Have you been thinking about starting a bullet journal? Are you intrigued by the idea of having a combined to-do list, planner, and diary?
Well, don’t put it off any longer! Here 5 reasons why you’ll love having a bullet journal.
You’ll love having a bullet journal because:
1. A bullet journal will help you to feel (and be) more organized
Being able to see what the upcoming week (or month) has in store will help you feel more in control and organized.
You’ll know which important tasks need to get done, as well as which appointments you need to get to.
You won’t be taken by surprise by that thing you forgot about, and you can plan your time accordingly.
Also, (and this is a big one for me), you’ll be able to find that important note you wrote about that important thing!
Before I started bullet journaling I was pretty good at checking my calendar regularly, and keeping notes about important things, to-dos, etc. The problem was my notes were all over the place!
I had several notebooks filled with random notes, to-do-lists, vacation plans, books to read, as well as a collection of post-it notes I’d written various things on.
It was not uncommon to hear me muttering “now where did I write that down…”
But not any more!
Now I know everything important is in my bullet journal, and I know where to find it. Without a doubt this helps me to feel calmer and more in control.
2. A bullet journal will help you to be more productive
The key to being productive is knowing what you want to achieve and planning ahead.
When you feel organized (see point above!) – when you know that needs to be done, and when all your important information is in one place, it’s so much easier to make it happen.
Use your journal to allocate time to get these things done. When you see your tasks in black and white, written down, they are so much harder to ignore.
Setting daily goals that move you toward your big goals is a crucial part of being productive, and a bullet journal is the perfect place to both record your goals and to keep track of them.
Because the evidence is clear, writing down goals will increase the likelihood that you will achieve them!
Find out more:
3. A bullet journal will help you develop your creativity
Having a creative hobby, whether it’s drawing, doodling, hand-lettering, poetry writing, or scrapbooking (just to mention a few), has so many wonderful benefits.
Creative hobbies help you to:
- build your self-esteem and self-confidence
- engage your brain by learning something new,
- relief stress
- improve your mental well-being
- boost your performance at work
This Australian study demonstrated that engaging in the arts (including practising a creative hobby) has a significantly positive impact on mental well-being.
Whether you already have a hobby or are looking to develop a new one, the great news is you can apply many of these creative hobbies to your bullet journal.
There are so many beautiful examples on Instagram or Pinterest of how drawing, lettering or scrapbooking can enhance your bullet journal, so it can seem like an evolving piece of art.
However, if like me, you don’t feel confident in your drawing or lettering abilities but would like to add some creative flair to your journal, there are plenty of simple ways you can do it, and get that buzz from creating something beautiful.
You can use stencils for drawing and lettering, as well as stickers, stamps and washi tape for everything from decorating pages, to creating borders, collages, and artworks.
4. A bullet journal will help you to take better care of yourself
The key to taking better care of yourself is to create healthy self-care habits, for example, drinking more water, getting more exercise, eating more healthily, or creating a morning or evening routine to ensure you get both time to yourself and plenty of sleep.
One of the best ways to ensure that you continue with your healthy habits is to track them using a habit tracker in your bullet journal.
When you use a habit tracker you’ll:
- have a visual reminder to do actually do it
- get a great sense of accomplishment when you tick it off
- feel motivated to continue – you won’t want to break your success streak!
There’s a vast array of daily, weekly or monthly trackers online that you can adapt for yourself to help you stick to your habits.
Find out more about how having a bullet journal can help you build self-care habits:
5. A bullet journal will help you to live more intentionally.
What does it mean to live more intentionally?
Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make us
– Ritchie Norton
Intentional living is all about doing things on purpose.
When you live intentionally you make conscious decisions about how you spend your time – you don’t just drift through your day.
You choose to spend your time in a way that aligns with your values.
When you live with intention you become confident to say “no” more, so that you can open up time, space and energy to say “yes” to the things that really matter to you.
Living an intentional life is not about living a perfect life.
Life is not always easy, and there will be difficulties and mistakes made along the way. But when you live a life where your actions align with your beliefs, the storms become easier to weather.
You can keep your eye on where you are going, and when those storms blow you off course, it becomes easier to steer yourself back in the right direction.
You can find out more about intentional living in the following post:
So how does using a bullet journal help you to live a more intentional life?
(a) The practice of bullet journaling helps you form a habit of reflection and introspection.
It helps you to define what is important in your life, why it’s important and what action to take to ensure the important things happen.
Through Reflection, we cultivate the habit of checking in with ourselves to examine our progress, our responsibilities, our circumstances and our state of mind. It helps us see if we’re solving the right problems, answering the right questions.
– Ryder Carroll, The Bullet Journal Method
A bullet journal practice will help you cultivate self-awareness, and with self-awareness, you will become clearer about what is important to you.
(b) A bullet journal also empowers you to take action.
So you are not just watching your life but steering your life in the direction you want it to go.
A bullet journal helps you to design the life you want to live, and then go out and get it!
In the words of Ryder Carroll, the creator of the bullet journal method:
“The Bullet Journal method acts as a bridge between your beliefs and your actions by integrating into the nitty-gritty of your life”
– Ryder Carroll,The Bullet Journal Method
By incorporating a bullet journal practice into your daily routine you’ll live more intentionally, and be organized to take action towards reaching your goals.
What else is great about bullet journaling?
Here are a few other reasons I love using a bullet journal. I’m sure you’ll love them to.
Your bullet journal is wonderfully flexible/adaptable
You can start a bullet journal at any time of year, and adapt it at any time to fit your life – whatever life-stage or season you are in.
You can change it day-to-day or month-to-month – whenever you want really.
Experiment and find out what works best for you.
Want to see your week all on one page? Fine.
Prefer a day to a page, no problem!
No more buying endless planners trying to find the perfect one.
Your bullet journal is forgiving
Your bullet journal won’t make you feel guilty if you don’t write in it for a few days (or longer). Or if you forget to take it on vacation with you.
You can spend as much, or as little time as you want with it.
You won’t see a big chunk of blank pages, reminding you that you ‘failed’ to fill them in.
Your bullet journal is individual to you
There is no one correct way to bullet journal.
There are lots of beautiful inspirational images online of the many possible layouts, spreads, trackers and designs you can create, but they are, in the end, just ideas.
Ultimately you do it your way.
So tell me, are you convinced you’ll love having a bullet journal? Are you ready to get started?
Starting your own bullet journal is very straightforward. Check out How to Start a Bullet Journal (A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners) for simple steps on how to begin.
I’m sure you’ll love having a bullet journal as much as I do.
Want to learn more about bullet journaling?
This is the book I recommend:
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