The Advantages of using a Bullet Journal

Let me just start by saying: bullet journaling is amazing.

It has completely transformed the way I plan and organise my day to day life. It’s an amazing tool that has helped me to corral all my to-do lists, notes and ideas into one place, and it has offered me peace of mind.

Bullet journaling is an amazing planning system that I I've been using for almost two years now, and I keep on talking about it to anyone that cares to listen! In 2016 I ordered my first Leuchtturm1917 and I haven’t looked back since!

So, why do I love this planning system so much? What makes it so special?

1 | You can customise it according to your needs

The first thing that makes bullet journaling unique is that it's a customisable system that can be adjusted to your needs and wants, and can be re-adjusted or changed whenever you want. Different people have different needs, so having a single planner layout to satisfy everyone is impossible. Now you can personalise your bullet journal and add only the spreads and pages that are important to you.

2 | Very easy system to use

Bullet journaling in it's core is a very basic and simple system, that is also very functional. People get intimidated and scared with all those fancy layouts they see online, but things couldn't be further from the truth! 

Join my FREE 5-day Email course and and I'll take you step by step through the basic original bullet journal system. I'll help you create very simple spreads, and I'll show you how this system works. All you need to start in one place.

Yay! I'm so glad you decided to give bullet journaling a try! Check your Inbox ;)

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Let's do this!

3 | Everything can be organised in one notebook

I used to have 2-3 planners and notebooks for my daily planning, my journal and my notes. Plus let's not forget the numerous post-it notes that were literally everywhere! 

But that's not the case any more!  With my trusty bullet journal I was able to gather all my to-do lists, random slips of papers, notes, ideas, and recommendations into one place!

4 | The Index helps you find everything 

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. 

You should take advantage of the Index in your bullet journal. You can fill it in as you go along, and you can make it even more functional with these Index hacks.

5 | Flexible - can change from page to page

When you start bullet journaling, you usually find yourself being bombarded with various styles and ways of doing things. You get inspired by your favourite Instagram accounts, or from posts you find on facebook groups. And that's totally fine!

In the end, you'll figure out what works for you and what doesn't. It's a simple case of trial and error.

And that's another thing that I love about bullet journaling - it can change. 

If you try a spread one week and it doesn't work for you the way you thought it would, you can change it straight away. Simple!

6 | It can be your creative outlet

Bullet journaling allows you to express your creativity in your journal and you can decorate it and personalise it the way you want.

You can draw, doodle, add quotes, practice your handwriting or do anything else you want! You can use it as your daily creative outlet.

For example, in addition to keeping track of your day, you can spend a few minutes here and there to add a little drawing or practice your handwriting by writing a quote on your page. It's also great to doodle a little as you plan the things for the day in your bullet journal.

7 | It can be anything you want

Your bullet journal can be your notebook, your planner, your journal, your creative outlet or your to-do list. Or, if you want, it can be all those things and much more! 

8 | You can be part of an amazing online community

There is an amazing bullet journal community out there, ready to welcome you and help you along the way! 

Have you started bullet journaling yet? If yes, what do you love most about this planning system? Let me know in the comments below.

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Bullet Journal: My November Set Up

Can you believe it that we're only 56 days before Christmas? What????? 2017 is literally flying by and I'm trying to focus and finish as many of my projects as I can before the end of the year. This month I've decided to do some things differently and to add a few new spreads in my monthly set up.

This is why I love bullet journaling so much - you can make any changes you want and try new things all the time :)

So, let's take a look at how I've set up my bullet journal for November:

For the front page, again I chose one of the designs I've created in my Etsy Store. This time the little penguin is pretty cold and he's wearing his hat an scarf. It took me no time to print it on a sticker paper and add it on the page. These printables are for 2018 but, in order for me to use it for this month, all I had to do was to change the days at the top so that they start from a Sunday. Simple! :)

I had so much fun creating these designs and you can find the whole Printable Calendar Kit for 2018 in my Etsy Store. 

The next page is my Monthly Goals. I kept the same layout that I've been using for the past few months, but I created an autumn theme with the leaves and the respective colours. 

