How To Start A Bullet Journal
My bullet journal is something I look at and use every day. It serves as a method of keeping me on track of my habits, documenting memories, and planning out my daily to-do lists— I love that it’s a one-stop-shop for any planning needs! So today I’m sharing some basic steps to starting your own bullet journal. By the end of this post, you’ll be able to confidently start your journaling journey!
1. Pick a Journal
You can use any notebook/journal to start your bullet journal in— the aspect you’re probably going to want to pay the most attention to is the paper style i.e. blank, lined, grid, dotted, etc. Personally I love dotted notebooks because the dot layout gives me the ability to write straight and create lines without a ruler, but the dots aren’t as distracting as grid lines can sometimes be (it’s all a matter of preference though). In the words of Marie Kondo, choose a journal that “sparks joy” so you’re extra motivated to fill it every day!
The journal I’m currently using is from Archer and Olive! It’s a bit pricy, but the paper quality is amazing (no bleeding/ghosting here). For a budget-friendly option, I’d recommend *Peter Pauper Press’ dotted journal. It’s a simple notebook but you can easily customize it with stickers/markers to make it your own.
2. Figure Out What You’ll Be Using Your Journal For
Is your bullet journal going to be used as a traditional calendar planner? Do you only need it for specific projects/habit tracking? Is it for logging memories? Budgeting? All of the above? The beauty of the bullet journal is that it can be whatever you need it to be — your journal doesn’t need to look like what you see on Pinterest/Instagram. Find the route that works for you and own it :)
The creator of the bullet journal system, Ryder Carrol, has a whole book out about the “bullet journal” system if you want to learn more about its minimalist roots (You can check it out, here!)
3. The Basic Tools You Need
Aside from a journal, I think the only supplies you need are a solid pen and ruler— these two things together will give you lots of options for creating spreads! Any pen/ruler works, but the ones I use all time are the *sakura micron pens and this *big grid ruler. Of course, the supplies you can use in your journal are ENDLESS, but additional supplies are things you can add on (or not) as you continue your journaling journey. You can see a list of my 10 favourite bullet journal supplies HERE for some more stationery goodies!
4. Get Inspired
Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start if you've never entered the world of bullet journaling before, so you can find lots of ideas and inspiration from the internet. Places like youtube (cough cough I have a whole playlist filled with bullet journal videos worth feasting your eyeballs on), Pinterest, Instagram, and Tik Tok are just a few of the places with an abundance of journaling content. Since there are thousands of journalers out there with different styles, you’re bound to find someone that clicks with what you want to do in your own journal!
5. Get Planning
The best way to start a bullet journal is to start one! Don’t feel like you have to wait until you have the perfect spread idea….it’s only through the act of journaling that you’ll find your own groove with it!
Whenever I’m having a journaling session, I find it a lot of fun to pop on a playlist or podcast in the background. Sometimes I’ll even get a beverage going (which is 95% of the time coffee) and turn on my diffuser to create some good vibes.
Bullet journaling has been one of my favourite additions to my life in the past 5 years! It’s a tool that stores my memories, helps me plan out my days, and allows me to express my creativity when it comes time to designing new spreads. If you have yet to give it a try yourself, hopefully, this post shows you that starting doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’re wanting to look at different styles/types of spreads, be sure to check out my bullet journal board on Pinterest, HERE! Until next time, happy planning! Xo —C.
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