The Beginners Guide To Bullet Journaling With These Easy Steps

If you have heard of bullet journaling but don’t know what it is, how it works, or where to start, you’ve come to the right place!  Take a look at this guide to bullet journaling and get well on your way to a more productive way of recording your life! 

1. First of all, what is bullet journaling?

Bullet journaling is a way of tracking various aspects of your life in a much more productive way by recording them with the speed of a bullet. It’s a planner, notebook, journal, and anything else you may need to write all in one! Instead of having multiple books for multiple reasons, having a bullet journal allows you to look at everything in one spot. It is a system that works off of rapid logging, which is comprised of four elements:  topics, short sentences, bullet points, and numbered pages. This allows you to quickly and easily write down anything of importance. You can start with any blank journal but there are tons of other options to check out if you would rather have a bit more guidance and structure. This is a crucial part of the guide to bullet journaling.

2. What purpose do the four elements serve?

Topics: It is important to write down a topic at the top of your page before you begin writing so that you have a general sense of what the page will be about. 

Page Numbers: You should also get into the habit of numbering your pages before you begin writing as this can be used to locate important information on each page should you wish to review it in the future. 

Bullets & Short Sentences: You can’t have a bullet journal without actually using some (bullet points, that is). Combining certain bullets with short sentences is what makes bullet journaling so magical! You simply write whatever it is that you need to get down, whenever you need to get it down, and assign a specific bullet point that corresponds to what you recorded. Your bullets act as a key to help you determine what to make of your otherwise hand-written madness. This is a crucial part of the guide to bullet journaling.

3. There are many different bullet points to help you keep track of evaery aspect of your life.

The original bullet system is pretty simple. It is broken down into three categories: tasks, events, and notes. 

Tasks in general are identified with a solid dot. As you go through your day, there are sub-categories for tasks with other symbols to help keep track of tasks that you have done and what you have yet to complete:

< = Task Scheduled (usually paired with an appointment date and time) 

X = Task Complete

> = Task Migrated (task has been moved on to another page for another time)

Events are identified with an (o). These events can be about anything that you have going on in your life, whether you got a promotion, you took a trip somewhere, a friend got married, or you adopted a dog. Try to keep things short and sweet when writing about your events with only one or two short sentences each. 

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Notes are identified with a (-). They are used to write down any additional thoughts, facts, or observations that you may have. They can be in connection with tasks or events that you have written down or they can be something that just popped into your head and wanted to record. 

Although this is the original system, many people become comfortable with creating their own bullet point system. This can allow you to devise a bullet journal that is specific to your needs. Just be sure to write whatever symbols you choose and their meanings in a key inside your journal in case you forget while journaling! This is a crucial part of the guide to bullet journaling.

4. Indicators can be used in conjunction with bullets to add more in-depth meaning.

Sometimes one bullet is not enough to fully understand why something is significant. Indicators are a great way to note that there is more to something that you have written. For instance, a star or an (*) can be placed beside a bullet to show it takes top priority. A (?) can indicate something that requires you to do further research or ask questions. A ($) can indicate that bills need to be paid or that you made a purchase. 

5. You should create an index and definitely use it.

Do you remember previously reading that numbered pages are important in bullet journaling? This is why! In the back of your bullet journal, you should create and maintain an index. This is where you will list all of the topics in your journal and all of the page numbers in which they can be found. This will make it incredibly easy for you to review past recordings should you need the information for present or future instances. Always be sure to keep it updated to maximize its usefulness. This is a crucial part of the guide to bullet journaling.

6. Logs are also useful for tracking all of your activity by date.

Logs work as the calendar portion of your bullet journal. They enable you to have a bird’s eye view of your entire journal, making them a great reference. In your logs, you can record things that you would like to see happen, things that have happened, and things that will happen. As with the index, it is a good idea to make sure you update your logs regularly! 

There you have it: everything you need to know to get started with this guide to bullet journaling! Let us know how your bullet journaling experience goes in the comments below!

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