullet journal. Not to mention all the variations on lettering, media you use, and personalizations you can include!
I found a system for setting up my bullet journal that worked best for me, and if you’re new to bullet journaling here are 4 steps to starting a bullet journal, plus a list of bullet journal supplies.
> SHOP THIS PIN <
Choose Your Journal:
Minimalism Art Classic Orange Notebook Journal / Black Dotted Grid Journal / Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook
Get Colorful Pens:
Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers / Sharpie Art Fine Point Pens / Bullet Journal Colored Fineliner Pens
Learn Hand Lettering:
Hand Lettering 101 / Prismacolor Premier Advanced Hand Lettering Set
Add Washi Tape:
30 Rolls Gold Foil Washi Tape / Agutape 48 Rolls Washi Tape Set
Use Stickers & Stencils:
20 PCS Journal Stencil Plastic Planner Set / Planner Stickers Value Pack
#1. Find Your Bullet Journal
Most bullet journals have a dot-grid on the pages to make it easy to line things up straight.
You can purchase an “official” bullet journal from bulletjournal.com, or you can find a similar one just by searching “bullet journal” on Amazon.
For me personally, I just found a cute notebook at the store with blank pages so that I could be as creative as I wanted! I prefer to have one that fits in my purse so I can take it with me, but you could choose whatever size you want.
#2. Choose Your Pages
I made a huge list of all the possible pages I wanted, and I keep it folded up in the back of my bullet journal.
There are so many bullet journalling page ideas for you to choose from, including:
-
- Goal or Habit Tracker
- Bucket or Wish List
- Meal Planner
- Fitness Schedule
- Inspirational Quotes
- Motivational Sayings
- Social Media Planner
- Books to Read and Places to Visit
- Passwords
- Gratitude Journal
- Vision board
- Daily and Weekly Schedule
- Mood Tracker and Daily Reflections
- Important Day to Remember and Birthdays
- Study or to Learn List
- Brain Dump or Mindmap
- Monthly Budgeting
- Songs I love
- and many many more!
I created the first few spreads I wanted, then from there, I have a section for each month. Whenever I feel like adding a new page or list, I just add it, I don’t worry about the order. It works for me!
👉🏽RELATED POST: 100 Personal End of Year Refelection & Review Questions
#3. Develop Your System
I’m a goal-oriented person, so my bullet journal starts with my goals for my life, the things I want to accomplish, and right next to it is my bucket list page. Then I have a few personal pages with things like inspiring quotes and my list of books I want to read. Then I get into planning each month.
About a week before each new month starts I take some alone time to relax and plan out my month. I start with my “month” page where I write down the month in some kind of fancy font and I always try to come up with a fun theme to decorate my pages.
Are you overwhelmed by bullet journaling? Click here for your step-by-step guide by @onyxandblushco! #BulletJournal #BuJu #JournalSetupFor example, in May of this year, I went with a succulent and cactus theme, so I incorporated drawings and art that kind of fit that theme throughout my month’s plan.
Use Your Bullet Journal to Plan Your Month
After I finish my initial month page, I draw out a calendar that has my month at a glance. I mark down all of the birthdays and important dates, and any goals I want to accomplish throughout the month. The next several spreads, I break my month down into weeks and record any appointments or to-dos for those weeks.
And what is the point of writing down any goals if you can’t track them? So next I have a page solely dedicated to tracking my goals. I write down my starting point and keep track of my progression throughout the month. I also like to use a habit tracker to keep track of the things I want to be doing daily, so I usually include a page for that as well.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: Why Habit Trackers Inspire Us to Be Better People
Keep track of memories and thoughts too
My final two spreads are my absolute favorites. I do a spread for memories, and I do a Brain Dump page.
I’ve never really been the person to sit and write about my day in a journal every night, but I do love to hold onto fun memories so I love having a memories spread where I can glue in movie tickets or write about something funny that I don’t want to forget. Then my brain dump page is for anything and everything that I feel like writing down.
