How To Set Up A Bullet Journal

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A personal bullet journal is a quick and flexible system that helps yous runway short and long-term goals. You set up your periodical into sections past month, week, and twelvemonth. From at that place, you track what needs to get done. Yous besides rails pregnant events and milestones. While starting a bullet journal can seem confusing, with some patience and energy yous volition observe a bullet journal is a smashing mode to stay organized.

1. 1

   Pick the right notebook. You practise not need a fancy notebook to bullet journal. Simply select a notebook that you lot can easily transport from identify to place. A notebook with an elastic works well too. Moleskin notebooks work as well. A decorative notebook, or 1 with existing sections, is not necessary for bullet journaling as you'll exist organizing the notebook yourself.

   • You can personalize the notebook a flake, however. For example, if you dearest the colour blueish, invest in a blue notebook.
   • You lot don't take to stick to lined notebooks. You could work with dotted notebooks, grid notebooks, and blank notebooks! It'south all upward to you!

2. 2

   Create an alphabetize. You volition be writing numbers on each page of your journal. Your index will aid you lot rails which sections fall on which pages. The offset bare spread, significant the first ii blank pages that fall side by side, will be your index. To commencement, all yous have to do is write "Index" on the summit of both pages.

   • You can write in pen or pencil, and your chosen color. A pen may show upwards better, nevertheless, and darker colors are by and large easier to read.

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3. 3

   Make your future log. Flip to the adjacent blank spread in your journal. This will be your future log. Your time to come log is a manner of getting a bird's eye view of tasks you demand to complete within the next six months. It will include a month-by-calendar month breakdown of events, tasks, and goals. To start, count the number of lines and divide that by iii. For example, if each page has 24 lines make three sections on each folio of eight lines each.^[ane]

   • Use a ruler to depict iii straight lines across the spread, dividing it into three equal sections on each folio.

4. 4

   Write the name of the adjacent six months in each section. For instance, if yous're starting your bullet journal for the new year, you would write, "January" in the first box, then "Feb," and then on.

   • Write page numbers on the corners of each page. As your time to come log in your outset section, the page numbers should be one and two. Flip back to your alphabetize and write something similar, "Futurity Log . . . ane-ii."

5. v

   Add a monthly log. Flip to the next bare spread in your journal. This will be your monthly log. Information technology gives you lot an overview of a given month. Start with the current month and write the name of this month on the elevation of both pages.^[ii]

   • On the left folio, write down every date of the calendar month. Later on you finish, write downwards the abbreviation of the mean solar day of the week next to the number. For instance, you would write "January 1st, Sun."
   • On the right page, jot down your task list for the month. Using bullet points, make a list of all the goals you promise to complete, whatsoever bills y'all have to pay, and any deadlines you need to meet. For example, you would write things similar "Pay the cable bill," and "Complete typhoon of term newspaper."

6. half dozen

   Update your index. When you're done, write page numbers on the corner of each page. Flip back to your index and add together your monthly log to your index. For example, "Jan Monthly Log... 3-4."

7. seven

   Add a daily log. Flip to the side by side blank spread and write today'south engagement on the top of the folio. Use minor bullet points to write downwardly things you need to practise that twenty-four hours, tasks you lot completed, and anything else of interest that occurred that day. Employ every bit many lines as you need to log your daily activities. When the mean solar day ends, brand a new entry in the line beneath for the next twenty-four hours.^[3]

   • A bullet journal is meant to be cursory, so use short, elementary sentences. For example, do not say, "Today, I called the vet to discuss the cat's vaccinations, including the rabies vaccines that is due." Instead, only write, "Called vet to ask about true cat's vaccinations. Rabies due."

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1. 1

   Use signifiers that work for you. Signifiers are the types of bullet points you employ in your journal. In that location are no set rules about establishing signifiers, and it heavily depends on the types of events you choose to periodical. You can break down events into categories, such as work, school, bills, personal, creative projects, etc. Every type of issue should have a different bullet point signifying its type. Information technology's best to use as few categories every bit possible to keep things from getting confusing.^[four]

   • For example, artistic goals could be signified with a star. Work could exist signified by a simple bullet bespeak. Hobbies could be signified by an pointer. Bills could exist signified by a small dollar sign, and personal could be signified by a heart.
   • Equally you track your goals on your daily calendar, use your signifiers. For instance, an entry may look something similar, "$ Paid Cable Pecker today."

