Bullet journals are the new up and coming craze in the world of planning and organising. A totally customisable planner and goal setting journal that is designed by you, for you. So how do you get started at creating your own bullet journal?
You Will Need:
An Empty Notebook (A5 is best, can be lined, plain, dotted or gridded paper)
A Good Pen
A Ruler
Section 1: The Index
The first section of your bullet journal is going to be an index page which is similar to a contents section, providing you with an easy to find insight as to where everything else is in your journal.
You’re going to number every single page in your bullet journal, so you will be able to use your index section as a guide to help you easily find different pages in the journey.
Allocate the first blank double-page spread for your index and to start with, simply write the title ‘Index’ in as you will fill these pages in as you go.
Section 2: Yearly Overview
Now you can mix and match the order in which you add your sections into your journal but we’d recommend putting your yearly overview in straight after the index so they’re right at the front of your planner.
The easiest way to set out your yearly overview section is to use the next 2 blank double-page spreads which is four individual pages and split each page into 3 equal sections. Use a ruler to divide your page equally and write each month into the top of one of the sections in whatever way suits you.
You can now write in any plans for each month that you already know you have and you can refer back to these sections if anything else gets added to your calendar.
Section 3: Individual Monthly Overview
The next section that feels logical to add in after the yearly overview is your individual monthly overviews which is where your bullet journal starts to feel like a proper diary that can help you organise your life!
For each blank double-page spread, use each individual line as a day, writing the dates down the side in whatever way you like. If your pad isn’t lined, use your ruler to make lines out of the dots or grids or draw them in equally if the paper is blank.
Add the month to the top of the page in a style that you like and you can now start to write in your plans for each day if you already have some.
Once all your months are in and you’ve numbered the pages, now would be a good time to go back to your index and add in the contents you’ve created so far.
Section 4: Weekly or Daily Sections
At this point, you can really start to customise the layout of your journal to suit you by adding either weekly or daily sections.
For weekly sections, a double-page spread can be used and split into 7 sections, providing a space to write down tasks and plans for each day in more detail or for daily sections, you can use one or two individual pages to lay out your day, providing your space for tasks, appointments, goals to achieve or whatever else you want to track.
The joy of a bullet journal is that it is totally down to you how you design yours and you can add in whatever sections you want. You can also create a key of icons you plan to use such as different coloured bullet points or symbols for tasks with different levels of importance/priority.
If you’re using your bullet journal to help you plan meals and aid your weight loss, you could create a weekly meal plan section at the start of each set of 7 daily pages or add a daily meal plan section to each page.
You could also keep track of water intake by adding small cup icons that you can shade in every day with how many you’ve drunk.
Bullet journals really are the perfect option for an affordable and totally personalised journal that can be used daily to help you
stick to your goals and keep organised.
For further inspiration on how to create your bullet journal, YouTuber Lily Pebbles is known on the internet for being ‘Queen of the Bullet Journal’ and her online tutorials are great for providing some fresh ideas for how to design yours!