Next comes my Month at a Glance spread. This month I've decided to use both layouts on the same page. I wanted a spread where I can see both my work and my personal monthly calendar at a glance, and I think this is going to work just fine. The calendar on the left will be for my work, so that I can see all the projects I have at once, and on the right is going to be my personal calendar with all the important dates I need to remember.

Next up is my Brain Dump Spread and my Workout Log, that are regulars in every monthly set up. :)

My Gratitude Spread has changed quite a bit! Even thought I loved using the gratitude jar in the last two months, I wanted to create something different. I've been reading the 'Thank and Grow Rich' book by Pam Grout, and I wanted to create a page with enough space, so that I can write 3 things that I'm grateful for every single day. This is one of the games that the book asks you to take part in and see how things will change in your life, in only 30 days.

I decided to turn the page sideways in order to use all the space available. For the layout I got inspired by Micah. I love how the spread turned out and I can't wait to start writing on it ;)

The next two spreads are brand new and it's the first time I'm using them in my bullet journal.

The first one is a Sleep Log. I've been seeing them constantly online and I love that at the end of the month you can see your sleeping patterns. I hope I'll remember to fill it in every day!

* I know that the numbers are not perfectly lined, but it took me quite some time and I had to be REALLY patient to fill it in, so it doesn't bother me at all!

The last spread is a Mood Tracker with a mandala. I wanted to try this one for quite some time now and I've finally did it! It took some time to create the mandala part, but I really like how it turned out and I can't wait to start colouring it. I've decided to follow the way that @adybulletjournal did it. I've separated the circle in 30 sections - one for each day of the month. And instead of creating the mandala as I go along, I'm going to be just colouring in that section with the appropriate colour.

Again, I know that it didn't turn out perfect, but I'm really pleased with the design and I'm going to be creating more mandalas in the future for sure!

So, there you have it. My November set up in my bullet journal. 

I love getting inspired and trying new things, so let me know in the comments below of any other spreads I should try in my bullet journal.

My Blog Bullet Journal set up

I've talked about this in the past, and I truly believe that it's better to have one bullet journal for everything. It's easier to keep everything in one place and therefore it's less likely to get confused and frustrated going back and forth various journals. So, you might be surprised that I have created a bullet journal specifically for my blog. 

The reason I wanted a separate notebook for that, was because I wanted a place to keep certain information and spreads that don't really change and so that I don't have to recreate every time I change a notebook. So, my to-do lists and my monthly planning for both my personal and professional life are done in my main bullet journal, while this new one will keep track of affiliations, website information, blog post ideas etc. 

So, I'd like to show you how I've set up my blog bullet journal.

I decided to use my Jane's Agenda notebook that I've reviewed here.

I believe that a disc bound notebook is perfect for what I want plus it gives me the flexibility to change the order of the pages, create categories and generally change pages if I don't like them any more. 

I added my logo on the first page - christina77star. And I love how it turned out. I have to say that the quality of this paper is a m a z i n g!

I had to create an index page, so I opted for something very simple. I only created one page since it's a disc bound notebook and I can add any more pages I want as time goes on.

Then I have a page with all the blog information. Some description paragraphs, SEO, Fonts, Social Media information, Image size, the codes of the colours I'm using for my brand etc. Some of the information I wasn't very comfortable sharing with you, so I had to cover them up. 

Next comes my Weekly Schedule. This is a page where I want to plan general actions i.e. how often I upload a post, or when I send my Newsletter etc. It is a schedule so that there is a program of my actions which helps me stay on top of things.

The next page is my Brain Dump page - because every journal needs one! This is a catch it all page for everything I need to remember that doesn't have a specific page for it. :)

Then we move on to the Blog Post Ideas spread. I have so many ideas for blog posts that I need to keep a list of them and tick them off as I go along. What I like, is that I can always add pages when these ones are filled up.

Then comes a page for my Newsletter ideas and one for the printables I want to create and share with you. 

The next spread is about my Website's Maintenance. It's the things I need to do on it aesthetically, or if I want to add a new page, and generally any changes I want to make on it will go on this page. So, when I have the time I can come here and see what needs to be done.