2. 2

   Organize your monthly goals into categories. Information technology tin can as well help to categorize monthly goals in your monthly log. Instead of having a random list of bullet points lumping everything you demand to exercise together, organize further. Separate your tasks past type.

   • For example, you could write headings like "Weight and Fitness Goals," "Deadlines and Due Dates," "Work Goals," and "Creative Goals."
   • From there, write downward tasks under their corresponding categories. Under "Weight and Fitness Goals," for case, you could write something like, "Visit the gym 12 times this calendar month."

3. three

   Store collections in the back of the journal. Collections are broad to-do lists that you want to accomplish for a year. It includes annihilation that is non a log. For example, collections tin include books you want to read, movies and Idiot box shows you want to watch, recipes yous want to try, and and so on. Information technology's skillful to fill up out your collections page as ideas strike you, and you lot can refer to it afterward on when you lot need inspiration.^[5]

   • For example, if a coworker suggests a book, write that downwards in the "Books to Read" section of your collections folio. When you're choosing a new book, flip back to this section to remember the recommendation.

4. 4

   Fill out daily events that matter to you. As you runway your daily log, fill out events co-ordinate to your preference. This depends heavily on why you're keeping the bullet journal. If it's primarily to organize work goals, for case, you tin can track what occurred at work each day. However, the journal does non have to be entirely professional. You can also record personal moments that made yous smile. For example, "Young man brought me coffee during my lunch pause."^[6]

   • Call up to make utilise of your signifiers every bit yous fill up out your journal.

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1. 1

   Cross off items as you complete them. Each time yous consummate a chore, flip back to your monthly log. Cross off the task on your broad to-exercise lists. This can help you track what you lot have accomplished and what you lot however demand to accomplish for a given calendar month.^[7]

2. 2

   Transfer important uncompleted tasks to the side by side month. At the end of each month, review your monthly log and daily log. See which tasks you take completed and which yet need to exist done. Set up a new monthly and daily log, the same way you did before. Transfer the uncompleted tasks to the next log.^[eight]

   • Withal, y'all do non need to transfer all your tasks to the next month. If you see a task that's no longer worth your time or that is too late to complete, cantankerous it out. This will help you lot stay organized by trimming down unnecessary information.

3. 3

   Add long-term goals to your future log. Y'all want to continue building on your futurity log over time. As you glance through your daily and monthly logs for the past calendar month, run into what long-term tasks are included. For case, if yous're working on a graduate thesis, it will likely pop upwards in your logs over time. Add together things to your future log as necessary.^[ix]

   • For example, break down your thesis into minor goals and jot them downwardly in your futurity log. In Feb, you would write "Complete draft" and in March write "Revise draft."

4. four

   Brand notes on projects specific to you lot. It tin aid to somewhen make a project log or list in the back of your bullet journal. This can assist y'all track long-term projects. Y'all can make a listing that says something like "Yearly Projects." When reviewing each monthly log, flip back to this listing. This will remind you of any curt-term goals regarding longstanding projects you should add to each month.^[10]

   • For instance, if a long-term goal is to be able to run 30 minutes without stopping, for one month, y'all may write, "Increase running fourth dimension to xv minutes."

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Bullet Periodical Assistance

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• Question

  How do I decorate a bullet periodical?

  

  Claire Donovan-Blackwood is the owner of Heart Handmade UK, a site dedicated to living a happy, creative life. She is a 12 twelvemonth blogging veteran who loves making crafting and DIY as easy as possible for others, with a focus on mindfulness in making.

  

  Arts & Crafts Specialist

  Proficient Answer

  

  Back up wikiHow by unlocking this proficient reply.

  In that location are many unlike things y'all tin can do. For example, search online for a "magic reflector" that reflects photos from your telephone onto your bullet journal so you lot can draw them perfectly. You can as well use Insubordinate Soul embellishments, which are like tattoos for paper — you lot just rub them on and stop up with a cute illustration.

• Question

  Tin I beginning a bullet journal in Baronial, or do I take to wait for a new year and then I can beginning at the beginning?

