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 ;)

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Email Address

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.

---

RELEVANT BLOG POSTS

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.

Instagram Challenge: #doodlewithusinnovember2017

Once again I'm excited to announce our Instagram Challenge for the month of November! It's the #doodlewithusinnovember2017 Instagram Challenge created by me and Alexandra (from @alexandra_plans).

It's going to be 30 days of doodles that will hopefully get you to be creative and have fun! The theme of November's prompts is 'Thanksgiving'. This theme is perfect for this time of the year and I seriously can't wait to start drawing!

As we did before, 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 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.

If you want to join us then:

• 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 #doodlewithusinnovember2017 and spread the word.
• Everyone is welcome! 

We're excited to see what you'll share! 

Thank you for joining in!

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 ;)

---

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

If I knew I wouldn't fail I would...

Today's post is inspired by a post that Lisa from Market Your Creativity did a few years back.

Our fears can hold us back from doing the things we want. A lot of times we feel that we are not good enough or creative enough and therefore we are scared to unleash our potential. We constantly beat ourselves up, thinking that somehow we should be more, do more, be better, because we don’t measure up in our own mind.

I'm definitely one of those people that are constantly questioning themselves and their worth. I don't think I'm good enough (most of the times!), and even though I have many creative ideas, I'm scared of failure.

When I saw Lisa's post, I was instantly inspired to create a list in my bullet journal, where I'll write down all the things that I'd love to do but I hold myself back from. I didn't want to create a big list of things straight away. I wanted to give more thought to it, and treat it as a spread that I can go back to from time to time to either get inspired from, or to add more things to it. So, for the time being I've only added 3 things that I know I'd really love to do but I don't feel good enough.

So, if someone came to me and told me that I could do anything I wanted and it would definitely be a success, then I would...

• Lead a live workshop on bullet journaling
• Create a handwriting course
• Become a freelance graphic designer

How about you? What would you do if you knew that failure is not an option? Please share in the comments below :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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?

Pink Ribbon Weekly Spread

Today I'm going to talk about a subject that's very close to my heart - and that is breast cancer. Unfortunately, cancer has affected many members of my family. My mum was diagnosed with a very aggressive type of breast cancer in 2008 and after a long battle she's cancer free for the past 7 years and I'm so grateful for that. That wasn't the case though for her twin sister... My aunt was diagnosed in June 2016 and she lost the battle to cancer in May 2017... It has really affected all the family and we miss her so much... 

I was contacted by Julie, who is a breast cancer survivor, to create a weekly spread with the pink ribbon. I was very happy to create one for her, and I thought that, since October is the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month,  I could share it with all of you. 

I've created 4 different versions for you: 

• An A5 size with pink dotted grid
• A Letter size with pink dotted grid
• A Letter size with white background
• A Letter size with white background and coloured ribbon

In the first 3 I left the ribbon and the designs in it in black and white, so that you can go ahead and colour it yourself in order to add your own touch to it. 

You can get your FREE printable by subscribing to my Newsletter. If you're already a subscriber, you can find the printable in the Resourses Library.

JOIN THE GANG!

Subscribe now to my Newsletter to download the FREE Printable.

Plus get access to the Resources Library!

Yay! Thanks for subscribing to my Newsletter! Check your email now to get the free download and the password for the Resources Library!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Email Address

Subscribe Powered by ConvertKit

I'd like to thank Julie for her idea and also I'd like to say to everyone that has been through this horrible disease that you are an inspiration for all of us with your courage and determination. 

Thank you.

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.

JOIN THE GANG!

Subscribe now to my Newsletter to download the FREE Printable.

Plus get access to the Resources Library!

Yay! Thanks for subscribing to my Newsletter! Check your email now to get the free download and the password for the Resources Library!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Email Address

Subscribe Powered by ConvertKit

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!