Next comes my affiliates page. I like to keep track of how much money I make from each company/website I'm affiliated with. So, I created a table with all the months and a long list on the left hand side to write the names of the affiliates.

The next page is a very important one. It has all my blog's statistics. Every month I like to keep track of page views, followers and generally everything that shows me how my blog and my social media accounts are doing. 

In the other pages I keep my Finance Spreads as well as my Monthly reviews. 

I love how everything turned out and as I mentioned before, I really like the flexibility of the disc bound notebook. 

How about you? Do you keep a separate bullet journal for your business or school? Do you have a blog bullet journal? What other pages have you added? Share with me in the comments below ;)

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Visit Jane's Agenda Website and use the code CHRISTINA10 to get 10% off. This is valid for one use per customer.

How to be Consistent with your Bullet Journal

I’ve been bullet journaling for about 2 years now and through this time I’ve been constantly contacted by people, that even though they want to start their own bullet journal, they seem to have certain problems or struggles with it. And one of the biggest ones is being consistent. 

So, in my emails I get comments like:

‘I just can’t seem to find the time to keep doing it…’

‘I am scared that I won’t have enough time to keep up with my bullet journal’

‘My main problem with setting up a bullet journal is not committing to it’

‘The biggest challenge I am having right now is keeping up with my bullet journal. I have stopped using my bullet journal because it was stressing me to put something in it every day. After a whole day of school and homework I didn't had the energy to update anything on it.’

‘My biggest struggle is forgetting to actually write in the bullet journal’

All the above are genuine comments I’ve received in the last few months. If you’ve been having similar thoughts and you feel the same way, then you’re at the right place.

Today, I’ll share with you ways to use your bullet journal consistently and effectively.

1. |  Use the right tools

Choose the right notebook, pens or markers. Make sure that this is an enjoyable process and that you get inspired by your tools, notebook and your stationery. I truly believe that your supplies can affect your bullet journal experience.

For example, I've had various notebooks through the years that even though they were cute and fancy, the quality of the paper was not very good, and as a result my handwriting and sketching was affected as well. I found myself not motivated to write or draw in them. But all it took was a change of notebook and I was right back on track!

Useful material:

My Favourite Resources

How to choose the perfect Bullet Journal for you

The battle of the Best Black Pen

Tombow Dual Brush Pens: Review, Tips and Technique

Zebra Mildliners - Review

2. |  Have one planner

Many people choose to have separate planners for either their business, school and personal life. But this can lead to lots of frustration and struggle to keep up with them. Writing everything down in two (or more!) different planners can be confusing, time consuming and you might be tempted to give up.

Choose one planner for everything and use colour coding if needed to separate the different sections/categories. Be smart when you create your to do lists and include everything in one. You can also use a disc bound notebook if you really need to create sections with collections and therefore have a more organised notebook.

Useful material:

How to colour code your Bullet Journal

How to make a Better to-do List

Jane's Agenda - Review

3. |  Create the planner that works for you 

One of the best things about bullet journaling is that you can literally create the perfect planner for you. You can add any spreads and categories you want, and even if they don't work you can always change them or adjust them to meet your needs. If you take a look around online you can get inspired by other people's planners and the way they use theirs. But don't let yourself get stressed out over it. Some people need very structured systems to focus on while others choose a more flexible, free-form approach. 

For example, when I first started bullet journaling I was doing both daily and weekly spreads. I found that there were days that I didn't have many things to do on my list, so my weekly spread was enough. Also, there were days where I was really not bothered to draw or create another daily.  When I reviewed what worked and what didn't, I saw that the daily spreads were not really working for me. So, I decided to create only weekly spreads that had all the sections that I needed for my week. Since I made that change, my bullet journaling experience has become even more enjoyable, I feel more productive and I don't spend my time on things that I don't need.

So, take it slow and choose what works best for you. Your planner will change and evolve over time. You just need to give yourself some time to figure out what you need and what you don't. 

Useful material:

Weekly vs Daily Spreads in your Bullet Journal

150 Collection and List ideas for your Bullet Journal

4. |  Keep your planner accessible

Make sure you have your bullet journal accessible at all times and at a place where you can glance at it from time to time. It is proven that if you see your notebook you're more likely to actually write in it.

