Intro To Bullet Journaling:
It's Not That Scary
Intro To Bullet Journaling:
It's Not That Scary
Feeling like you need to get your life together? I hear you.
It isn’t a secret that the popularity of bullet journals have skyrocketed in the last couple years. Because I’m happy you’re here and I value your time, I’m going to give you my best tips to get started. I’ll keep this brief and include some digital freebies for you at the end!
There is a plethora of resources online to get you started on your bujo journey. I don’t need to repeat what you can easily search on Youtube, so this post is coming from my own experience integrating a bullet journal into my life. I know those instagrammers can be intimidating. Stick with me, pal.
fyi: page layouts are called spreads
Why Should I Put in ALL That Effort?
A common misconception of bullet journals is that they need to look perfect, photo-ready, and have no mistakes.
False false false. The whole purpose of a bullet journal is to form a blank canvas to help better your productivity and cater to your lifestyle. If browsing through spreads on Pinterest freaks you out, slow down!
I love to search Minimal Bullet Journal Spreads for inspiration when I don’t feel like putting in much effort. There is also a whole community on Instagram that in my experience is very supportive. I often look through the hashtag #bujocommunity, and I’ll look through recent posts instead of top posts to connect with smaller art accounts.
Here are few other great hashtags to look through…
#bujo
#bulletjournal
#bujospread
#bujoinspo
#weeklyspread
#bujoinspire
#bulletjournalcommunity
#bujo
#bulletjournal
#bujospread
#bujoinspo
#weeklyspread
#bujoinspire
#bulletjournalcommunity
fyi: make a "year at a glance" spread at the beginning of your journal to refer back to
Quick Bullet Journal Tips
Work with your mistakes, and don’t panic. I take my uh-oh moments as a challenge to work through my perfectionism. Washi tape is the most straightforward way to cover anything, and there are tons of small sellers to support on Etsy. If I need to write on that part of the page, I’ll cut out scraps of a blank page and stick it on with double-sided tape. If all else fails, turn your mistake into a doodle or write “oops” and laugh at yourself… it’s not that serious!
You’re never stuck with one format. That is the beauty of the bujo! If you don’t like / don’t end up using a spread you make, take note of what worked and what didn’t. It’s a process to find a system that works for you, and I personally have plenty of pretty but not-so-functional spreads in my old journals.
fyi: start your week on sunday or monday depending on your preference
Start small with habit trackers. Habit spreads are some of the most popular around, but in my experience can be very overwhelming. If you’re trying to track your habits for the first time, I recommend no more than 5 to get started. Remember that this is supposed to help you in your daily life, not add extra stress. When you feel comfortable monitoring a few habits, add more or cater it to your needs. I always include a few easy tasks just so I have the satisfaction of filling in a bubble.
Have fun with your supplies. Especially since I’m no longer in school, I am always looking for an excuse to buy stationary and tools! If buying a $3 pen motivates you to grind and get stuff done for the week, I say treat yo’self. Shop small when you can – I got my favorite washi tape from this Etsy store.
fyi: use old magazines or books from the thrift store as scrapbook paper
Enough Already, I Like Free Stuff!
It all sounds good, but not sure I can commit yet. I designed a few simple spreads that you can download and print on standard size paper. You can test out your system on these printables before buying your first bullet journal, or use them for scratch paper when creating your spreads. Thanks for reading and ENJOY!