Sometimes it’s just random notes to myself, sometimes it’s my pin for a website that I know I’ll need in a week, and sometimes I just like to practice lettering. There is no order to it, but it’s all in one place, which I LOVE.
#4. Get Creative
If you are even considering doing a bullet journal, then probably means you’ve got a spark of creativity somewhere! Time to ignite that spark and unleash a show of spectacular fireworks! Here are some of my favorite bullet journal tips/methods to keep it creative!
- Get interesting with your lettering, and play mix and match with it! I LOVE how mix and match fonts and lettering look.
- Two words. WASHI TAPE. It can dress up your pages so nicely, and I love to use it to mark the start of each new month by taping along the edge of the new month’s first page so that I can find each month easily. Plus there are SO many cute options!
- Speaking of inspiration, incorporate inspirational things into your journal, everywhere. Never underestimate the power of language, words that are important and have a beautiful message can impact you in even the most subtle ways. I like to write messages that are motivating on every spread I make for the week, and I frequently will make a whole page just to write a quote in pretty lettering or draw something I find inspirational in.
Use pens and markers to add color!
- Choosing a theme or even just a color scheme for your spread makes it look cohesive and more artistic. I love to choose a theme for a whole month and stick with it for all the pages I create in that month.
- Add color to everything, all the time. Unless you’re not into that, which I also get because grey is one of my favorite colors of all, but for the most part I like my bullet journal to be really bright and vibrant. I love to use watercolor, colored pencils, and fine tip colored marker pens to bring life to my pages.
- There is a whole world of art out there, so why just stick to pen and paper? Utilize stickers, photos, ribbon, glitter (ALL THE GLITTER), and any other crafty things you can get your hands on to make your journal one of a kind.
Just have fun with your bullet journal!
- Doodles, doodles, DOODLES! Doodles are my absolute favorite thing with bullet journaling! I love to do doodles on my pages that incorporate the theme for the month and to make my headers and dividers on my pages stand out.
- Embrace your mistakes. Life is FULL of mistakes and problems, and sometimes you just have to yell, “plot twist” and move on, and it is the same with bullet journaling. Get creative and learn to use your mistakes or creatively cover them up. I particularly like to cover them with pretty paper or Washi tape and use it as though the mistake never happened, or sometimes I will just use a blackout marker and draw a big black banner over the mistake, then write over it with a white marker. If you can’t find a way to fix it, just cross it out and write a fun quote in about mistakes or something to turn it inspirational.
- Start with a pencil. As much as I honestly believe there are no “mistakes” in bullet journaling, the OCD part of my brain still obsesses over the line that isn’t perfectly straight when I meant it to be, or the doodle that looked way cuter in my head than on paper. If you happen to be a perfectionist, start with a pencil on your pages so you can get it the way you want it.
Just Start Your Bullet Journal
The wonderful thing about it is that you really can’t go wrong, no matter what you do.
I love the creative freedom that the bullet journal gives me and how I can keep everything going on in my head and my schedule all in one place. It allows me to be creative and works exactly like I need it to because I only fill it with the things I want and need!
I can keep everything all together, from my goals to memories of when my baby smiled for the first time, to songs I hear on the radio that I want to look up later. It is the glue that keeps my glittery life together.
Want to go step by step through starting a bullet journal? Check out this amazing tutorial by Seventeen.
Add Printable Habit Tracker Templates
Looking for cut and paste habit tracker templates for your new bullet journal? Awesome!
Get your printable habit tracker templates, with spreads for 30 and 31 days.
Print them two to a page to fit perfectly inside your bullet journal.
I’m excited that I get to share my low-key (or major) obsession with bullet journaling and hope this step-by-step guide to starting a bullet journal has given you a few ideas to get out there and start creating!
One more thing – If you’re goal-orientated like I am, and want to use your bullet journal to achieve your goals, check out the Slay Your Goals Guide.
