Bullet Journal Habit Tracker Ideas
One of the most popular things with bullet journaling is trackers. You can track almost anything you want for any given space of time. You can use them to track from your daily activities and tasks, to your savings and weight loss.
But why do you need to use trackers?
- To track things that you want to encourage and motivate yourself to do on a more regular basis.
- To track how often you do things
- To keep an eye on your progress with various projects/tasks.
When I first started bullet journaling back in March, I followed Kara's example and created a page that was dedicated to all the things I wanted to track during my month.
One of the most popular things with bullet journaling is trackers. You can track almost anything you want for any given space of time. You can use them to track from your daily activities and tasks, to your savings and weight loss.
But why do you need to use trackers?
- To track things that you want to encourage and motivate yourself to do on a more regular basis.
- To track how often you do things
- To keep an eye on your progress with various projects/tasks.
When I first started bullet journaling back in March, I followed Kara's example and created a page that was dedicated to all the things I wanted to track during my month.
However, as you can see from the picture above, it didn't work for me. I kept on forgeting to go back to that page on a daily basis, in order to fill in the little squares. So, even though I was doing those things most of the days, I wasn't taking note of that.
Then I decided to move my tracker in my monthly spread, so that I see it more often and therefore remember to fill it in.
I have to admit that I did better than the first one, but still I kept on forgeting to fill it in!
So then I decided to narrow it down to 3 things that I really wanted to track. I believed that I was being overwhelmed with the amount of habits I wanted to track and therefore I wasn't motivated enough to actually keep track of them.
This way worked way better than the previous months! It just shows that if something doesn't work for you in the beginning, you might have to do some adjustments to it. ;)
Taking a look around in the social media there is so much inspiration from other bullet journalists. There's so many different ways that you can track down any number of things.
You can track down one habit for the whole year like ModernMissJournaling did with her spending or how TinyRayOfSunshine did with her running.
Or you can track lots of tasks for each month of the year like jen_plans
You can have one table to track lots of different habits, like BohoBerry.
Or you can have single tables to track each one, like spddmn and BreeeBerry
You can track your sleep patterns (breeeberry)
You can track your financial goals like honeyrozes
You can track the episodes you've watched from your favourite series like bujo_planner
You can track your water intake per day like idobelieveincommas
You can even track your moods like passioncarnets!
Even though I had a mixed relationship with habit trackers in the beginning, I now love their functionality and how they can motivate someone and keep them focused and on track. What do you track in your bullet journal?
>>If you want to see my favourite Resources that I use every day with my Bullet Journal, click here to find out what I love to use.
How to deal with Mistakes in your Bullet Journal
Imagine this. It's the beginning of the month and you are starting your new set up in your bullet journal. You've been planning for days what you'll include this time and how you are going to decorate it. You are so excited and can't wait to put your thoughts and ideas on paper. You spend all your afternoon creating and drawing. In the end you are so proud of your new set up, that you have to show it to your husband. And his reaction is: 'It looks amazing babe, but I think you got the month wrong!' ARRHHHH! Frustration beyond words!!!! That's exactly what happened to me while creating my July set up.
Imagine this. It's the beginning of the month and you are starting your new set up in your bullet journal. You've been planning for days what you'll include this time and how you are going to decorate it. You are so excited and can't wait to put your thoughts and ideas on paper. You spend all your afternoon creating and drawing. In the end you are so proud of your new set up, that you have to show it to your husband. And his reaction is: 'It looks amazing babe, but I think you got the month wrong!' ARRHHHH! Frustration beyond words!!!! That's exactly what happened to me while creating my July set up.
When you are bullet journaling, mistakes are bound to happen no matter how much you try to make everything perfect. And that's fine because you're only human. Me personaly, I've made all kinds of mistakes in my bujo - wrong date, wrong day, drew a line too big, typos (loads of them!), miscalculated the size of the table I wanted to draw - the list goes on and on!
So, how do you deal with those mistakes? Here are some of the ways I use that help me keep my sanity intact!
1. Try to correct the mistake (like specific letters or numbers) as subtly as possible.
This is for simple typo mistakes that you can quickly rectify by writing on top of them the correct letter/number, so that it doesn't show as much.
2. Oops! It's Tuesday!
Most of the times, when I make a mistake of a word (like writing the wrong day as shown above), I will just add an arrow and the correct word. I think this way, it looks cute and you get the desired effect without ruining the page or the desing.
