You may have heard of the term ‘bullet journaling’ or ‘BUJO’ over the last few years, but what does it mean and how can it help you? We’re going to demystify this trend, and share with you some ways that you can use your Quilter’s Planner for bullet journaling!
What is bullet journaling?
It’s an organizational system originally created by New York-based designer Ryder Carroll. He says; “The Bullet Journal is meant to help you track the past, organize the present and plan for the future.” Well, he sounds like our kind of guy! It’s essentially a way of keeping track of anything you like, from managing tasks, mindset and wellness, creativity, ideas and habits.
Bullet journals are made up of ‘collections’ which are essentially lists. You can have a daily log, shopping lists, meeting notes, to-do lists, WIP lists, doodles, gratitude lists, favorite things lists…if you can think of it, you can make a list for it. Each item is written in its simplest form next to a bullet point, and the BUJO way is to turn the bullet into a ‘x’ once that item is complete. It can also be mind maps, or any other fun and simple way of getting all your ideas down in a way that you understand.
How can it help me?
Life is busy. It can be very easy to miss an appointment, double book, forget a birthday, miss a deadline. That’s why it’s important to have an organizational system to keep everything (and everyone) on track. The Quilter’s Planner is designed to help you manage all aspects of your life, including your all-important creative side, and by incorporating bullet journaling into your planner, you can streamline your planning and have a little fun with it too. An organized life is a happier life!
How can I use bullet journaling in my planner?
The weekly pages in the planner are a great place to write your ‘to do’ lists. Why not annotate them with little doodles or illustrations to make it look more fun? It’s a great thing to do when you’re on a video call, for example! The dot and grid versions of the planner are a great opportunity to create your own layout, in whatever way works for you.
All the planners come with additional grid pages, so why not make lists of the books you want to read, the places you want to go, the movies you want to watch, the jobs you need to do in the garden, and more! Then you can refer back to them time and time again and check them off when they’re complete.
Bullet journaling is also a great way to track goals. There is a goals page at the beginning of the planner, so if you’ve not filled it in yet, list the goals you’d like to achieve this year. (It’s never too late to start working towards your goals!) Importantly, you’ll also need to write down some actionable steps to take to help you achieve your goals. Use bullet points that are specific and targeted, so you know exactly what to do to achieve them.
With all your bullet lists, you can check things off when they are complete. In true bullet journal style, change your bullet into a ‘x’ to signify that you’ve completed that item on the list.
Where can I get some ideas for bullet journaling?
Pinterest also has a wealth of inspiration for bullet journaling, often with step by step instructions for super cute doodles and illustrations to make your lists and ideas really fun.
Next week, we are going to be sharing some of our favourite designs, ideas and BUJO layouts that you might like to try in your planner. The dot and grid pages are especially good for this, but you can use any page to track different areas of your life. Check back soon with those pens at the ready!