Go beyond simple goal setting and planning this year, with ten-steps to slaying your goals.
What’s your favorite bullet journalling idea?
More About Guest Contributor
Last Updated on July 11, 2021
Melissa Dixon says
This is really inspirational! I have wanted to get back into journaling but was not ready to dive back in fully just yet. Since I started blogging it has been less of an outlet that I use and more of a chore but I think bullet journaling is a great way to get back into it.
Sunny says
Thank you! Bullet Journaling is a great way to get back into it! I love it because I can actually plan out my blog posts and stuff IN my bullet journal, so it keeps it all together in one place. Happy Journaling 🙂
Katherine says
I have never tried the bullet journal thing and totally need to get on board. Last year I had a very pretty standard journal but it ended up full of chunks of emptiness followed by jumbled pages of ideas. I realized I wasn’t using it as a journal/planner, but more somewhere to brainstorm. I think the bullet journal might be the way to go this year!
Sunny says
I totally agree! I had the same issue when I was using a regular planner and I have found that bullet journaling really has solved this. I use it when I want and how I want, so I don’t have pages of blank calendar days and then other pages just crammed full!
Aitza B says
I’ve never tried bullet journaling yet I keep recruiting all my peers to try it out and they love. That said,I think a bullet journal would be a good fit for me because I tend to doodle in my journals and ignore the lines. So having the space to design my own structure would be neat
Sunny says
You totally need to start!!! I love that you are recruiting people to try it out, but you definitely need to try it for yourself! I bet it would be so cute with all those doodles you do! 🙂
Sheena says
This sounds great, I’ve never been one to keep at my journaling – it would be great for you to show examples of work you have done if that’s not too personal
Sunny says
I am actually planning to do a post on that on my personal blog in the next month or so! Thank you so much for the idea! 🙂
Jaime says
I am in the beginning stages of bullet journaling and I have to say I love it! It is a great creative outlet and a unique way to stay organized! There are so many options of things you can include, so you can make it your own!
Sunny says
Ooooo I’m so excited for you to be starting up! Haha I probably get a little too excited when other people start doing stuff that I love, and I really, REALLY love bullet journaling so I’m absolutely giddy about it! 🙂 Happy journaling!
Amanda says
I just started bullet journaling this month after considering it for a while. I’m liking it so far, but definitely want to incorporate some of your ideas in order to personalize it more.
Sunny says
I’m so glad you like some of these ideas! I’d love to see how it turns out for you! Happy Journaling!
Tori says
I love the idea of bullet journals and I’m obsessed with scrolling the bujo hashtag on instagram! I’m so with you on the wormhole that is Pinterest – I can spend hours on there!
Sunny says
Oooo the #bujo on instagram is a REAL rabbithole for me, too! There are just so many creative things happening out there and I want to see them ALLLLLLL!
Fana says
Love this how-to guide on bullet journals! I’m not new to the crazy world of bullet journaling, but I have never thought of doing some of the things you mention, like covering up mistakes with washi tape. Lol. Definitely trying these ideas.
Sunny says
Haha I’m pretty much just one BIG mistake happening all over the place, so I am ALL over how to cover up mistakes on bullet journals! I’ve even thought about doing a whole dedicated post for it, THAT is how many coverup ideas I have! LOL.
Rose says
I do use my planner but I haven’t started on the bullet journal adventure. Now would be a good time to start as its the beginning of the year.
Sunny says
You can start any time, but now is as good as ever especially with it being January! Happy Journaling!
Tasheena @ SimplyTasheena.com says
I love the concept of creating a Bullet Journal. I’ve created one in the past. I just have to be more consistent with using it.
Sunny says
Consistency is always hard for me, too. I feel like sometimes I go crazy on my bullet journal, spending an hour or more DAILY on it, and sometimes I look at it like once a week! I think that is what makes it wonderful- you use it as you need it, you’re not confined to having a normal planner where if you miss a few days you have a bunch of missing pages. It’s awesome!
