Bullet Journal: My August Set Up
July has been an amazing month for me! I created the Handwriting Practice Guide, went on vacation and my mum came to visit from Greece! So, now that I'm relaxed, full of love and lots of good food (!) I'm ready to be more creative and more productive. So, August I'm ready for you! 😊
This is how I've set up my bullet journal for the month of August.
July has been an amazing month for me! I created the Handwriting Practice Guide, went on vacation and my mum came to visit from Greece! So, now that I'm relaxed, full of love and lots of good food (!) I'm ready to be more creative and more productive. So August - I'm ready for you! 😊
This is how I've set up my bullet journal for the month of August.
Since last month, I've started saving the last page of the month for a monthly review. This is where I'll go through my bullet journal and write about what happened during the month. What went well, what didn't and what I've learned from it. I also write any changes I want to make for the next month.
The next page is the first page of August, where the little penguin makes his appearance as usual. This time I decided to have him in his bathing suit eating some watermelon. I was inspired by the theme for the #doodlewithusinaugust2017 challenge, which for this month is 'Summer Fruits'. Go to this post for more information.
Next comes my monthly spread, which I made really simple and used the same layout I had for July. It really worked for me, and the two columns that separate my personal from my blog events is very very functional.
The Brain Dump page was one of the most useful pages last month. I decided to have one for each month instead of having one in my bullet journal in general. Now I don't have to go back and forth any pages and everything is more organised for each month.
One change I've made in this month's set up, is that instead of my gratitude log I now have a journal page, where I'll write one line per day. I wanted to change things up a bit and I really like the way it turned out. I'll see how it goes and next month I might add two lines per day, if I see that there's not enough space to write.
One of my goals for this month is to get more healthy. So, I made some spreads to help me focus on my diet, my exercise and my weight loss.
The diet page is the one that I've created before with all information and food ideas to get inspired and motivated.
The other two pages include my weight loss progress graph, and my workout plan that includes my arms and my abs workouts.
I also created a workout log page where I'll write analytically all the exercises I do during each day. I prefer to have this instead of a set plan where I pre-schedule everything. I tend to get bored easily and I might want to mix things up from time to time, so this works perfectly for me. The page opposite I've left it empty because I want to use it as my journal page for my workout.
The next spread I'll share with you is my first weekly spread for the month. I decided to use one of my previous layouts that I really really like. It's very functional, practical and colourful.
The last spread I have included in my August set up is the one for the #doodlewithusinaugust2017 IG challenge, which is currently empty! 😊
So, there you have it. That's one more month set up in my bujo. What new spreads have you added in your bullet journal set up for this month? Leave a comment below and share with us :)
Vertical Dutch Door Ideas for your Bullet Journal
I’ve already talked about the dutch door system for your bullet journal in this blog post I wrote back in August last year. It’s one of my favourite ways to create weekly spreads, because it allows you to see multiple days/sections at a glance.
For those that don’t know of the term, the ‘dutch door’ system is a way of creating a weekly spread in your bullet journal, where part of the page remains stationary and the other part is normal, and you can turn the pages as usual. This system can be applied horizontally or vertically. In today’s post, I’ll focus on the vertical option.
I’ve already talked about the dutch door system for your bullet journal in this blog post I wrote back in August last year. It’s one of my favourite ways to create weekly spreads, because it allows you to see multiple days/sections at a glance.
For those that don’t know of the term, the ‘dutch door’ system is a way of creating a weekly spread in your bullet journal, where part of the page remains stationary and the other part is normal, and you can turn the pages as usual. This system can be applied horizontally or vertically. In today’s post, I’ll focus on the vertical option.
I decided to use the dutch door system in my latest vacation trip. I wanted to document my days during our holidays, but I also wanted to have certain information and sections at hand. It worked perfectly for what I wanted to do, and I’m really happy with the result!
With this layout, I managed to have all the information I needed for my holidays as well as the plans I've made for those days, at the same place I was doing my journaling for each of those six days. I could flip the middle page to the section I wanted to look at, without having to go back and forth various pages.
