Here’s a beginner’s guide for you to start your journey in bullet journaling!
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14 Jan 2022
5 Min Read
Michelle Lee (Guest Contributor), Josephine Serena (Editor)
Here’s a beginner’s guide for you to start your journey in bullet journaling!
Are you a master procrastinator? Fear not as bullet journaling is your cure to procrastination and anxiety. Bullet journaling has recently become a rising trend amongst young people. Read more below to understand what bullet journaling is, the benefits, and what you need to get started.
Developed by none other than the designer Ryder Caroll himself, a bullet journal, or bujo for short, is defined as a method of personal organisation. Bullet journals are basically a mix of a daily planner, to-do list, and diary! While at surface value a bullet journal may seem merely just a book for you to record your daily to-dos and follow them through, a bullet journal can take the role as your personal secretary, buddy, or even confidante.
How, you ask?
Bullet journals usually contain a daily, weekly, monthly, and future log. These logs are to help you keep up with your daily needs, remind you of future goals, and assist you in overcoming the terrible tales of procrastination.
How does a daily, weekly, monthly, and future log each work?
Although it’s not a need for every bullet journal-ler to have all of the four logs, you’re encouraged to have one of every as each log is meant for something different. To begin with, a daily and weekly log enables you to keep track of daily tasks, appointments, and meet immediate deadlines. Moving on, a monthly log helps keep you reminded of your long-term and short-term goals, to-do lists, and other deadlines. Furthermore, a future log allows you to record all your future plans, goals, values, and aspirations to help you stay on track!
Ever procrastinated on the idea that you’ve got a million things running around your mind? With the trusty hand of a bullet journal, the ‘million’ things on your daily to-do lists can be crossed off one by one because having to jot down your daily tasks on a book makes these targets more approachable and tangible to be easily fulfilled at the end of the day. Additionally, you can also prioritize the most important to least important tasks on your daily or weekly log.
How can bullet journals be both customisable and budget-friendly? Amazingly, all you really need is a notebook and some writing device to kickstart your bujo journey. Plus, you can get cost-effective and friendly writing devices such as markers or tapes all on your own budget from any neighborhood friendly stationery store or even online. The cost efficiency, simplicity, and flexibility is a plus point to why you should pick up the habit of bullet journaling if you haven’t already.
Interestingly enough, researchers discovered that people who suffered from various medical conditions and anxiety who journaled for at least 15 minutes three days a week over a 12-week period had a positive increase in their mental well-being and fewer depressive symptoms after just a month. The reason is that bullet journaling drives you towards greater productivity to accomplish items on your bucket list. Wouldn’t you like to experience the sense of satisfaction when you tick off these items on your list?
Do you recall the monthly or future log? Now this is where these two logs come into play. A monthly and future log allows you to record your short and long term goals. To do this, you’d need to dedicate a page or two of your bullet journal just for your monthly and future log, where you then list down your long term goals and aspirations.
Not only is a bullet journal a breeze to set up, you’ve the liberty to express your creativity however you want. Since it’s YOURS, the content is decided by you. You can make up your own icons in the beginning of your bullet journal with whatever symbols you like.
Pro tip: check out sites like Pinterest for some inspo!
All you need is a key page in the beginning of your bullet journal with icons and colors to represent tasks. Simple designs with just a few icons to keep tasks and notes visually separated should be sufficient for your bullet journal. And then you’re ready to begin!
You can choose between 3 different designs or modes for your bullet journals. For instance, a dotted, lined, or boxed journal.
Brands of stationery that I’d recommend for bullet journaling are Crayola for markers, Sakura Micron and Muji 0.5 or 0.7 for pens, and Midliners for highlighters.
You can get all of these through just a click on online web stores, such as Shopee and Lazada or through physical stationery and bookstores such as Stickerrific, Popular, Kinokuniya, etc.
With multiple online sources for good bullet journaling sites, bullet journaling can be done both digitally and manually at the tip of your fingers! For instance, Notion is a well-recommended note-taking software for one to bullet journal, where you can aesthetically design your own daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists!
So, what are you waiting for? You should now be all set and ready to embark on this new, wondrous bujo journey. Happy Bullet Journaling!
Michelle Lee Shu Ling pursues Foundation in Business at Taylor's College. She is a Secretary of Taylor's College Student Council and a Director of Taylor’s Model United Nations. She also enjoys writing from time to time!
