Bullet Journaling: What is it and Why Should You Try It?

Whether you’re thinking about a new diary for 2021, or are simply frustrated with your existing (dis)organisational system, searching for a new planning system can be overwhelming.

There are hundreds of options available — some with accompanying planning systems, some designed for specific users (ie: authors, business owners, busy mums), and some more focused on aesthetics than organisation.

If, like many, you find yourself switching your tools up frequently, still searching for that perfect system, you might want to try creating one of your own, via a system called bullet journaling. 

What is bullet journaling?

A bullet journal is the love child of a traditional journal and a planner. It’s a method of organising handwritten notes, thoughts, and ideas as well as planning for and recording daily tasks. 

The method was developed by Ryder Carroll and is described, in depth, on his website and in his book The Bullet Journal Method. 

In its simplest form, bullet journaling is a system of capturing and tracking what you do and think each day in the form of bulleted lists. Carroll also says, “The Bullet Journal method is a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system.” And many people use it as a way to organise their daily tasks, thoughts, notes, and events in a more mindful way. 

However, it has grown to encompass much more than that. Some people draw in and decorate their bullet journals until they are true works of art. Some create complex spreads and trackers in their bullet journals. And some keep to the most simplistic form. 

The most important thing to remember is that there is no wrong way to keep a bullet journal. The method is infinitely adaptable and delightfully open to experimentation. 

How to start bullet journaling

The only supplies you need to start bullet journaling are a journal or notebook of some sort and your favourite writing instrument. 

The first step is to understand the language of the method.

Rapid logging is what Carroll calls the way bullet journal entries are written. Rather than long, complete sentences and paragraphs, bullet journals rely on short sentences or phrases in a bulleted list. 

Bullets are symbols used to visually categorise each entry. The basic symbols include:

• for tasks

- for notes

○ for events

X for a completed task

> for a postponed task

< for a task scheduled for the future

You might also include signifiers to help emphasise certain lines, including

* for priority tasks

! for inspiration

Each entry in the bullet journal starts with a line for the topic that describes the page’s purpose, usually the date of the entry. Then you simply log your thoughts, tasks, and activities over the course of the day.

That is the heart of the bullet journal system, but other things can be added. For example, you might have a page for the current month, listing out events that are already scheduled, or a similar page for the current week. Carroll suggests including an index so that you can rapidly find important information later. 

You might also create other pages for things you want to personally track, like projects you have in progress, a food log, a habits tracker, a reading log, a list of films you want to see, a list of gifts to buy or cards to send. Do a simple google search and you’ll see, the possibilities are quite literally endless.

Why keep a bullet journal?

Why adopt this system for yourself?

There are quite a few reasons:

You need a customisable system.

Probably the most common reason people cite for starting a bullet journal is that they were tired of searching for planners, journals, and diaries that met all their needs. People who like to use paper and pen to organise their lives are often constantly on the lookout for the “perfect” planner, and they may rely on several different journals to meet the different needs in different areas of their lives.

A bullet journal is completely and totally customisable, and the method encourages users to keep all their projects and thoughts in one place.

You want a place to collect all your notes and thoughts.

If you are the type of person who ends up with piles of Post-it notes, thoughts scribbled on the backs of envelopes and napkins, and important information jotted on receipts, a bullet journal could be the perfect place to collect everything. All you have to do is remember to reach for your journal instead of the nearest scrap, and suddenly you are that much more organised.

You love pen and paper planning.

An entire community has sprung up around curating and choosing the “best” supplies for bullet journaling, including the perfect notebooks, pens, highlighters, and accessories. If you are a lover of stationery, this could be a wonderful way for you to get your fix. (See our recommended supplies below.)

You want to keep a daily journal, but struggle to be consistent.

One of the nicest things about bullet journaling is that it’s fast and easy. There’s no pressure to write three pages of words about your day, or get any more introspective than jotting down a single phrase. In fact, in its purest form, bullet journaling would treat an entry like “take out the garbage” the same as “Prince Charles’ birthday.” 

Yet you still reap the benefits of handwriting information (which many studies have shown helps with memory retention) as well as the mindfulness practice of taking a few moments to record thoughts and events each day.

My favourite bullet journaling supplies

With bullet journaling, the most important thing is to get started, so feel free to start with any journal you have. But if you’d like to start with something new, here is a list of my favourite bullet journaling supplies:

Journal: Leuchtturm Brand

My favourite journal by far for bullet journalling is the Leuchtturm range. These journals are hardback and come in a lot of sizes and colours. For bullet journaling, I prefer the dot grid printed on the paper. It did take me a minute to get used to dot grid but now there’s no going back!

I like that this journal opens flat, no matter which page you’re writing on and the pages are already numbered. It has thick paper that doesn’t show “ghosting” of writing on the reverse side. The A5 range is a comfortable size for carrying and daily use. And the journals are well made and hard wearing, so that they won’t fall apart with daily use. 

Pencil: The Blackwing 

The Blackwing pencil is a luxury writing experience — and if you think every pencil is alike, you’ve never tried a great one. There’s a Blackwing grade for every kind of writing preference and for me I like the soft core for it’s smooth, dark writing ability. 

Pen: 

If you don’t already have a favourite pen, give the Uni-ball Gel Pens a try, for less than $10 you get a whole lot of pen for your money. Self-described pen nerds also like and the Esterbrook fountain pen range. 

Of course, if you get into the artistic aspects of bullet journaling, you may want to also include your favourite coloured pens and pencils, highlighters, washi tape, stickers, and other accessories, but this is a good place to start.