The reason I like the vertical version of the dutch door system is also because you don't have to cut any pages of your precious journal. And I know that this prevents a lot of people from even trying to use that system. But with the vertical one, you only have to fold the middle page in the middle and add anything you want in the sections that are created. Also, after you finish using that spread, you can lay the middle page flat open, so that it doesn't disturb your writing in the other pages. Perfect!
In order for you to get more inspired, I'll share with you some examples of the vertical dutch door system by some amazing bullet journalists.
You can use the dutch door for your weeklies:
You can also use the vertical dutch door system to plan your monthly spreads:
saltykatie.com
I really love how functional this system is and I'll be using it more often from now on. Have you tried the vertical dutch door system? If you have make sure you share with us in the comments below ;)
How to deal with Mistakes in your Bullet Journal #2
Since I started bullet journaling almost 2 years ago, I’ve made LOADS of mistakes! Don’t think that from all the amazing pictures you see on social media, that everyone else has the perfect bullet journal. No. Not even close!
I have to say that in the beginning it was very hard for me to deal with my mistakes. Especially when you start something new, and you have a brand new journal that you want to make perfect, even the tiniest mistake and make you feel that you need to rip out the page completely. Which is always an option, but I prefer to find other ways to fix and cover up my mistakes.
I have another blog post on how to cover up your mistakes if you care to check it out here. And this is the #2 post I’ll dedicate on this subject. So, let’s dive in!
Since I started bullet journaling almost 2 years ago, I’ve made LOOOOOADS of mistakes! Don’t think that from all the amazing pictures you see on social media, that everyone else has the perfect bullet journal apart from you. No. Not even close!
I have to say that in the beginning it was very hard for me to deal with my mistakes. Especially when you start something new, and you have a brand new journal that you want to make perfect, even the tiniest mistake can make you feel that you need to rip out the page completely. Which is always an option, but I prefer to find other ways to fix and cover up my mistakes.
I have another blog post on how to cover up your mistakes if you care to check it out here. And this is the #2 post I’ll dedicate on this subject. So, let’s dive in!
For little mistakes, like small lines around the letters, or lines that you didn’t measure correctly and you drew a bit out of size, you can use a white gel pen. This will offer you a more precise correction around those small areas that need fixing.
Black it out. Cover the mistake with a black pen and write over it with a white gel pen. You can also use black washi tape instead if you want.
Create some mini drawings on a separate piece of paper, cut it out and stick it on top of your boo boo. That’s a fun way to cover up your mistakes.
For big mistakes, use some scrap paper to cover the whole page with it. You simply measure the size of the page, cut the paper and use some glue tape to stick it on the page.
You can also find cute quotes on line like the one I created in the picture above, print them on sticker paper, cut to size and stick directly on your page.
You can now download this quote for FREE and add it in your bullet journal. You simply print it on a sticker paper and stick it on the page that you've made a mistake on. You can also print it on normal paper and add it in you journal with some glue tape.
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You can also use the page to create a collage with various images and scrapbooking supplies that will totally cover up your mistakes.
If nothing of the above works, simply glue the pages together and start fresh :)
How do you deal with your mistakes in your bullet journal? Please share in the comments below.
Bullet Journal: My July Setup
One more month is almost finished. I'm so excited that July is just around the corner, because we're going on vacation!!! Yay!!!! I really REALLY need some time off! I had some good and some bad news during the last month, with lots of ups and downs and I have to say that I'm in dire need of a break, to recharge my batteries and find balance both psychologically and physically.
As you'll see, I haven't changed much during this month. I try to keep things simple and easy. So, let's jump right in!
One more month is almost finished. I'm so excited that July is just around the corner, because we're going on vacation!!! Yay!!!! I really REALLY need some time off! I had some good and some bad news during the last month, with lots of ups and downs and I have to say that I'm in dire need of a break, to recharge my batteries and find balance both psychologically and physically.
As you'll see, I haven't changed much during this month. I try to keep things simple and easy. So, let's jump right in!
As always, the little penguin makes his appearance in the first page of July. You can clearly see that he feels the same way like me and needs some vacations too!