Keep it on your desk with all the supplies you need close by, in order to have easy access to them. Or, if you leave the house, take your bullet journal in your bag and carry it around everywhere you go. Make it a habit to check it regularly to find out about the next upcoming tasks or events. 

5. |  Have a backup plan

Have a back-up plan in place for those times when you've forgotten your day planner at home. You might need to have a mini notebook in your bag at all times, in case you need to write down any notes or appointments when you don't have your planner with you. Then, when you get back home, you can transfer everything in your bullet journal. 

6. |  Create a new habit

Make a habit every night to set aside 5-10 minutes in order to plan everything you need for the next day. Also, consult your planner every morning and throughout the day for any upcoming appointments, meetings, events or tasks you need to do.

Useful material

Daily Plan Bar for you Bullet Journal

My Bullet Journal planning routine

7. |  Associate planning with pleasant thoughts

Do something pleasant when you consult your planner. Try not to think of it as a chore. Instead, think of your bullet journal as a productivity tool and try to associate it with positive feelings instead of negative ones. Every time you reach for your planner have happy thoughts and your brain will soon associate your planner with positive feelings.

8. |  Give yourself a reward

Throughout the day cross off all your tasks and appointments as you finish them. Allow yourself a small treat for accomplishing a certain number of tasks. For example, you can treat yourself to a cup of tea or coffee when you cross off 5 items on your list. This will motivate you to use your bullet journal daily and accomplish your tasks at the same time too!

Also, you can feel proud of yourself when you look back at your planner at the end of the day and you see how much you've accomplished. :)

9. |  Be patient

Give yourself some time. Setting a new habit can sometimes take 30 days (or more!). Until that happens, you might experience some days where you forget to check your planner or you might even not feel like planning on that particular day. Be patient and forgiving with yourself. Remember that habits take time to form, and that if you occasionally miss a day or two, that won't affect your planning experience.

There you have it! 9 different ways to keep consistent with your bullet journal. I'd love to hear your feedback on it. 

How do you keep being consistent with your bullet journal? Did you find any of these tips helpful?

Bullet Journal: My October Set Up

September has been a very productive month full of new beginnings and focus on new projects. My trusty bullet journal was there to help me plan everything as usual. Last month's set up worked pretty well, and therefore you'll see that I've kept a lot of the spreads almost the same. So, let's get started!

For the front page of this month, I chose one of the designs I've created in my Etsy Store. It's again the little penguin trying to scare us with his toy spider, with a Halloween theme. It took me no time to print it on a sticker paper and add it on the page. Of course, this printable is for 2018 but I really wanted to use it this month, so all I did was to change the days at the top to start from a Sunday. Simple! :)

I had so much fun creating these designs and you can find the whole Printable Calendar Kit for 2018 in my Etsy Store. 

The next page is my Monthly Goals page. I didn't change anything from last month apart from the way the boxes look. I wanted it to look like a  noticeboard where I stick everything I need to remember to do this month, as well as all the things I need to do in November. I really like the way it turned out - it looks fun and colourful!

Next comes my Month at a Glance spread. It's the same one like last month, since I prefer this layout better. And I'm happy to report that I managed to write the correct month this time! (unlike last month!) 

Next up is my Brain Dump Spread, that's pretty much a regular in every monthly set up. As I've mentioned before, I think everyone should have a page like this in their monthly set up, where they can write anything they need to remember without creating a whole separate spread for it. This time I decided to turn it into a notebook drawing, which I think looks pretty cool. :) 

The next spread is the one I started last month. It is my gratitude page, but with a twist. It's called the 'Gratitude Jar', and I saw this idea in Tracey's website. It's a different way of keeping a gratitude journal. Above you can see how my September one turned out. Even though it's note finished yet, I LOVE the way it looks and how I can still see all the things I've been grateful for this month!

I've created a printable version of the jar that is available in the Resources Library. So, to make my life easier I just printed it on sticker paper and used the scissors to cut at the lines.

