Lately, I’ve been very disorganized. Days go by in a blur without accomplishing much. The previous trial descending into social media certainly didn’t help. In an attempt to combat this, I’m looking to a habit I’ve seen others use to organize their day, the bullet journal.
What is a Bullet Journal and Why Do It?
A bullet journal has nothing to do with firearms, but instead it is a flexible planning system. The name comes from the use of a dotted grid across paper instead of the conventional horizontal lines.
There is an official system created by Ryder Carroll with it’s own book. However, the beauty in the system is that it is fully customizable. If there is something that feels unnecessary or missing, an individual’s journal can serve their specific needs. After all, the journal is really just a bunch of dots on a page.
The journal consists largely of sections for a given day. Within that section the plans for the day are declared. It can also serve as a tracker in a variety of ways: habits, mood, and energy to name a few.
The past few weeks, I’ve had a few days go by feeling unaccomplished and still somehow tired. By introducing the planning process of the bullet journal, I hope to give myself direction and purpose each day, even if that purpose is to take time to properly rest. Building the skeleton of a structured day can help make the time needed for relaxation.
A practice at my day job that started a few months ago has been to send a plan for the day to managers. I think it helps to declare some intent for a given day, even if the unexpected derails plans completely. Applying this to my day-to-day life may very well prove more unpredictable, but I think planning and recording the accomplishments of the day will benefit not only the day ahead but also my weekly review session.
The Progress So Far
While taking a few minutes in the morning sounds like a simple introduction to a morning routine, it’s been somewhat difficult to build the habit thus far and I have admittedly missed a couple of days already. I’m trying to find a good way to build it off another existing habit, like getting coffee or the aforementioned work email, but my mornings typically consist of waking up and getting hands on in work right away.
For a while now, I’ve also used my white board for jotting down some tasks for a day or week. Doing this makes it easy to pick out a to-do when I think of them, but lacks the intentionality of the bullet journal.
I use some of the elements of the official bullet journal method as described by its creator, but I also lean more heavily on another similar system created by CGP Grey that he calls the Theme Journal. I really like the theme element as it helps provide direction for another piece from the journal, the one true to-do, as I’ll call it. It is the true priority of the day. The one thing that should be completed before the day ends.
One other difference I have is that I’m using a general notes app called Squid Ink for this. I didn’t want to buy a book and have to write things in ink while I’m figuring out the style I want to go with. Also, I bring my tablet with me pretty much wherever I go so it’s always with me. I see the benefits of a physical book for this, and perhaps will even try that out in the future. For now, I’m sticking with the app.
Trying Out Before Buying In 