I completely changed my month at a glance. Instead of a two-page calendar I opted for a one page one, where I separate my personal and work tasks/events with two columns. That way I can easily see what's happening and what I need to do, without mixing up things and confusing myself.
The right-hand page is separated in the categories: tasks, goals and next month, with boxes.
I've also included a mini calendar for August, because I want to prepare for some already scheduled events and pre-plan other things in advance. I think that this monthly spread turned out pretty good, and it looks quite simple and functional.
Last month, I decided to include a 'brain dump' page in every monthly set up. It really helped me focus and actually finish most of the tasks that I wrote on that page during June. So, since it worked so well, I brought it bac for this month too. ;)
I chose a simple layout for my gratitude page this month. Again I tried to keep it simple and functional.
And lastly, I created my first weekly for July so that I'm prepared. I LOVE how the colours turned out and I can't wait to fill it in :)
So there you have it. That's how I set up July in my bullet journal. I can't wait to see how everyone else has set up their month in their bujo. Leave a comment below and tell me which spreads have you included in your July setup?
Weekly vs Daily Spreads in your Bullet Journal
A lot of people have emailed me lately, asking me whether they should have both weekly and daily spreads in their bujo, and how can they make them work without re-writing tasks and events? So today, I’ve decided to talk about this topic more analytically and explain how I use those type of spreads in my bullet journal.
A lot of people have emailed me lately, asking me whether they should have both weekly and daily spreads in their bujo, and how can they make them work without re-writing tasks and events? So today, I’ve decided to talk about this topic more analytically and explain how I use those type of spreads in my bullet journal.
I’ll start by saying that the magic of bullet journaling is that you can adjust it the way you want. You basically start with an empty notebook, a blank canvas, that you can then turn into your ideal planner/journal. That means that you can add any spreads that are important and functional to you and your life. At the same time you don’t have to use any spread if it doesn’t work for you. So, you can have only dailies, or only weeklies, or you can use both. It’s totally up to you.
What is a weekly spread?
A weekly spread is basically an overview of your upcoming week that allows you to plan, schedule and visualise what you have going on for the week ahead. It usually consists of sections for the days of the week, but you can also add your weekly trackers, meal planning, weather forecast etc. You can adjust it and add all the things that are important to you.
Pros
- You set it up once a week and then you don’t have to spend any time creating layouts until next week.
- You can easily see what’s planned for the week at one glance.
- You have an overview of the upcoming week in just one page making it easy to distribute tasks.
- A planning stage for all the things you need to do that week.
- A way to break down your goals into smaller steps and distribute them in the week.
- You can easily see your progress and what you have done during the past 7 days.
- You can also see which tasks have been migrated.
Cons
- You have limited space to write for each day.
- Smaller to-do lists.
- Not much space to be creative.
- You can see only one week at a time.
What is a daily spread?
A daily spread (or daily log) is a place where you plan and record your tasks, events and notes as they occur throughout the course of the day. You usually have to create it the night before or first thing in the morning. You have plenty of space to add anything you want, from doodles to your daily journal.
Pros
- More space for more detailed to-do lists
- Lot’s of space to be more creative.
- Can have more of a journal style.
- You can focus on what is planned for each day without distractions.
Cons
- It’s usually done the night before, so you can’t pre-plan it earlier than that.
- You have to create the page every day.
- Usually you have to re-write some things over and over.
How do I use both spreads every week?
Personally I like to use both types of spreads every week. I find that this system helps me be more productive and focused on what needs to be done each day.
The weekly spread, even though is not part of the original bullet journal system that Ryder Caroll created, for me is one of the most useful ones. It is the only spread that I will add to my journal every single week. It's a way for me to ‘brain dump’ all the tasks and events I don’t want to forget to do in my weekly view, and start planning and shaping my week ahead. I can easily see which days are the busy ones, on which days I can add more tasks and so on.
On the other hand, I use the daily spreads for a more detailed view of the individual days. Here I like to separate the tasks/events in categories by colour coding them. I can break each task into smaller ones and tick them off as I go along. I also like to doodle and take notes.
For me and the way I plan my weeks, I prefer to use both types of spreads, especially if I have a very busy week ahead. But there are some (very) rare weeks that I’m not that busy, and on those weeks I prefer to use only my weekly spreads.
