Bullet Journals, Something Old Made New

I have stumbled upon a new interest. As mentioned in the previous post,  Interests versus Hobbies, I experiment with different activities that may not always stick. For instance, for the better part of the last year and a half I painted with acrylics on a weekly to biweekly basis. With that said, I haven’t painted since July.

Back in September, I decided to try list journaling. All I did was write bullet lists of my daily activities, conversations, emotions, and diet for about two months. Since I currently don’t have a lot going on, I began to get bored because my lists were becoming redundant. Again, this was another interest that I let fall by the wayside.

That brings me to today. Well actually, late yesterday. I was inspired to journal again, but I wanted to make it more interesting. So, I searched for list journaling videos on YouTube and came across something called the bullet journal. As is normally the case when I want to learn something new, I became completely engrossed in bullet journaling videos throughout the day. By the second video, I’d already decided that this was something that I wanted to do.

What exactly is a bullet journal? The simplest explanation is that it is a notebook/journal where you keep track of your life in bullet list form. To elaborate further, this journal may be kept in any type of notebook you prefer. I’ve seen it done in notebooks with graphing paper, lined paper, and blank pages. As the author writes, he/she can create new categories to compile lists for as they go on an as needed basis. I currently have the following categories in my journal: a monthly calendar, a prayer list, a to-do list, project ideas, expense tracker, movies watched, books read, and a gratitude section to write what I am thankful for on each day. Now these are just a few of the category options that can be included in your journal, but there are so many more that can be used based on your respective lifestyle. Finally, I make a daily bullet list of my activities for the day. 

This concept definitely appeals to the organizer in me, and it also makes journaling a lot more interesting. Many people also doodle on their journal pages to bring their lists to life. This is right up my lane! I love being creative. Some people are so meticulous that they even color code their entries as well. It is encouraged to have special keys for icons that you use to further organize your tasks and to create an index at the beginning of your journal that you will add to as you further compile your lists so that you can find each section easily. Finally, you have the option to add stickers, post-its, and colorful Washi tape for a designer effect. Yes, there are planners available that will allow you to do many of these tasks, but they are typically more generic and contain sections that you may not need or lack the sections that you do need. The bullet journal allows you to completely customize your journal to your lifestyle.

I know that it may seem very time consuming to some, but I like it and believe that I will enjoy it quite a bit. I don’t know if I’ll go as far as color coding or using stickers, but I’m all for the lists and doodles. I started it today and it made me quite happy. I believe that it will motivate me to write in my journal on a more consistent basis, because even if my day is uneventful socially (which it often is because I am a proud introvert/homebody) I could still write down what I am thankful for, any movies I watch, any reading I complete, money spent (because we know that you do not have to leave home to spend money), etc. For now it is an interest, but it very well may become a hobby. Right now it makes me happy.

As I continue with this new interest, I will share my progress and tips for those who are interested. Look out for future posts that will provide resources to learn more about bullet journaling.