Then I stuck it on the page of my bullet journal and added some colour as well. 

You can get your FREE Printable of the Gratitude Jar by subscribing to my Newsletter.

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Then comes my Workout Log spread. It helps me so much and motivates me to see how I've done during the whole month! My goal is to exercise 4-5 days per week, and this spread helps me to stay on track. :)

I've decided to use an old layout for my weekly spread. This is one of the very first weeklies I created in my bullet journal and I love the simplicity and the organisation of it. 

So, this is another month set up in my lovely bullet journal. I can't wait to see all the good things that October is going to bring into my life :)

Wishing everyone a very happy and productive October!

Bullet Journal Spread Ideas for School

September is already here and that means for a lot of you that the holidays are over, and that you have to go back to school. This was my favourite time of the year, back when I was still going to school.  😊 I loved getting ready, buying all the new stationary and generally planning and organising myself for the new school year...! Now I get all excited by getting my two kids ready for school. However, I don't think they feel the same way like I did...! 😬

Bullet journaling can be a great way to organise yourself for school (college, university etc.) and stay focused throughout the year. You can choose to have a separate bullet journal dedicated only for your school needs and keep another one for your personal life. Or you can have one for both. It's really up to you. No matter which way you choose though, I think the main thing is to keep only one to-do list for both. That way you have everything you need to do on one page and there's no way to miss or forget something you need to do. 

There are some basic spreads in a bullet journal that can be re-purposed for your school needs. For example, all the different ways you can future plan that I mention in this blog post, can be used to plan your semesters and your assignments. Your weekly spreads can help you stay on top of what you need to do each week, and your dailies will help you focused on your to-do lists and what you need to study.

Don't forget that colour coding is essential when you have multiple subjects and assignments, so this blog post should help you with that. Also, when you bullet journal index is your best friend. Make sure you archive all your entries so that you can easily find them when needed. 

If you are starting a new journal from scratch, that's perfect because you can set it up the way it suits you from the very beginning. Make a list of all the spreads you want to include. Start planning your new bujo and make sure you include all the important pages in the beginning, so that you can access them more easily.

In the next section of this blog post I'll share with you some really nice spreads for school, that some fellow bullet journalists have created and shared online. I hope you find inspiration and create your own spreads in your bullet journal. So, let's get started.

Future Planning

@beginner_bullet_journal

@teacherwithaplan

@focusign

@plantosucceed

@maryj13

@christina77star

Semester Schedule

@lauriewrites

@lauriewrites

@bujo.diaries

@pridebulletjournal

@haleyjournals

Weekly Schedule

@bujogel

* I can't seem to find where I've taken this picture from... If anyone knows please let me know in the comments so that I can give credit. 

@feefee_bujo

@feefee_bujo

@penpapersoul

passion themed life

Exam Study Plans

@julzeliza

@quietlythrilled

@kate_henning

@fickly_fern

There are some really cool ways to use your bullet journal for school and I hope you've found this blog post helpful and inspiring. If you have other spreads that you're using in your bullet journal in order to plan your school assignments, exams etc., please share with us in the comments below. :)

Bullet Journal: My September Set Up

Hello there! 

I'm finally back from my summer vacations! I had such a nice time in Greece, saw my family and friends and spent lots of time by the sea. But now I'm back, and I'm ready to plan the rest of the year and finish as many projects as possible. I've already set up my bullet journal for September with a few new additions that I'd like to share with you. So, let's get started!

On the first page of my September set up we find the little penguin, who is ready to go back to school! 

Moving on, the next page has my goals and to-do list for the month. This is one of my most useful and functional pages. This month I'm going to focus on me, my kids, my blog and my home (that needs some TLC for sure!). This page helps me focus and not forget to finish the things I need to do during the month. The 'Next Month' Section at the bottom is very helpful as well, because I write down everything I want to remember to do for next month.

I've decided to use this format for my month at a glance calendar. I find that my brain works better when I have things laid out this way in front of me. And, yes I know..... it's not October....! I almost cried when I finished it and realised my mistake... But what can you do? 

The next page is spread that Wendy mentioned in the comments in last month's set up post.