My Bullet Journal planning routine:
My planning routine using both types of spreads starts usually on a Sunday afternoon where I sit down with a cup of coffee (or tea, depending on the mood), and after I've created the weekly layout on the two pages, I start planning my week ahead.
- I check on my Future log, Monthly Log and the Birthdays and Holidays spread to see if there is anything planned for the week.Then I note them down on the appropriate days.
- I usually have a column named ‘This Week’ which works as a ‘brain dump’ of all the things I need to do that particular week. So, after I fill this in, I start allocating each item of this list on specific days.
- I look at all the projects I’ve set for myself and all the things I need to do for each one this week. I then check on which of the next 7 days I have spare time and I distribute these tasks accordingly.
For my daily spreads, I usually do them the night before. I like to get everything “off my head" before I go to bed, and have an idea of how my day is going to be tomorrow.
- I look at my weekly spread and see what I’ve set myself to do that day.
- I separate the tasks in categories with my colour code method. This helps me to visually see which of the tasks are going to happen on certain times during the day.
- I then look at the day before and see if I have left any tasks that I haven't finished. If I do, then I migrate them to tomorrow's daily spread. The migrated tasks are marked then with an arrow and the cancelled tasks with an “-“ .
I understand that by using the above method means that sometimes I have to write down tasks several times, and that might seems redundant to some people, but it does work for me and it doesn’t bother me.
Since I’ve started using my bullet journal I’ve noticed how much more productive I’ve become and how much this system has helped me to stay on top of things day in and day out.
How do you plan your days and weeks in your bullet journal? Do you use only weekly or daily spreads, or do you prefer to use them both? Let me know in the comments below.
Christina x
How to add Colour in your Bullet Journal
Colour has always made me happy. I remember from a very young age that I loved to colour all the time. This carried on in my school years and University. I had to add colour on everything - my books, my bags, my notes, my room - you name it! Especially when I was studying, I had to colour code my notes and add lots of bright colours on all my notebooks. Even to this day, for some weird reason I can function better when my notes / to-do list is full of bright happy colours :)
Colour has always made me happy. I remember from a very young age that I loved to colour all the time. This carried on in my school years and University. I had to add colour on everything - my books, my bags, my notes, my room - you name it! Especially when I was studying, I had to colour code my notes and add lots of bright colours on all my notebooks. Even to this day, for some weird reason I can function better when my notes / to-do list is full of bright happy colours :)
For me, colour is a way to express myself and to be creative. I also truly believe that colour can affect your mood.
“Modern research has shown that when our eyes connect with a colour, our brains release different chemicals that impact us on a physical and emotional level.”
I’ve also carried this trend in my bullet journal. If you’ve been following me for a while you must know that I love my colourful spreads and I don’t think I have any page in my bujo where there’s no colour!
“Creativity is intelligence having fun”
However, I’ve heard a lot of times, in the social media especially, that a lot of people are scared to add colour, because they don’t consider themselves artistic or good enough. But you don’t have to be an artist to add colour in your journal. Especially nowadays, there are loads of easy and quick ways to make your bullet journal colourful. And today I'll show you how.
Which mediums / tools to use?
Washi Tape
Acrylic Paint
Stickers
Highlighters
Markers
Coloured Pencils
Colourful pens
Where to add colour?
Simply everywhere! In your: dailies, weeklies, monthlies, future log, habit tracker, time line, index, quote pages, any type of spreads!
Various ways to do it
You can just go ahead and use your colours in the normal way or you can try one of the following:
Lines
Shapes
Boarders
happilyeveafter_
Banners
Page Markers
The possibilities are endless!!! So, there's no excuses, pick up any of the above tools and start adding colour! Let's be creative!
Make sure to share with me any of your creations. I love to get inspired!
