Review of The Bullet Journal

This blog post is a twofer! A review of both the book and the method related to the organizational phenomenon of bullet journal or "bujo".

Surprisingly the way I first hear about the Bullet Journal System was when I bought my first Leuchtturm 1917 notebook. Lechtturm 1917 company has a notebook that specifically mentioned bullet journals. So I checked out the website and various reviews.

 It's one of those productivity modules that appealed to me as it starts with the basic notebook and pen. Which--check. I like writing things out longhand. I like notebooks. I like the whole process. I also really love lists. (You can check out my ode to the to-do list here).

Bullet Journal seemed like the combination of those two loves along with the requisite anecdotes of being able to get your life in order. The website for bullet journal method may be found here: https://www.bulletjournal.com/.

Index

The basic premise of the method is to have a notebook and pen. Using said pen, you first create an index. Within the index, you then record the pages and titles of the things you want to keep track of within the notebook. The method also advocates setting up monthly logs along wit daily logs.

If your chose notebook doesn't have numbered pages, put on that next podcast episode and number the pages yourself. You don't need a fancy notebook or specialized one. The one I'm using right now is a400-page beaut of a Moleskin. I do use fancy-colored markers and pens because that's one of my simple joys.

A month's snapshot!

Suffice to say I was incorporating pieces of the system into my life and decided to read the book. The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future by Ryder Carroll is a good read. It's also well set up to jump to different sections that might interest a reader or if someone wants a quick refresh on a section.

It's definitely suited to someone trying to figure out the best way to approach a new project or challenge in their life. Perfectly suited for a read before making a New Years' resolution. The reason I say this is that Carroll takes the reader through both his method of tracking and planning but also goal setting.

The all important Collection

Others may be familiar with the techniques he talked about. I found the exercises helpful and grounding. They were excellent ways to frame my own goals and set priorities. With a more formal understanding of the method underway, I've tried the month snapshots--and I've fully embraced the adapted week schedule.

I need my week planned out. I do less the daily log so much as the daily end. It's helped keep me on track with journaling and listing out gratitude as well. Each week, I also try to write down a quick list of the events that I want to remember.

The Weekly Spread

All in all--if you're feeling stuck or uninspired, you can check out very talented people's "bujo" on social media. You can also check out Carroll's website for the basics. I've also peppered this post with images from my own attempts. The book is great to understand the building blocks, along with the why, and also ways to approach your time. The whole may not be for everyone (me!) but I have to agree with Caroll's claim--there's probably something that will resonate with you.