Celeste Godoy says
Thanks for such a great guide to bullet journaling! I’ve been wanting to try it but really didn’t know where to start!
Sunny says
I think it’s easy to get lost in all of the creative ideas that flow around bullet journaling, but I’m glad you found this guide helpful! I think the first step is really to just identify what YOU want out of it and how you need it to work, and then build around that! 🙂
Paula | The Value of a Moment says
This is just what I needed! I’ve seen so much about bullet journals, but I didn’t know where to start. Now, I’m ready to dive in! Thanks!!
Sunny says
Yay! I’m excited this has helped you, I hope to hear about it on your blog soon and can’t wait to see how it goes for you!
Jasmine Eclipse says
I love the bullet journaling trend! I love getting inspired by journals on Pinterest! I haven’t tried creating my own bullet journal… but I’m considering it!
Sunny says
You should definitely give it a go, I’ve found it really is the BEST, especially if you are creative and need a creative outlet!
Victoria says
I just realized that I’ve subconsciously been bullet journaling for a while. Lol the only difference is that it hasn’t been in one place (my notes have been displaced and on tiny bits of scattered note paper for ever). I love the fact that you can document your notes, thoughts, fears, goals, doodles over a period of time and no one will understand the significance or the fluidity of it all except you. It’s quite a nice thing when you think about it.
Sunny says
Right?? I love how it’s all in one place, but it’s more than just that. It’s super meaningful to me and kind of like my diary in a way- I have been holding onto my past journals that I’ve finished and they are fun to look back on!
Rachael M says
I have always wanted to start one but I can’t draw (lol) so I knew it’d never turn out as good as the ones I see on Pinterest! I did recently find some stencils when I was browsing Amazon though, so maybe that coupled with this guide will get me started!!
Sunny says
You totally don’t have to know how to draw! There are all sorts of other alternatives! Stencils are a great option, but you can also use stickers, washi tape (my fave!), scrapbooking supplies, etc. I have a friend that also types up her things and then cuts them out and glues them in, and it always turns out super cute! Just go for it!
Cynthia says
This is my second year trying to use a bullet journal. I start out great but always fade a few months in. What always gets me is the mix of daily to dos and the larger project pages. Feels like they shouldn’t go together.
Sunny says
I understand that. For me personally, I like to have all of my things together in one place, but I have a friend that splits her bullet journal into halves. The first half she uses for big goals and projects, then she made a really cute divider and in the second half, she puts all of the day to day goals. That way it’s all in one bullet journal, but organized into two places. It works really well for her.
Beola Lawal says
Awesome idea, I have always had issues with planning and scheduling and other stuff. Thanks for sharing this, seems like the best way to get my acts together!
Sunny says
I definitely recommend trying it out (I might be biased, ha!), just to see if it works for you! 🙂 Happy Journaling!
Debbie says
I love bullet journaling. I just recently got into it and love the creativity of it. Great article! 💕
Sunny says
Yay! I’m so excited you find it! Haha I always feel like I’m instant friends with anyone who loves bullet journaling- it’s just such a creative way to do things and I love it!
CourtneyLynne says
I love the whole concept of bullet journaling! I keep telling myself I really need to give it a try! Maybe this will be the year
Sunny says
Oh you definitely should try it out! I think the great thing about it is that you can start at any time, it’s not like a “calendar” year that runs Jan-Dec. You can do it whenever you want! 🙂
Angel says
Hey, Nadalie!
Thanks for this post. I actually just bought a bullet journal earlier today, but really wasn’t sure how I was “supposed” to use it. I’ve created a couple of pages so far, like free courses I want to create, things I want to learn, and an outline for a client questionnaire.
After reading your post, I realize I’m using it exactly as it’s intended – to be unique like me 🙂
I think I will head over to Pinterest now for more ideas and venture down the rabbit hole…
Sunny says
Yes! Definitely go check out the pinterest Rabbit hole! I’m so glad you enjoyed the article, I hope some of the tips help you out. I’m excited for you to be starting your own unique bullet journal. Happy Journaling!
