When I first looked into bullet journaling my thought was “so… I do all the work?” It could have been the video I watched, which began by explaining the indexing process in tedious detail and left me with the initial impression of it being complicated and not really for me. Months later, and a morning of binge watching a series of “Plan With Me” bullet journal videos on YouTube, I decided to give it a try (or rather I got insanely inspired by all the beautiful layouts and wanted in on the fun). I loved the idea of sitting down, organizing the month ahead and really making it my own. Every year I purchase a new planner with the intention to really get organized, and every year I barely use it along with numerous notebooks, each meant for a different purpose.
So, what is it about bullet journaling that finally got me organized? The simple answer is that it truly is your own creation. You set it up however you like and include whatever you need. When everything is in one place rather than spread out over two, three, or more notebooks/planners, it becomes incredibly easy to stay organized. I have found that most planners do not have the exact layout or space that would be most useful to me, so I would end up using multiple notebooks. Now, everything is in my bullet journal and life is more simple, at least in terms of planning. 🙂
I started my bullet journal earlier this year, and this is what I have included in my monthly layouts and found to be the most useful for me:
Monthly Calendar Layout
Mood Tracker
Habit Tracker
To Be Read List
Blog Post Calendar
List of reviews to write/post ideas
Weekly Spread
Notes Pages
The layout can change month to month, and there may be pages I choose to include in the future that I find could be useful, or I can omit or alter my current set up. I love being able to switch things up based on what would be most useful to me, or whatever my mood is at the time. “So… I do all the work?” The answer to my initial thought on bullet journaling is yes, you do all the work. And that is what is so great about it! Trust me, it really does not take that much time. At the end of each month I sit down, put on a TV-show, and set up my monthly layout, which takes less than an hour. I find it quite relaxing and therapeutic. If you are looking for ways to get more organized, a bullet journal is a great option and definitely worth a try.
Happy journaling! 🙂
About a Book 
I’ve been contemplating starting a bullet journal. I love the concept, but I’m afraid that it’s a lot of work and with everything I have going on I won’t be able to keep up.
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Completely understandable! That was my concern as well but fortunately I have found it quite easy to keep up with, especially the more I get used to the format. The only thing that takes any extra time is setting up the monthly layout, which takes less and less time to do the more I learn what works for me. Hopefully you can give it a try at some point. 🙂
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I haven’t done a bullet journal; I’ve tried the old fashioned paper journal before but usually fell off it after a few days (only to re-pick it up months/years later, lather, rinse, repeat). I’ve considered it, though I wonder if I’d neglect it during “low spoons” days…
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It happens! I feel like whatever format you use to plan can get neglected at some point. The nice thing is that you can always reassess and get back in the swing of things.
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