This spread is titled 'I did it'. As Wendy mentions in her comment, this is a spread  'where each day I jot down something I accomplished that was maybe a challenge or out of my comfort zone--anything from standing up for myself to baking a pie'. I loved the idea of this page so much, that I've decided to include it in this month's set up. I'm a very shy and insecure person, and I very rarely do things out of my comfort zone. So, I hope that this page will push me to be a bit more daring!

The next page is my gratitude page, but with a twist. It's called the 'Gratitude Jar', and I saw this idea in Tracey's website. It's a different way of keeping a gratitude journal and I love the way the page turned out. I'm also currently reading 'Thank and Grow Rich' by Pam Grout, which is very relevant to this page. :)

The monthly Brain Dump page is a life saviour! I literally dump anything there, from notes to post-its...! This will definitely be a repeated monthly page for sure.

Also, my Workout Log page worked out perfectly last month, so I decided to keep the same format this month too. I love that I can see at a glance how many days I've exercised during the month, and what I did on each one :)

The last spread is my weekly spread. I've decided to use this colourful layout, because it's very functional and easy to do :)

So, there you have it. One more month is set up in my Bullet Journal. What new spreads have you implemented in this month's set up? Which spreads to you use repeatedly each month? Let me know in the comments below.

I wish everyone has a wonderful and very productive September :)

How to organise your Finances in your Bullet Journal

Today I'll be sharing with you how I use my bullet journal to track my finances. For a long time I wasn't very organised with tracking my money and I couldn't seem to get my finances in order. I guess it had also to do with the fact that I couldn't find any financial layout that would work for me and my needs. But, the amazing thing with bullet journaling is that you can create your own spreads. So, that gave me the incentive to start tracking my income and expenses, and today I'll share with you some of the ways that I use my bullet journal to keep my finances organised. 

I started creating a very basic spread in my bullet journal where I'd track my income and my expenses per month. Each spread would track two months, so I was creating this spread every other month, which was handy :)

However I wanted to track more things in my bullet journal, like my savings, profits etc. So, I went ahead and created a second spread, which I've been using every single month for the past 5 months and I love it! It is very functional and has all the elements that I want.

Balances

On the left hand page I would track my balances at any given time. Each time I would add something on my income or expenses section, I would check my balance on my accounts to see how much money I have left. This has proven a lifesaver in many instances, where I was expecting some money, but it didn't appear in my bank account on time, and I had some other expenses scheduled to be paid at the same time as well. 

Month End Totals

I also like to track at the end of each month my total income, expenses and profit as well as my savings. This gives me a clear view of how my month went and then I can make adjustments or change things around for the next month, if needed.

Recurring Expenses

This has also been a very functional part of my financial spread. I write all my recurring expenses for each month, the date that the money usually is paid and the amount, which for obvious reasons I left out of this picture. But usually the amount of money that is normally paid from my accounts is written next to the date.

On the right hand page I create two lists where I note down analytically my income and my expenses as they happen. I love how simple but analytical these lists are, and I can see at a glance how I spent my money each month, and my income sources as well.

This spread is so functional for me and so easy to create, especially since I started using my Budget Stickers! You can find them at my Etsy Store.

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Budget Stickers

Printable Kit

Click To Buy

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One more spread that I use for my finances is the one you can see above, where I track all my affiliation income. I basically create a sideways spread where I draw a column for each month, and on the far left column I note down all the companies/websites that I'm affiliated with. Then each month, I'd write next to each affiliate how much income I got for that month.

This is very useful to see where most of my affiliate income comes from each month, and to know on which affiliate I should focus more.

If you're interested in learning how to monetise your blog and boost your Amazon Commissions, then check this blog post out.

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Here are some financial spreads for your bullet journal from some talented fellow bullet journalists, for you to get inspired:

@brandi_journals

@craftyenginerd

The Petite Planner

@thatbujokid

Boho Berry

@that_journal

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I hope all the above has given you some inspiration for your financial spreads. How do you use your bullet journal to track your finances? Let me know in the comments below.

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Budget Planning

Printable Kit

Click To Buy

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