Elinor Hill says
You’ve got me thinking I should start one. I love how my girlfriends do theirs. Theirs look so colourful and oh my the doodles are amazing. Should I just do it?
Sunny says
Yes, just do it!! You can always try it out and see if it works for you 🙂
emmanuel damian says
I love a bullet journal because it is very organized and clean. You can readily see the information you have written. You can also put doodles or designs on the side. 🙂
Sunny says
I know, I think my favorite thing about bullet journaling is you can make it organized in a way that makes the best sense to YOU, so it keeps it very personal 🙂
Elizabeth O says
I’ve never heard of a bullet journal before but this looks great fun. I like the idea of it being anything goes so you can get really creative with what to add. Great post I learned a lot!
Sunny says
I’m so glad! You should definitely try it out and see if it could be a system that works for you!
Juli says
Wow this is really awesome Nadalie, these are great tips and will sure start on one.
Sunny says
I’m really glad I got the opportunity to guest post about something I love so much because I’d love as many people as possibly interested to try it out, I absolutely believe in the bullet journal, ha!
Kristen from The Road to Domestication says
Excellent post! I was going to begin bullet journaling, but then I had twins LOL It probably would help me even more now, though!
Sunny says
Wow, twins?! Haha yes I can’t imagine you have a lot of extra time, but bullet journaling might be a good way to help you keep your life organized since you’ve clearly got a lot going on! 🙂 Happy Journaling!
Heather says
I have only just recently fallen in love with bullet journaling. I love the customization of it.
Sunny says
I know, I think the customization of it to your own personal needs is my FAVORITE thing about it! It’s just the best!
Rosey says
I laughed about Pinterest being a rabbit hole, but I agree. These are good tips, and thx for sharing!
Sunny says
Haha it really is a rabbit hole, you fall in and end up in a wonderland of pins that you can never find your way out of! 🙂
Amila Wickramarachchi says
I like to keep a bullet journal.It always help to achieve goals.Also I like my journal to be more attractive and personal with some creativeness.
Sunny says
I think that having a place to be creative is really important and since I don’t have a ton of time to do big art projects, I love to spend just a little extra time and try to make it pretty 🙂 The bullet journal is perfect for that!
Latasha Peterson says
Wow! Love this post! I totally have to get a journal for this year! 🙂
Sunny says
You should definitely try it out! You can use any kind of journal or notepad that is easily accessible to start out even, if you just wanted to try it and see if the system works for you!
Jess says
I think this is just what I need! I have so much to do during the day and so far haven’t seen daily planners that would fit my needs. I love how you can customize it
Sunny says
Oooo definitely give it a go! I love it because you can really customize it to you- for me that means I have all of my appointments, notes, to-do items, lists, and random thoughts all in one place so it’s easier for me to track. It keeps the cray-cray version of me at bay, haha!
Evelyn says
Love the idea of a bullet journal: creative, personal and stress relieving. I’ve yet to get one and begin it as I know it takes time to create – but when I’m ready, I’m coining back to this fab post and taking your advice. <3. Thanks!!
Sunny says
Definitely be sure to try it out! I think it definitely takes some time if you want to get it just the way you want it, but I think the beauty of it is that you can make it however you want, in as much or as little time as you have available to you! 🙂
Luci says
I used to journal a lot growing up and stopped. I need to start doing it again and it seems really simple.
Sunny says
I wish that I had done more journaling as I was growing up, it was one of those things that I was always meaning to do but then I never really got around to it. Now that I’m older I definitely wish I had those just for the memories, haha! That’s why I’ve been holding onto my bullet journals now that I’ve started using the bullet journal. 🙂
Linda says
Such a great idea. I love it and I’m going to use this guide to create my bullet journal. Thanks!