How to Start a Bullet Journal and Actually Stick With It

From chaotic WFH schedules to long-forgotten goals buried under sticky notes, there’s never been a better time to get your life together on paper. Enter: the bullet journal, a deceptively simple notebook system that promises to declutter your mind, track your habits, and keep everything from grocery lists to big dreams in one place.

Designed as a customizable organization tool, a bullet journal (or BuJo) is more than a to-do list it’s part planner, part journal, part accountability coach. Whether you want to manage your week or map out your next five years, this minimalist method has something to offer.

What Is Bullet Journaling Good For?

In short: everything. From budgeting to mental health tracking, bullet journaling can help you:

• Organize tasks and appointments

• Track fitness or nutrition goals

• Record your thoughts and reflections

• Stay accountable to habits

• Plan long-term projects

• Capture gratitude, book lists, or creative ideas

According to its creator, Ryder Carroll, bullet journaling is “a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system.” It’s both structured and freeform, letting you mold it to fit your lifestyle not the other way around.

Start With the Right Mindset

Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. You don’t need flawless handwriting or fancy markers. Your bullet journal is here to serve you, not impress Instagram. It’s okay to keep it simple, messy, or minimalist function beats form every time.

Tools to Get Started

• Notebook: Choose one that’s durable, portable, and feels good to write in. Dotted pages are popular because they offer structure without rigidity. Favorites include Leuchtturm1917, Moleskine, and Scribbles That Matter.

• Pens/Markers: Use anything that doesn’t bleed through pages. Some people love using color-coded systems with felt-tip markers, while others stick to simple black ink.

• Optional Extras: Washi tape, stencils, and stickers for those who enjoy visual creativity.

Learn the Lingo

• Spreads: Two-page layouts dedicated to a single topic (like a habit tracker or a budget).

• Rapid Logging: A shorthand notation system using bullets, circles, and dashes for tasks, events, and notes.

• Collections: Groups of related entries like a reading list or vacation plan that live outside your daily entries.

• Trackers: Tools to monitor habits, moods, sleep, workouts, or anything else important to you.

Basic Bullet Journal Structure

Here’s the standard framework to get started:

1. Index: Acts like a table of contents. Number your pages and log each new entry here.

2. Future Log: A 6–12 month overview for big dates or goals.

3. Monthly Log: One page with the month’s calendar; the other with tasks and priorities.

4. Daily Logs: Your day-to-day entries where you list tasks, notes, and events.

5. Custom Collections: Any themed lists or goals think “Books to Read” or “Meal Ideas.”

Your Bullet Key (Symbols)

While you can make your own, here are the classic BuJo symbols:

• • Task

• ○ Event

• — Note

• ✦ Priority

• Migrated task (moved to a future page)

• <Scheduled for later (added to Future Log)

How Migration Works

At the end of each month, go through your daily entries. Mark completed tasks with an X, cross out what’s no longer relevant, and migrate the rest. Decide whether a task needs attention in the upcoming month or should be moved further into the future.

This monthly reflection process is what makes bullet journaling different. It forces you to evaluate priorities, drop what doesn’t matter, and realign with what does.

Custom Collections to Try

• Self-care rituals

• Travel packing list

• Gratitude log

• Workout planner

• Monthly budget

• Project milestones

• Dream tracker

Tips to Keep It Going

• Make it a ritual: Set a time each morning or evening to update your journal.

• Start small: Don’t feel pressure to fill every spread at once.

• Be flexible: You’re allowed to skip a day or a week and come back.

• Find community: Check out the #bulletjournal tag on Instagram or join a BuJo Facebook group for inspiration.

• Don’t be afraid to mess up: If you don’t like a page? Flip the next one and start fresh.

The Bottom Line

A bullet journal isn’t about doing more it’s about doing better. It’s your space to untangle thoughts, capture life’s details, and refocus with intention. Whether you use it for tracking, planning, or personal growth, the key is consistency and self-compassion.

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