Have a very colourful day ;)
Bullet Journal - My June Set Up
Hello everyone to another monthly set up. I think that it must be the first time EVER that I won't say that the month just flew by. In fact, I felt that May was a very loooooong month....! It has been a very busy and emotionally charged month. With lots of new beginnings: new bullet journal, new work possibilities and a brand new website! It was also my birthday month, and that always makes May a very special month for me, with lots of lovely memories. However, this month I lost a very close family member and my heart was broken in pieces. It's things like this that come to wake you up and remind you of what's really important in life and to be grateful for every single day.
So, tomorrow June makes it's appearance and I'm all ready and set up in my bullet journal in order to make this one the best month ever! Let's get started.
Hello everyone to another monthly set up. I think that it must be the first time EVER that I won't say that the month just flew by. In fact, I felt that May was a very loooooong month....! It has been a very busy and emotionally charged month. With lots of new beginnings: new bullet journal, new work possibilities and a brand new website! It was also my birthday month, and that always makes May a very special month for me, with lots of lovely memories. However, this month I lost a very close family member and my heart was broken in pieces. It's things like this that come to wake you up, remind you of what's really important in life and to be grateful for every single day.
So, tomorrow June makes it's appearance and I'm all ready and set up in my bullet journal in order to make this one, the best month ever! Let's get started.
The little penguin makes his appearance once again at the cover of the month, because clearly he was very missed in May. I'm happy with the colours and of course the cuteness of the penguin :)
The next page is my Monthly Focus. I decided to divide the page in 4 sections: Personal, Goals, Blog, and E-Course. This way I am more organised and focused on each category. (Sticker used from my Etsy Shop)
Moving on, the next page is my Month at a Glance. I changed it to a bigger layout this time and I really like how it looks. There is some space for notes at the bottom right corner as well. (Sticker used from my Etsy Shop)
I've decided to have a Brain Dump page for each month from now on. It was getting a bit complicated going back and forth to previous pages. This way I can easily check it out more often when I'm checking my Monthly Focus or my Month at a Glance pages. Hopefully this will also make me more productive :) (Sticker used from my Etsy Shop)
The Gratitude Log is back! I have to say that I really missed it last month. It's nice to spend some time at the end of the day and reflect on what you're grateful for. It's good for the soul. :) (Sticker used from my Etsy Shop)
Being vegan can sometimes make you feel that you don't have many food options. (Which is totally not true!) Especially if you are on a diet, you might feel like you're eating the same things over and over. And that's not a good thing! So, I've decided to look around on the internet and get more inspiration about what I can eat. Then I created a Meals spread with various meal ideas, categorising them in Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch and Dinner. That way, when I'm hungry or when I meal plan I can quickly look at this spread and get inspired. (Sticker used from my Etsy Shop)
(* Note: I have created a Menu Planning spread in the beginning of my new bullet journal, but that is mainly for the rest of my family that are not vegan like me. )
The last spread in my June set up is my Weekly spread. I really like how it turned out. Also, since I started my new bullet journal I've decided to avoid using a ruler as much as possible. And even though in the beginning the OCD part of myself was having some problems with it, I find it very liberating now! 😂 And I've come to like my 'wobbly' lines!!! 〰 😉
Hope this has inspired you to create some spreads in your bullet journal, and get it all ready for June. Which are the spreads that you add every single month? Let me know in the comments bellow.
How to create your own Weekly Spreads in your Bullet Journal
Weekly spreads are one of the main components of my bullet journal. This type of spread is not part of the original bullet journal system that Ryder Caroll created. However, for me it’s one of the most useful ones.
There are people that think that weekly spreads are not important in their planning. If you think that such a spread is not suitable for you, then you can totally skip it. However, if you decide to give the weekly spreads a try, that’s great! There’s a million and one ways to create a weekly spread, and today I’ll show you the steps I take to create mine.
Weekly spreads are one of the main components of my bullet journal. This type of spread is not part of the original bullet journal system that Ryder Caroll created. However, for me it’s one of the most useful ones.
There are people that think that weekly spreads are not important in their planning. If you think that such a spread is not suitable for you, then you can totally skip it. However, if you decide to give the weekly spreads a try, that’s great! There’s a million and one ways to create a weekly spread, and today I’ll show you the steps I take to create mine.