3. Use the page for something else.
If you're lucky and quite inventive, then you can rectify your mistake by utilising the page for something else. For example, if you've created a table but you made a mistake with the dimensions and it doesn't work for what you were planning to do, then you can still use it to add for example quotes in the little boxes. That way you can still use the page and make it look good at the same time.
4. Correction Fluid
If nothing else works, good old Tipp-Ex comes to the rescue!!!
5. Cover them up!
There are lots of ways you can cover your mistake and make the page look nice and cute.
You can use washi tape. These little colourful tapes have saved loads of my pages in my journal. They add an instant splash of colour and cover up things pretty neatly.
Any type of stickers or mini post-it notes that can cover any mishaps that might have happened on your page. You can even print quotes or various designs (ie. mandala) on sticker paper and cover the whole page if you have to! I really like the ones by Kara on Etsy.
Apart though from covering up your mistakes, there are some ways that can help you to prevent them in the first place. You can use pencil instead of pen. I know some people might find this solution a bit over the top, but if you find that something as simple as that helps you, then why not?
Another solution is to pre-design everything in pencil and once you are satisfied with the result, then you can go over with a pen. It might take a bit more time than usual, but having an almost perfect page in the end, makes it worth it. I do this all the time, especially when it's a big and complicated spread.
You can use coloured pencils for your drawings instead of markers. I use them all the time in my bullet journal, and I really like that they give me the option to erase something that I don't like without ruining the design or the page.
You can also use those erasable pens and highlighters. They make your life so much easier! They come in various colours as well, so you can still create colourful spreads and lists. My favourite one is the Pilot Frixion Ball 0.7.
And lastly but not least, you need to learn to embrace your mistakes. They make your journal even more special, because they show you that you learn from them. Everything you create, right or wrong, is part of who you are and you should accept it. That way, even if you make any mistakes, they won't make your bullet journal journey any less enjoyable.
How do you deal with mistakes in your bullet journal? Please let me know in the comments below ;)
Bullet Journal: My July Set Up
July is here and I'm so excited cause this is the month that me and my family are going away for a few days! Oh, I can't wait! I really need some time off :) Since, this is my 'holiday' month, I'm keeping things very, very simple. I've created minimun spreads, and I'm planning to create only a few more during this month as well.
July is here and I'm so excited cause this is the month that me and my family are going away for a few days! Oh, I can't wait! I really need some time off :) Since, this is my 'holiday' month, I'm keeping things very, very simple. I've created minimun spreads, and I'm planning to create only a few more during this month as well.
I'm doing my month at a glance a bit differently this time. I created a small monthly view, where I highlight specific days, like birthdays and holidays etc. And at the bottom, I've created a to-do list, which is more like a brain dump type of space. Here I write everything that i need to do this month. There is no order - I just write down anything that comes to mind.
In the next page, I've separated the month in weeks. Here, I'll take the things that I've writen in my to-do list, and I'm going to allocate them in specific time frames in the four weeks. I also note down again birthdays and other special days that I want to remember, and I'm being more specific. I really like this spread. I got inspired by the amazing
for this one!
As you can see, there are no trackers, no goals or anything else like that. Just giving myself some time off.
I've also decided to skip the gratitude log for this month, and instead I'm going to have a monthly highlights spread where I'll write the best bits of each day. I got this idea from the lovely Christine
. I think it's an excellent idea, and I can't wait to fill this spread with special moments and memories from this month!
While I was creating my July set up, I had some music on and I was thoroughly enjoying myself creating. After I finished it, I felt so good about it, that I had to show my husband to get his opinion. His answer was: "It looks amazing babe, but I think you got the month wrong!" ARRHHH!!! Of course, I had to make a mistake - again!!!! Typical! Oh well, what can you do? I still think it looks great! For the font I used for the title I got inspired by the very talented
.
The last spread I added in this month's set up was of course the
#doodlewithusinjuly
Instagram challenge that me and
have created. I really enjoyed myself doodling away during June, and I couldn't wait to start with the July theme as well! If you'd like to take part, you can check
that has all the information you need. ;)
Even though it's pretty simple, I really like July's set up! Did you add anything new in your monthly set up? And how do you deal with the mistakes you make in your bullet journal?
INSTAGRAM CHALLENGE: #DOODLEWITHUSINJULY
Super excited to announce our Instagram Challenge for the month of June! It's the #doodlewithusinjuly Instagram Challenge created by me and Alexandra (from @alexandra_plans).
It's going to be 31 days of doodles that will hopefully get you to be creative and have fun! The theme of July's Prompts is 'At the Beach'.
