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Meet the Queen of Planners: The Bullet Journal!
New year, new beginnings – as the saying goes. January is here again, and we step into 2020 feeling fresh and renewed. Many people make New Year’s resolutions or simply set new goals for themselves.
Planners play a significant role in organizing our lives and daily tasks, helping us keep track of our to-dos. The Bullet Journal, or BuJo for short, is a favorite here at Y Generation Student Union. This week’s post is all about it!
The History of the Bullet Journal
The Bullet Journal is a fully customizable planning method that combines a planner, to-do list, notebook, and diary. The most exciting aspect is that you can tailor it to your taste: while there are fixed rules and components to consider, your creativity is the only limit. The original Bullet Journal was created by New York product designer Ryder Carroll, who likely had no idea that he was launching a product that would conquer the world.
What Do You Need?
All you need is an empty notebook and a few pens or markers. If you have good hand skills and are no longer a newbie in the Bullet Journal universe, you can use special glitter pens, stickers, colored ribbons, pressed leaves, and seeds. Of course, you can also buy a “store-bought” planner: these are usually dotted and hard-covered, but you still need to fill in the pages.
Structure
It’s a good idea to leave several blank pages for the index or table of contents, so you have room to expand if you add new sections to your journal. Also, assign unique symbols to each topic: e.g., a heart for your relationship, a star for your well-being, an arrow for your job, and so on. Spend some time setting up your system because a well-organized planner is easy to navigate and quickly reference. It’s essential to number the pages from the beginning so you can easily find important information later.
Typically, the index is followed by a simple yearly calendar where you can note birthdays, name days, anniversaries, trips, and vacations. The monthly calendar should have the calendar on the left side and your monthly goals and tasks on the right. The daily to-do list (and diary) includes all your notes and tasks for each day. Since the Bullet Journal also functions as a diary, feel free to jot down anything you want your “future self” to remember; note your feelings, and significant events that happened to you. Many people also track their expenses and income, daily water intake, and mood with a Bullet Journal.
How to Use It?
- Morning: Review your daily tasks and plan your day!
- During the day: Write down any thoughts or extra tasks under the current date!
- Evening: Summarize what happened with a few keywords if you also want to use your BuJo as a diary!
- Review: Check the day’s entries: Did you accomplish everything you wanted? Did new tasks come up? Schedule these for another date!
Important Tips:
Instagram and Pinterest offer numerous inspirations and decoration ideas that can turn your planner into a real work of art. Completing a month in your own BuJo will undoubtedly fill you with satisfaction and pride, but never lose sight of the planner’s original purpose: to help organize your daily life clearly and efficiently. It’s fine to aim for the most creative planner, but don’t let aesthetics overshadow functionality.
