What on Earth is Bullet Journaling??
What is Bullet Journaling?
Described by its creator as a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system, bullet journaling encourages people to think about how they want to spend their life as well as helping people to be more organised. At its heart it is a very simple method for organising your life and is suited to everyone, however lacking in creative talent you might be (like me, a lawyer). Because you only need one book - and it can be any notebook - into which you you put all your plans, diaries and tasks for the months/year ahead, it is wonderfully satisfying; everything should be in one place so the days of endless lists, different books for different purposes and post-it notes all over your home will be behind you.
We have heard from various bullet journalers about how journaling helps their mental health. This is largely because at the heart of the process is the need to think about what you want to be doing with your time so you manage your life rather than passively reacting to it. In addition, there can be a creative element to bullet journaling (if you want there to be) and some people find that very enjoyable and helpful to their mental health. We have also been told by a couple of customers that they find the weekly log process - by which people typically write one to-do list for each week - profoundly helpful as they are not constantly re-writing task lists with the same items on them (as I must admit I did daily for years).
We have a simple 10-minute introduction for busy people on our website here: and that is all you need to get started.
If you want to get started...
1. Get a lovely notebook. We are not just saying that because that is what we sell (!) but because it is going to be with you for many weeks or months and it helps if you love it.
2. Buy a book on bullet journaling or check out Pinterest/you Tube posts and videos on how to do it, or our video (see above).
3. Do not be concerned about making mistakes in your beautiful book. Embrace mistakes as it’s a learning process. Stick pages together if you have to, get some Tipex or a white pen or invest in some beautiful washi tape (which is patterned or colourful masking tape which is not too sticky so can be moved around) to decorate pages and cover up things you would rather not see.
4. Think of bullet journaling as a process by which you create a diary/notebook that works for you. You will adapt as you go along and you may get more adventurous with what you include but equally you may keep it very simple. Some people keep a record of what they have to do - both diary entries and to-do lists - and some people are more adventurous with mood trackers, sleep trackers, exercise trackers, records of books they have read and want to read, present lists, birthday present idea pages and so on. The list is endless but it is vital that you realise it is your choice what you include.
5. Start simply. It is up to you, of course, but we think it takes time to work out what you want to put in your bullet journal. Some people find it useful to include many things like trackers (exercise done, fruit and vegetables eaten or books they have read) but everyone has different needs and that is the whole point; if you wouldn't find it helpful or useful, don't do it! The key point is not being too ambitious about what you are going to record when you first get started.
6. Remember you can start any day of the year!
The benefits of paper over tech
I have lost count of the number of people who tell me they like seeing their life written down on paper rather than on a device. In particular, I think people like to see their whole week (or month, or year) on a small number of pages as it helps them process what they have to do.
I still use the diary on my phone for some events, particularly those that I share with others in the family, but I always create a weekly diary layout in my journal so I can see at the beginning of each week on a double-page spread what I am going to be doing.
It is also proven that people remember things better if they write them down and there is a creative element to using a pen and paper which many people find enjoyable.
And remember, all our journals can be customised and personalised. We have 33 different journals (a range of sizes, paper colours, lined and dot-grid and with different types of cover) and customers can choose if they want one of our many images stamped on the front and, if so, they can also choose which foil colour they would like (gold, silver, copper, white and black). We can also stamp names/initials/dates in place of or in addition to an an image. All our journals are hand-stamped in our workshop to our customer’s order although we also have a range of Perfect Quick Buys which cost less and are popular with people struggling to make a choice!