As we did last month, all the doodles are part of one big comprehensive picture. Imagine each day to be one piece of the puzzle. So, at the end of the month you will have one big doodle picture! :)
If you decide to follow this way, you'll have to create a table with 5x6 + 1 boxes and you shouldn't add the days on the top. You can also make the boxes and dates in pencil, if you don't want the lines to obscure the end result. It's totally up to you.
Of course, if you prefer to draw the doodles in the traditional way, that's absolutely fine as well. The important thing is to have fun!
You can also download a free printout with the daily prompts here.
- Follow me (Christina) @christina77star and Alexandra @alexandra_plans over on Instagram.
- Download the prompts below.
- Draw something according to the day's prompt, take a photo of it, and share it with us on Instagram.
- Don't forget to add the hashtag #doodlewithusinjuly and spread the word.
- Everyone is welcome!
150 Collection and List Ideas for your Bullet Journal
One of the things that I love about Bullet Journaling is the fact that is so versatile and that you can make it your own, by creating any type of collection or list you want. Since this March, that I've started bullet journaling, I have created many collections and various spreads to help me with my planning, to visualise my goals and to keep track of things. But I thought it would be nice to create a list of all the possible ideas of lists and collections I could create in my Bullet Journal, in order to take it further from the basics.
The following list was created from a research I did online, from Instagram and Pinterest inspiration, as well as from lists and collections I've already created myself. And today I'm going to share it with you.
One of the things that I love about Bullet Journaling is the fact that is so versatile and that you can make it your own, by creating any type of collection or list you want. Since this March, that I've started bullet journaling, I have created many collections and various spreads to help me with my planning, to visualise my goals and to keep track of things. But I thought it would be nice to create a list of all the possible ideas of lists and collections I could create in my Bullet Journal, in order to take it further from the basics.
The following list was created from a research I did online, from Instagram and Pinterest inspiration, as well as from lists and collections I've already created myself. And today I'm going to share it with you.
I've also created a FREE printable version of this list for you :)
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If you have any lists or collections that you've created in your bullet journal that I haven't included in the list above, please let me know in the comments below so that I can add it. ;)
The battle of the best black pen
I've always been into stationary, ever since I was a little girl. I just love pens! And my obsession with black pens has escalated in the past few months, since I started bullet journaling. I am on the quest of finding the best black pen!
I have a ridiculous amount of black pens in my arsenal. But today, I will talk about the ones I tend to use the most. I have different favourites for writing, drawing and handlettering. So, let's get started.
SAKURA MICRON 01, 02, 03
The quality of these pens is amazing! Very good for detailed drawing but they're also great to write too. Their black is really dark (much darker compared to the Staedtler equivalents) and I really like them. There's only one negative that I've found during the time that I've been using them. When you draw with a pencil and then you go over the pencil with one of those pens, once you're finished and you want to erase the pencil marks, then the eraser makes the marker look more faded and not as dark as it was in the beginning. That means that you have to go over it and possibly ruin your drawing, or leave it as it is. Nevertheless, I am constantly using them for drawing cause they're really good!
>> Click to Buy
PILOT G-TEC - C4
This has become one of my favourite pens to write. Especially if you make small letters, then this is the pen for you. The writing is smoothe and effortless. I tend to grab this one more that the rest lately, especially when I write my affirmations for my Miracle Morning routine. However, I've seen a lot of people draw with this one as well, like Ms. Centolife on YouTube.
>> Click to Buy
UNI-BALL SIGNO BIT 0.7
This is the pen that I always use to make my cursive handwriting on my bullet journal, or anywhere else! It glides like a dream on the paper and gives one of the darkest blacks without bleeding through the page. I just love it!
>> Click to Buy
UNIBALL VISION NEEDLE 0.7
Another great pen that I really like. Again, like the previous one it glides on the page and writes like a dream with very good pigmentation. The only downfall is that it could bleed through the page, depending on how much you press the pen when you write. That's why I don't use it for my bullet journaling. Nevertheless it's a great pen to have. It's also waterproof and fade-proof.
>> Click to Buy
STABILO COLORGEL 0.4
This one is quite new for me, but I really, REALLY like it. It's a gel pen that has a very good grip, making it very comfortable when you write. I also like the design - it's a bit different. I tend to use it for my cursive as well as when I write my snail mail letters, because it makes it so easy. If I was back to school, this would be the pen I would use to write my notes with.
>> Click to Buy
PILOT G-2 O.7
This is an old favourite of mine that I tend to grab from time to time. I find that it helps me to write more neatly and my letters look good when I use it. I have various ones around the house and in the car. If you like gel pens this is a very good one to have.
