With 2019 fast approaching, it feels like the whole world is laying down plans for the New Year, and a common goal is to get organised and start a planner or bullet journal. I've gone in and out of bullet journalling for the past few years, often falling off the wagon just when I start to get really busy - which is, of course, the time when I need it most - but I'm determined to make 2019 the year that I stick with it.
The original bullet journal system is somewhat dry, and very much focused on function over form. Like a lot of people I took the general premise of the bullet journal method and expanded it to suit my own needs and tastes, not only using the notebook for planning, but also to store ideas and information. My own bullet journal contains recipes, doodles, trackers, wishlists, and a whole host of other stuff that makes the notebook a very important part of my daily life. Today I'm sharing a few pages from my own bullet journal, as well as some advice for getting started, and of course a few prompts that might inspire some creativity.
A D V I C E
. Choose your notebook wisely. A lot of people spend huge amounts on beautiful notebooks with elaborate covers, but are then too scared to actually write in them. At the same time, you want to invest in a good quality journal because you want it to last and not fall apart. I have used a plain moleskine for the last few years and they have always served me very well. The high quality of paper and binding mean that they are durable, and mine have withstood watercolour and acrylic paints, every kind of pen imaginable, and being constantly thrown in bags and suitcases. There's no fear around 'ruining' a beautiful luxurious notebook with scruffy pages because the cover is plain black. Other popular brands are PAIPUR and Leuchtturm1917.
. Don't worry about being perfect. If you search 'Bullet Journal' in Pinterest and scroll for ten seconds, you'll be overwhelmed with images of perfect, precise, creative and artistic layouts. I remember being quite daunted, sitting with my first blank moleskine and a pack of pastel highlighters wondering what the hell I was going to do with all this. That pressure of the blank page can be a little paralysing, and my biggest piece of advice is simply to get stuck in. There are pages in my journal that are scruffy, or that have mistakes, but that's okay. As you keep working in your journal, it becomes easier to use the space in a way that looks and feels right for you, and it can be very fun to compare your earliest pages to your most recent once you've got the hang of it. I also made space at the back of my bullet journal to test out new pens, and mock up page layouts, just to allow myself space to draft and play before I set anything down for real.
. Create pages that work for you. In this social media age where everything is shared, it can be very easy to get swept up in what other people are doing, but ultimately your journal needs to be for you, and suit your personal needs. I tend to rebel against long daily to-do lists, so I just make space for more broad, weekly goals and a few small daily tasks, and trust myself to get other things done as I go. I'm also not tracking the number of books I read next year, because I find that I shy away from longer books and focus on quantity. Instead I'm going to be tracking reading with a daily page count, because I want to make reading a more ingrained habit, and focus on consistency. Think about the things that you want in your life, and create pages to facilitate you cultivating those things. The prompts below might give you some ideas.
. Create pages that work for you. In this social media age where everything is shared, it can be very easy to get swept up in what other people are doing, but ultimately your journal needs to be for you, and suit your personal needs. I tend to rebel against long daily to-do lists, so I just make space for more broad, weekly goals and a few small daily tasks, and trust myself to get other things done as I go. I'm also not tracking the number of books I read next year, because I find that I shy away from longer books and focus on quantity. Instead I'm going to be tracking reading with a daily page count, because I want to make reading a more ingrained habit, and focus on consistency. Think about the things that you want in your life, and create pages to facilitate you cultivating those things. The prompts below might give you some ideas.
P R O M P T S
. Track your consumption of single use plastic, and see if you can start cutting it down month by month.
. Record your basic weekly grocery list, as well as staple meals you can eat regularly.
. List books, clothes, and other possessions to be donated, and cross them off as you send them away.
. Create a cleaning rota for your home with daily, weekly, and fortnightly tasks (and stick to it...)
. If you're a video game completionist, record your unfinished tasks to help you keep on track.
. Research the houseplants you own, and create trackers to help you look after each one properly.
. Create a 'Don't Break the Chain' page for actions that you want to turn into habits.
. Note down gift ideas for your loved ones, that you can refer to when Christmas, birthdays etc are drawing closer.
. Incorporate a section in your daily or weekly planning for gratitude.
. Write in detail about the values you want to bring to your life and why, and revisit those pages regularly.
. Create two pie charts, the first detailing what you currently prioritise, and the second what you would ideally prioritise. Work out where the gaps are and what you can do about it.
. If you deal with low moods, depression, anxiety, chronic pain etc, write down a basic task list of what needs doing, even on a bad day. Include things that might go awry like brushing your teeth and eating vegetables.
. Track your screen time. Most of us could benefit from stepping away from our phones, laptops and TVs more often.
. Create a bedtime routine, and record what helps, and what hinders you, from getting a good nights sleep.
. If you have periods, record them and get to know your cycle.
. Create a bucket list - and then work out what you can do each month to make those things happen.
. Create a bucket list - and then work out what you can do each month to make those things happen.
Let me know if you have a bullet journal, or if you're thinking of starting one in the new year!
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