  

  The bullet journal is versatile, and there are no hard-and-fast rules to maintaining one. You don't need to start at the starting time of the year. Consider maintaining a bullet journal from August until December. Set goals to achieve by end of Dec and gear your journalling towards those goals.

• Question

  What is the use of decorating our journal when they are kept individual, because who'due south going to run across them?

  

  Fall Smith

  Community Respond

  Some people like busy notebooks because they're pretty. Not all bullet journals are kept private.

• Question

  Is hand lettering useful for bullet journaling?

  

  It tin exist! I apply it all the time in my bullet journal to make headings and titles.

• Question

  Practise filigree books work for bullet journals?

  

  Fall Smith

  Community Answer

  Yes, these work, along with blank, lined, or dotted paper. Go whatever notebook is right for you!

• Question

  In my state, notebooks are bad quality and have a small number of pages. I want to make it a bullet journal for school. What tin I practice?

  

  Aliya Iqbal

  Community Answer

  If y'all have a ring binder, you could fill information technology up with lined paper and section it off with tabs, wallets or plain newspaper.

• Question

  I've tried to start a bullet journal several times, but I but forget about it. How can I remember to use information technology every day?

  

  Anna McKelvey

  Community Answer

  Make it a habit by doing it at the same fourth dimension every day, such as during luncheon, when you lot wake up, or right before bed. Setting a reminder on your phone tin can also help, or even request a friend to remind you lot.

• Question

  How many pages are recommended for a year bullet journal notebook?

  

  Depending on your handwriting, daily goals, etc. effectually 200-300 pages is probable enough.

• Question

  If I accept only 100 pages, should I use the volume?

  

  Yeah. You could always get some other book when one is filled.

• Question

  Can I bullet journal in lined notebooks? If so, how practise I do it without it looking messy or bland?

  

  Aye, yous can! Simply decorate the same style yous would with blank or dotted paper journals.

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VideoRead Video Transcript

• Writing should ideally be short and to the point. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of being quick and easy.

• Don't be too neat on decorating your notebook, if you are a beginner. It volition have time from using the bullet periodical. After a few months, yous tin experiment effectually with dissimilar styles/decor.

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Article Summary X

To bullet journal, first choose an empty journal to write in. Open to the first spread and write "Alphabetize" at the top of each page. This will be the alphabetize of your journal. Open to the next spread and count the number of lines on one of the pages. Divide that past 3, so draw three horizontal lines across the spread to divide it into 6 equal sections, iii on each page. Write the proper noun of the side by side 6 months so there'due south 1 month at the top of each section. Then write "Future Log" at the pinnacle of each page. This will be the future log of your journal where you go along track of tasks y'all need to complete inside the next half dozen months. Open to the next spread and write the current calendar month at the top of each page. Write each twenty-four hour period of the month on the left side of the left folio from peak to bottom. Add together the abridgement for the day of the week to the right of each engagement. This will be the monthly log where you write down upcoming tasks for the calendar month. The tasks go on the right page of the log. Open up to the side by side spread and write today's day at the top of the page and a bullet bespeak listing of things you need to exercise today underneath it. When the day ends, make a new entry for the next 24-hour interval below it. One time you've added an entry for each day of the week, flip to a new spread and add entries for the following week equally information technology progresses. Add folio numbers to the lesser left corner of every page in your bullet journal, and add each number and the name of the respective log to the alphabetize. When yous're adding items to your daily log, put a bullet point adjacent to tasks, a circle adjacent to events, and a line next to notes. If a chore is actually important, put a star next to it. At the end of each month, add together a new monthly log to the next open spread. And then, cross out all the tasks in your daily logs that you lot completed. If there are whatsoever uncompleted tasks that are still worth doing, draw a right arrow next to them and add together the tasks to your new monthly log. If a job is due in months, describe a left arrow next to it and add that task to the corresponding month in the future log. If you have multiple related tasks, add a collection to your journal to go on them organized. Open to a new spread and write the proper noun of a topic at the top of the page. Listing all of the related tasks underneath. And then add the new collection to your index. As you lot go along to bullet periodical, you can create custom logs, collections, and signifiers that work best for yous. For details about how to organize your notebook, keep reading.

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