>> Click to Buy
PENTEL ENERGEL 0.7
This was an impulse buy when I was waiting at the till and I really like it. It's the pen I keep in my bag. It has a thicker grip than the Pilot one but the result is almost the same.
>> Click to Buy
PILOT FRIXION BALL 0.7
This is my new favourite toy! I use it everyday with my bullet journal, my blog journal and anything else I want to write. The reason is that it's erasable and makes my life so much easier. I just love it! After I talked about it on Instagram, a lot of the girls said that these pens are sensitive to heat, so for example, you have to make sure you won't get your journal out in the sun because the ink will disappear. However, I read that the ink in these pens will actually reappear when the temperature reaches below - 10 C (under 14 Fahrenheit), so keep that in mind too. They come in lots of colours. I have the pink, red, blue and black ones. There are also refills for some of the colours.
>> Click to Buy
STAEDTLER PIGMENT LINER 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7
These were the first liners that I started using when I was drawing and doodling and I still really like them. I don't like the way they make my letters when I write, but for drawing they are amazing. They dry instatly so there's no smudging. And I don't seem to get the same problem with the eraser as I do with the Sakura ones that I've mentioned above. Really good investment for money.
>> Click to Buy
FABER-CASTELL BROADPEN 1554 0.8
This is one of the pens that I use to do my headings with or I use it when I want to have something stand out, since it has a thicker tip. It has a very peculiar tint to it. It's a black-purple pen that I actually like.
>> Click to Buy
PAPER MATE
This is one of my old time favourites. I have various colours and I tend to use this one when I want thicker lines in my doodling, when I'm drawing quotes or when I do some handlettering. Very versatile one.
>> Click to Buy
PENTEL SIGN PEN
Like the Paper Mate one I use this one for writing quotes and doodling. They're also great to write on envelopes or boxes. It's really black and depending on the pressure you apply you can get different thickness in the lines.
>> Click to Buy
So, there you have it! These are my current favourite black pens. There's something in each one that I really like. However, I am still on the search for the best black pen. So, make sure you tell me yours in the comments below ;)
My Hand Lettering Practice + Free Worksheets
Since last year I've been obsessed with hand lettering. I took the 30 Days to Better Hand Lettering Course by Caroline from Made Vibrant, which I loved. I bought countless markers, brushes and pens, including a set of Tombow markers. And for a few months now I've been practicing like crazy.
As far as hand lettering is concerned, practice, practice and more practice is very important! And you have to start from scratch. Not from the letters and the alphabet, oh no. But from the lines, the midstrokes and the coils. You won't believe how frustrating it is trying to perfect your uperstroke - arghhhh!
To my quest to perfect my hand lettering, I've found loads of free worksheets online that I've printed quite a few times and I set myself once or twice a week where I practice for an hour. I would love to practice almost everyday, but my current schedule doesn't allow me to do so. But, even the two hours per week have done wonders to my hand lettering!
The following are 4 sets of practice worksheets from some amazing websites I found online and that I've spend countless hours going through many of their posts on hand lettering. I've printed them many times and practice with them over and over again.
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| The Postman's Knock |
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| Dawn Nicole Designs |
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| Lyssy Creates |
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| Destination Decoration |
One more amazing blog with everything you need to know about handlettering and calligraphy is the Destination Decoration. Elizabeth has some very detailed posts and videos to guide you along. You can download her basic strokes worksheets here.
I've been really enjoying learning hand lettering and I intent to continue practicing. I'm thinking of joining Liss's Freestyle Calligraphy Online Course. She is amazing! I'm also thinking of taking part in one of those Hand Lettering Instagram Challenges next month. Have you taken part in any of those?
The Miracle Morning - 30 Day Life Transformation Challenge
After reading Hal Elrod's The Miracle Morning book, I am ready for the 30-day Life Transformation Challenge that he sets in it. Once you read the book, you basically go through certain steps where you answer some clarity questions, you assess your life with the 'Level 10 Life' wheel and then you go on and set your Level 10 Goals.
I created a two page layout in my bullet journal, as I've seen it in Kara's website, but I also have 3-4 pages of more detailed Level 10 Goals in it as well.
The book shows a simple approach to achieve what you've ever wanted, by having a specific morning routine that includes Silence, Affirmations, Visualisation, Exercise, Reading and Scribing.
I already have a similar morning routine, where I dance and meditate and lately I tried to incorporate some visualisation too, but this is more focused and intense since there are specific steps and it's done every single day. I am up for giving myself some challenges and therefore I decided to do it starting from tomorrow, Monday the 13th of July 2016 (why wait until next month?)