What is a weekly spread
A weekly spread or overview is a way to plan your upcoming week and visualise all the things you need to do during that week. Since the bullet journal system works with the creation of your dailies the day before, I wanted to find a way to know before hand what I had planned and needed to do during the week. So, the weekly spread works perfect for me.
Characteristics
Usually the weekly spread consists of the days of the week, plus any other category you want to include in your planning. You can add your trackers, meal planning, shopping list, projects, next week list, housework, events, tasks, goals, the weather, exercise log etc. The list is endless!
You can adjust your weekly spread to your needs and add only the things/categories you want. Also, you can try a layout one week and if it doesn't work for you, you can change it around or choose something completely different the next week.
Why you need it
For me the weekly spread is very important for my planning and organisation. It gives me peace of mind and a head start for what I’ve planned for the week ahead. Every Sunday I’m looking forward for the time I set aside with a cup of coffee to plan the next 7 days. In a way, I empty my thoughts and all the things I keep in my head, that I want to remember to do in the upcoming week.
I can see at a glance which days of the week are the busiest ones, and add or remove tasks accordingly. Also, knowing how each day looks, I can plan further events/appointments/tasks on the days that I have more time.
Weekly spreads make planning and task organisation very easy to do, and that helps me to stay more focused and productive. Also, if you are very busy and you don’t have time to create dailies each day, you can choose to have only a weekly spread instead. I do that all the time.
How to create yours
One of the best things of bullet journaling for me is the fact that you can change any layout to suit your needs. You can create your own totally from scratch, or you can get inspired from all the amazing fellow bullet journalists online.
So, how can you create your own weekly spread? Here are some tips that work for me:
1 | create an inspiration folder
I keep a folder in my photos on my phone with all the screen shots of weekly spreads I like on Instagram or anywhere else I find them. So, every Sunday, I’ll go over them and see what I like from each one, and what I’d like to include in my weekly. You don't have to recreate a weekly exactly as you see it, unless of course it works perfectly for you. For me, I like to take elements from various ones and create a new one for myself. For example, I might like the colours that someone has used, or the font they used, or the way they arranged the boxes etc.
You can also create a board on Pinterest to keep the spreads that you like the most. Check out my Bullet Journal Inspiration board as well, for lots of amazing layouts.
2 | Measurements
To make my life easier, I have noted down all the measurements for my bullet journal. So, I don't have to count boxes and dots again and again. For the Leuchtturm1917 A5 notebook that I’m using, there are 26 squares horizontally and 38 vertically per page. There are also 27 dots horizontally and 39 vertically per page.
The dimensions of the boxes I use for the days of the week are 8x17 squares when they are vertical, and 18x8 when they are horizontal.
3 | Plan the Layout
Plan ahead how you'll use the space on the pages and measure everything in detail.
I like to use a dotted page to plan the layout and see how I can rearrange the categories on the page. It's easier to play around marking the sections with a pencil and planning the spread on the paper before transferring it in your bullet journal. You can find a dotted paper printable at my Etsy Shop in letter size and A5 size.
4 | Get Inspired
Use everything around you to get inspired and be creative.
Like for the weekly spread above, I got inspired by Big Brother UK at the time and decided to use the superhero theme on my spread too. Just be creative and have fun!
5 | Puzzle pieces
If you find it difficult to re-arrange the sections on the page, there's another way to do it. Simply cut the boxes of each section to measure, and start placing them around the page like a puzzle. It might take more time in the beginning, but once you've done it a few times, then you won't need these pieces any more and you'll be able to imagine the layout in your head.
6 | related posts
For more inspiration and to get more ideas of various weekly spreads, check out the following blog posts:
- Weekly Spread Ideas for Bullet Journals
- 25 Weekly Spread Ideas for your Bullet Journal
- 40 Weekly Spread Ideas for your Bullet Journal
- Dutch Door Ideas for your Bullet Journal
For even more inspiration make sure you join my Newsletter in order to get access to the Resources Library, where I share lots of weekly spread layouts among other things!
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Do you use a weekly spread in your bullet journal, or do you prefer to follow the original system and do only dailies? If you do, make sure you share with me your weekly layouts, cause I love to get inspired and try new things :)
Christina x