Journaling is recommended for many reasons. The act of journaling allows you to improve your understanding of the situations in your life, discover your underlying feelings and thoughts, catalog your achievements, and track your overall development. Some people do it for the tracking, like people who keep fitness and nutrition journals. While others do it even as a resolution for the New Year. Still some people do it for the personal insight, like those with mental illness. While others do this to plan ahead or even to relax. But most people journal to take advantage of the many benefits it provides. Stay tuned to learn some awesome tips about bullet journaling.
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Bullet Journaling is a new type of journaling that is gaining in popularity. It may be more helpful in improving mental health and emotional balance than more traditional methods. The relatively small amount of time that it takes to do an entry considerably cuts down time spent in the activity while providing many of the benefits. This means practitioners can sustain the activity over time without needing to sacrifice it because of the time commitment required.
What Is Bullet Journaling?
As the name plainly states, bullet journaling is journaling that you do using bullets rather than longer prose entries. It doesn’t sound particularly complicated because it isn’t. You have the freedom of using any kind of journal or notebook that you would like and any type of writing implement. You can be wildly creative or strictly utilitarian. Though it will all use bullets, this type of journaling leaves a lot of freedom for those who write them. Plus, they lower stress, record feeling, provide an outlet, lower your stress, and help you to be organized both short-term and long-term.
What Sort of Layout Should I Be Using?
When starting out, you will want to keep things relatively simple. If you get too complicated, you aren’t streamlining journaling and you may give up because it is so confusing and labor-intensive. Your goal is to better organize your goals and your life and have an emotional outlet.
Try starting with a table of contents, with a record of important topics, the shorthand/codes you use, and page numbers of import. Then, include a future log, in which you note what is coming in the year ahead. Then, things can progress day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month.
How Do I Organize?
Because everything will be bulleted, there isn’t a lot of space to explain what each entry represents. For this reason, use different types of bullets to denote:
♥ Tasks (to-do, started, and completed)
♥ Research
♥ Notes
♥ Inspirations
♥ Meetings
♥ Deadlines
♥ Appointments
♥ Priorities
You should also color code. You can assign different colors to distinguish between:
♥ Social
♥ Home
♥ Work
♥ Nutrition
♥ Blogging
♥ Fitness
♥ General
♥ Kids
Keep a key in the journal to refer to. Once you get in the habit, you will know all of them by heart, but give yourself a little time to adapt to your system. And, be flexible. If something isn’t working, make a change.
How Do I Record What I Am Accomplishing?
Create a simple chart (think Excel table) and record all of your goals for a month. Across the top of the page, list each day of the month. This allows you to note the days you are completing tasks. If you have drink 8 oz. of water as a goal, you can mark each day of the month that you follow through. And, you can do the same for all of your other goals. This will help you to chart your progress and note trends in activity.
Is This All Just Goal Setting and Planning?
This shouldn’t be primarily a day planner. You need space to express yourself as well. At the end of each month, write down one thing you were grateful for on each day.
Do you like Bullet Journaling?
**Well, thanks to Julie Morgan, who is a lifestyle blogger and an avid journal writer for contributing this article. She is working to establish herself as a life coach and start her own business. She also blogs about overcoming addiction and where people can get help for this.
Seana Turner says
I do a version of bullet journaling and have for years. I love it. While there are many systems for keeping track of “to do” items, I believe the best is one your trust and use. I consider my bullet journaling system as extension of my brain. If it doesn’t get recorded, I am likely to forget, so everything goes into it.
Janine says
Seana, I am the same way and if it doesn’t get written down I would totally forget it, too!!
Malini says
I am so obsessed with bullet journaling. It’s the only style that works for me. I used to have multiple journals for different things – a work journal, blogging journal, meal planning, etc etc. It was awful!
The bullet journal keeps everything in one spot! I love the “brain dump” aspect of it.
Janine says
I am so happy to here this and thank you for sharing that this works for you, too!! 🙂
AnnMarie John says
When I was going through my bout of depression my therapist suggested journaling. It was the best thing I ever did, and from there I started blogging. It’s really a great way to de-stress. While I’ve never done it quite this way, there are many benefits to journaling.
Janine says
So happy to hear how journaling has benefited you in the past and and couldn’t agree more with you on the many benefits to all with journaling, too.
Tamara says
This is brilliant! Cassidy bullet journals. I love to watch him do it and he’s teaching Scarlet too. I’m totally going to ride on their coattails because we got the cutest supplies yesterday at Staples.
Janine says
Omg, that is so awesome and love that Cassidy if doing this with Scarlet now!! 🙂
Anesa Doyle says
I love this! I am a professor in the field of Psychology and in one of my lectures, I talk about the use of self management and how it can reduce stress and provide a more efficient way of living. One way of doing this is through list making and self reflection. I love how you go through bullet journaling in an easy way :)!
Janine says
Thanks so much Anesa and as a past psychology minor in college and very happy to connect with a professor of psychology on this, as well 🙂
Nancy P says
Love love love the tips! Thanks for sharing!
Janine says
Thanks Nancy and happy to share with you, too!!
Kristen Hewitt says
I have always wanted to try this! You are giving me hope I can do it!
Janine says
Yay and so hope you will try this now, Kristen!! 🙂
Mary says
I used to journal all the time when I was younger, but now that I’m an older I don’t seem to have the time to journal as much as I would like. I’m going to try to do some bullet journaling this weekend. I know it will have a positive effect on me and my business.
Janine says
Awesome and so happy to hear you are going to try this, Mary again!! 🙂
Au says
I’ve been using lists for years to help get things accomplished. I guess Bullet Journaling is the same idea. Good suggestions and good for organizing our busy lives! xxoo
Janine says
Aw, thanks and glad you too have been using similar methods 🙂 xoxo
William Holland says
I’m happy to report I’ve been doing this for years. It ain’t new to me. 🙂 Happy Thursday once again, Janine.
Janine says
Love hearing that and thanks for sharing with me, Bill! Happy Thursday to you, too now 🙂
Dara says
Bullet journaling is something I want to try!
Janine says
Dara, I think you would love it!! 🙂
Bri - Halfpint Design says
I keep hearing about bullet journaling but have yet to truly try it out. I have the 5-Minute journal which is a great one to start. It’s a simple fill-in-the-blank gratitude journal.
Janine says
Bri, that does sound easy enough and may have to give that a try, too 🙂
Allie G smith says
I have actually saved multiple blog posts on bloglovin about this topic. I am so intrigued, and yet, also a bit intimidated. But I sure do need something to get my act together!
Janine says
I love that you have saved articles on this and hope you can give it a try soon 🙂
Jen says
I used to be such a great journaler and then kids…. I did however recently talk to a health care professional who shared all of the benefits we get from journaling, so I need to get back on that train! These are great tips!
Janine says
Thanks Jen and happy to share some great tips with you on this, too 🙂