You probably have a friend that ditched her basic planner for BuJo years ago — and she's not alone. Thanks to Instagram — and mounting stress levels — millions of people consider this method the best way to plan, reflect, and meditate. And while some of us may reduce it to a journal full of confusing symbols and shorthand, it's actually "a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system."
Whatever you call it — a planner, journal, or otherwise — creator Ryder Carroll says this method will help you live a more productive and meaningful life. "When I was young, I was diagnosed with ADD and there weren't a lot of tools or resources available, so I had to design my own," he explains. "Rather than keep notes like other people, I figured out how to organize and sort information the way that my mind works."
What is a bullet journal?
Equal parts day planner, diary, and written meditation, bullet journaling turns the chaos of coordinating your life into a streamlined system that helps you be more productive and reach your personal and professional goals. With sections to log your daily to-do’s, monthly calendar, notes, long-term wants and more, your BuJo is customized to your life. (Entries are tagged with bullet points, dashes, and other graphics so you can see their categories at a glance.)
By updating it daily,“you learn how to get rid of things that are distracting you and add things you care about,” Carroll says. But it's really built with you in mind: "The only thing that the bullet journal needs to be is effective, and how it can best serve its author is entirely up to them." Customize your BuJo by selecting symbols that are easy for you to understand and creating sections (called "collections") that align with your long and short-term goals such as a fertility tracker, fitness log, diary, and more.
And for everyone who's panicking about their sub-par art skills, take a tip from Carroll: "Bullet journaling is always about function over form, right? And to be very clear about that, form can mean sloppy or beautiful. It doesn't matter what your bullet journal looks like. It's about how it makes you feel, and how effective it is in moving you towards the things that matter to you."
That's where the mindfulness connection comes in. Unlike traditional organizers and planners, this method encourages authors to examine how their goals, tasks, and responsibilities make them feel. Instead of a standard checklist, bullet journaling requires daily, monthly, and yearly reflections along with bullet points and asterisks galore.
How do I start bullet journaling?
Most importantly, don't get ahead of yourself. "The best way to get started is to figure out what your challenges are," Carroll explains. Ask yourself: What do you want the bullet journal to do for you? Once you have a general idea, build a system that suits your needs and art skills.
If you're overwhelmed about the flexible format, he suggests starting with a monthly log where you can prioritize responsibilities to meet monthly goals. From there, flesh it out with a daily log, which Carroll considers the workhorse of bullet journaling.
For bullet journal ideas, check out these Instagram-worthy examples.
To save time, use rapid logging, the official language of bullet journaling where you trade full sentences for short phrases or keywords. Adopting this shorthand ensures peak efficiency and organization a.k.a. a prettier, more productive BuJo.
Every bullet journal should include these collections in the following order:
- Index: This section is at the front of your notebook and serves as a table of contents with page numbers to different collections and a symbol key that you update as you go.
- Future Log: This four-page spread is a year-at-a-glance calendar with future events, goals, and long-term tasks. Add birthdays, travel plans, and major holidays.
- Monthly Log: This two-page spread includes a calendar with a bird's-eye view of the month and a task page with things you want to tackle during the month. You can also add other monthly tracking pages ("modules") including a food, fitness, finance, or book log.
- Daily Log: This is your day-to-day to-do list.
While you should create a key that fits your needs, Carroll recommends using the following symbols if you want to be a BuJo pro:
- Tasks: •
- Events: O
- Notes (facts, ideas, and observations): —
- Priority: *
- Inspiration (mantras, insights, and ideas): !
Can I start bullet journaling in the middle of the year?
100%. It's customizable, which means you can start it today, tomorrow, or three months from now. Simply adjust the future log to fit your timeline.
What tools do I need?
While official bullet journals exist, any sturdy journal or notebook will do, says Carroll. Similar to Marie Kondo's KonMari method, it's about the process and not the final look. But if you want to merge function and fashion, check out these bestselling journals, ranging in style and price.
Shop The Most Popular Bullet Journals
Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted Notebook
Poluma Dotted Grid Notebook
Minimalism Art Dotted Notebook
A5 Dotted Travel Journal
As you get more experienced, you may feel the desire to delve into the world of felt tips, stickers, and washi tape. If that's the case, shop these picks.
Shop These Bullet Journal Accessories
Washi Tape Set