So, for the past two days I've been trying to set myself ready. I always believed that the more prepared you are for something, the less likely it is that you'll mess up and fail. I took each step separately and made sure I have everything I'll need for it.
SILENCE
For this part of my morning routine I'll be meditating for 10 minutes. I've been using Headspace for quite some time now, but I wanted to add something else as well and I found a new application called Calm where I'll try their 7 Days of Calm program before deciding if I'll pay for it monthly.
AFFIRMATIONS
I wanted to create a page with affirmations that was as personal to me as possible, instead of finding various affirmations online each day. My goal was to have a set of affirmations that I can read all together as one paragraph, or that I can choose one, if I want, each day to repeat as a mantra. So, I came up with the following being inspired by Louise Hay, Hal Elrod, Pam Grout and many online resourses:
- Something amazingly awesome is going to happen to me today.
- This is going to be a great day.
- I make today the best day of my life, because there is simply no good reason not to.
- Today I will take one step towards my dreams.
- I create beautiful experiences.
- I am in charge of how I feel and today I choose happiness.
- I am committed to live in constant joy. Joy is my natural state.
- There is nothing to fear.
- Life emanates from me. I create the world with my thoughts, my beliefs, and my energetic frequency.
- I already have everything I could ever want or need.
- The universe has my back and is constantly sending me blessings, gifts, signs and guidance.
- Making money is easy.
- I can afford anything I want. In fact, I am so prosperous, I never need to worry again.
- Things always work out for me.
- I am successful in everything I do.
- What I think, I create.
- Amazing opportunities exist for me in every aspect of my life.
- I deserve the best and I accept it right now. All my needs and desires are met before I even ask.
- I am just as deserving of extraordinary happiness, health, wealth and success as any other person on this planet!
- I am loved.
- I am the best mother I can be.
- I am blessed with an amazing, loving and supportive family and loyal, kind and understanding friends.
- I am creative, smart and talented. I love to inspire people.
- I am strong and confident.
- My body is filled with energy.
- I love my body and I take care of it every day filling it with nutritious food and by exercising.
- I listen to my body and give it what it needs on every level.
- My body is peaceful, healthy and happy, and so am I.
- My mind and body are in perfect balance. I am a harmonious being.
- I relax and enjoy life. I know that whatever I need to know is revealed to me in the perfect time and space sequence.
- I am grateful for all that I am, all that I have and all that I experience.
- I am grateful for my beautiful life.
- I am whole and complete.
- All is well in my world.
I wrote them in my bullet journal and I've also printed them and I have a copy in my office and by my bedside table. I've created a FREE printable for you too!
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VISUALISATION
I wanted to create a two page layout in my bullet journal, but I don't want to rush it. I want to take my time and create something special. But in the meantime, I've created a Visualisation Board on Pinterest that works just fine for now.
EXERCISE
As far as my exercise is concerned, I was already working out on average 3-4 times a week. So, the plan for the next 30 days is to run 3-4 times a week following the 5K Runner App. that I had stopped using and then started all over again two weeks ago. The rest of the time, I am going to walk for 30 minutes and then do some weight lifting exercises and some squats. Once I finish with the app, I'm going to be going swimming everyday for an hour - which I love and I can't wait!
READING
For the reading part of this morning routine I decided to finally read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, that I've been meaning to do for some time now. I am going to be reading 1-2 chapters per day. After that, I'll continue with the Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
SCRIBING
I am excited about this part of the morning routine, but I am also worried about it. I like to journal and write, but I am not consistant and in the past whenever I tried to write every day, I gave up. So, this time I am determined to make it work. I already have my notebook dedicated for my writing ready - it's a pale yellow Moleskine Journal cahier squared. I decided that for this part, I can do one of the following so that I always have a choice:
- Write about whatever I want that day.
- Write my affirmations or the affirmation that I've chosen for that particular day lots of times.
- Choose one of the prompts from this journaling prompt list I found online, that looks really interesting.
My schedule for my morning routine will be:
WAKE UP AT 5am
SILENCE: 10 mins
AFFIRMATIONS: 10 mins
VISUALISATION: 10 mins
EXERCISE: 40-60 mins
READING: 15 mins
SCRIBING: 15-20 mins
And I am ready! You can get your copy of Hal Elrod's 'Miracle Morning' book here. If you'd like to join me in this miracle morning life transformation challenge, please leave a comment below so that we can support and inspire each other. :)
What is your current morning routine?