7 Things I Learned in my First Year of Bullet Journaling
As I've mentioned already in a previous post, in the beginning of March I had my 1 year anniversary since I started bullet journaling. Oh my! Time really flies by! I can't believe it's been one year already! I still remember the excitement of receiving my very first bullet journal and creating my first pages in it. This has been an incredible year for me full of colour, creativity and new opportunities! I'm grateful for this amazing system and for being a member of the best online community! :)
Today, I'll share with you 7 things about bullet journaling that I learned during the past year.
#1
DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY NEW THINGS
One of the things about bullet journaling that I love, is that it’s flexible and that you can adjust and change it the way you want. You can try one thing this week and if it doesn't work for you, you can change it and try something else! So, don't be afraid to try something new.
#2
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Get inspired and copy the spreads / pages that you like. But make sure that you personalise them and that you change them around to meet your needs.
You can personalise your pages in any way you want. You can use cursive writing, stickers, washi tape, doodles or you can just keep it simple and minimal. That is the beauty of this system: you can create the planner you want and change it around whenever you want!
After you’ve used your bullet journal for a while, you’ll be able to see what works and what doesn’t, and from there you'll be able to add or subtract things from your journal accordingly.
#3
INDEX IS YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND
The Index page is the core of your Bullet Journal. It's where you archive all your entries so that you can easily find them when needed. However, not many people talk about the Index page and I know a lot of people neglect to fill in the entries as they create their spreads in their notebook.
Take advantage of the Index in your bullet journal. Fill it in as you go along, and make it even more functional with these Index hacks.
#4
CREATE ONLY THE COLLECTIONS / SPREADS THAT YOU NEED
When you fist start bullet journaling it's natural be overwhelmed with the amount of inspiration and creativity that you see online. And that can make you want to add everything you see on
Instagram or Pinterest in your own bullet journal. Believe me, I know how it feels... I've been there!
However, you don't have to spend all your time creating pages that then you forget all about and eventually don't use again. You want to create collections that will help you and that are relevant to you, your lifestyle and your needs.
I have created this list with 150 different Collections / Spreads you can create in your journal. Go through it, mark the ones that you think are the most interesting / useful to you, and then start creating them in your bullet journal.
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Try to choose simple layouts for the type of spreads you’ve chosen to create, that you can easily recreate or that you can adjust to your needs.
#5
CREATIVE OUTLET
With a willingness to learn and desire to start, you can be creative. You can use your bullet journal to express your creativity, even if you think that you're just not good enough. There is no one there judging you or criticising you and your work. It's just you and your notebook.
Look around you, get inspired and just do it!
#6
ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
Since I started using my bullet journal to write down my goals and the steps I need to take towards them, I've noticed that I am way more productive and that I actually started seeing results! I'm more focused and I am actually working towards achieving my goals. So, your bullet journal can be more than a simple planner - it can be your way to plan your future, organise your strategies and document your results!
#7
IT'S OK TO HAVE A BREAK
You shouldn't feel bad if you want to stop bullet journaling for some time. It happens to everybody! There have been days that I didn't want to plan anything or to create any pages in my bullet journal. And that's fine. Don't push yourself to do something you don't want to. Take a break if you need to and come back to bullet journaling when the time is right for you :)
So, there you have it. My 7 lessons I've learned during the first year. How long have you been bullet journaling? What is one thing you've learned that you'd like to share?
