A common question asked about bullet journaling is how to get started. It is easy to learn what to include and how it works, but it can also be a little intimidating. The thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to do it.
Anyone can get inspiration by looking at pages of other people’s journals, there are tons of examples online also. I found tons of them on Instagram while reading “The Bullet Journal Method” by Ryder Carroll.
You do not have to copy or do your journal like they do, and you do not need to keep it perfect but find a way that works for you.
It is best to start simple, then as you start getting more ideas, switch it up and work on your own pages a little more. It is all a learning experience.
The five simple steps below provide a basic outline of what you can do to get started with a bullet journal, but you might want to add additional steps when you begin working with and learning more about your own journal.
Step 1: Choose Your Journal and Pens
An obvious place to start with bullet journaling is of course to choose your journal and writing utensils. The journal can be made with anything you want to use, but preferably one that is a bit larger and thicker. Tiny journals are great for keeping in a small handbag as a daily diary, but they are not the best for bullet journals.
Some people love using hardcover journals, but keep in mind you are using it often and being able to open the cover and really make use of the entire page is recommended. In this case, a spiral or soft notebook might be better. I mentioned in an earlier post that I started with a regular planner and then realized all the things I was keeping up with. I turned it into a bullet journal.
For your writing tools, you can use anything you want! Get a good collection of pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, and anything else you like to write with. You can also upgrade your writing utensils later.
You may also decide to try additional supplies like sticky notes, labels, and stickers for the different pages. I found a cool set of journaling supplies on Amazon that I like. It includes a variety of tapes, stencils, stickers, and sticky tabs.
Step 2: Choose Your Sections
Before you put your journal together, you need to begin organizing it. A bullet journal is not like a traditional journal where you just start writing on page 1 and just write in it regularly. It is organized with multiple sections.
Grab a piece of paper and jot down all the sections you want to include. Focus on the things that are important to you. Do you want to track your habits? Do you want to keep up with special events? Decide on the things that interest you and start developing those pages.
If you are using a bullet journal to organize your life, you may choose to include to-do lists, appointments, calendar pages for weekly and monthly calendars, goals and actionable steps to achieve them, savings, finances, career or school info, household info, diet and fitness, and even a section for managing your stress or anxiety.
Make this “your” journal and be clear about what sections you want to have.
Step 3: Create an Index
The next step in putting your bullet journal together is to create an index. Now that you know what sections you would like to include you want to organize how they will be used. The index is going to take up the first page or two in your journal so that you can easily check it for the section you want and note what page it starts on.
When putting the journal together, space out the sections so that you have a good number of pages for each one.
Next, you will need to choose where the sections will be located and write down the page number.
Once all of this is done, you can then use the information to create your index. The index is something you can keep working on and perfecting as you start getting more involved in bullet journaling.
Step 4: Decide on Your Signifiers
In the “What is Bullet Journaling?” post we talked about signifiers, which are symbols to be used throughout your bullet journal. Since you are trying to keep the ‘entries’ brief, the signifiers really help a lot.
You should take some time deciding which ones to choose, though you can also add lots more when you start using the journal. Nothing is ever set in stone there will constantly be changes and additions as your needs change.
Here are just a few that give you examples of how to use them:
Smileys – Use happy, sad, and other smiley faces to represent your mood of the day.
Moon or Sun – When writing in journal entries or discussing events, you can use a moon or sun to represent the day or nighttime.
Check Mark – Use a checkmark whenever you are marking something off your list. It is better than crossing off the entire sentence.
Star – A star can be used when talking about something of importance.
Be creative when coming up with your signifiers and remember they do not have to make sense to anyone else but you.
The journaling supplies I purchased included stencils. I love using them to make different signifiers in my journal.
Step 5: Start Using the Journal Regularly
Finally, you are ready to start using your bullet journal! This is the fun part.
Putting your journal together may take some time depending on how many sections you want to use, but if you are patient with the process, then by step five, you are more than ready to get started.
Start slow, instead of feeling pressured to fill out every single page right away.
Think about your schedules, calendars, and planners and the types of things you typically need to keep track of.
Remember to write everything down in your bullet journal as things come up, and it will work very well for you.
You can also read, “Guide to Starting Your First Bullet Journal” and “How to Organize Your Life with Bullet Journaling” for more information on bullet journaling.
Enjoy working with your bullet journal and experiment.
Happy Journaling!
Pamela
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