Guide to Bullet Journaling …….Okay so confession time: I once bought a $35 “minimalist journal” that was supposed to completely change my life. Spoiler—it didn’t. What it did do was sit on my nightstand for three months collecting dust while I kept making to-do lists on crumpled receipts and random envelopes. But then—enter bullet journaling. The first time I heard about it, someone described it as “a planner, a diary, and a brain dump had a baby.” And honestly, that’s exactly what it feels like.
That’s why I wanted to share this beginner’s guide to bullet journaling—not the perfect Instagram version with watercolor spreads and calligraphy that looks like it was done by a monk with a steady hand, but the messy, real-person kind. Because if I can make this work (me, the girl who once color-coded her closet for a week and then gave up), literally anyone can.
Wait… what even is bullet journaling?
So picture this: your brain is a browser with 47 tabs open. One tab is “grocery list,” another is “don’t forget dentist appointment,” another is “what if raccoons could drive???” (just me?). Bullet journaling is basically closing out all those tabs and putting them into one notebook. It’s part planner, part diary, part chaos organizer.
Instead of a rigid pre-printed planner, you create your own layouts using simple bullets, symbols, and lists. Which sounds intimidating at first (I’m not exactly an artist), but the cool thing is—it can be as simple or as artsy as you want.
How I accidentally started mine
Back in 2020 (a.k.a. the year time collapsed), I tried “officially” starting a bullet journal and completely stressed myself out. I bought fancy pens, rulers, washi tape—the whole Target stationery aisle. Then I realized: oh, I don’t need any of that.
My first real spread was literally just:
- Pay electric bill
- Call mom
- Remember to drink water (lol, didn’t)
And somehow that tiny page made me feel like I had my life together. It was addictive in the best way.
Bullet Journal Basics (the “rules” you can totally break)
There’s a thing called the Bullet Journal Method (created by Ryder Carroll—yes, there’s an official dude behind it), but here’s the pared-down, lazy-girl version:
- Index – Fancy word for “table of contents.” Write down what’s in your journal so you don’t lose track. Or don’t. I never do.
- Future log – Like a yearly calendar but made of doodles and scribbles. Birthdays, holidays, random trips.
- Monthly log – Your month on a page. A big overview.
- Daily log – This is the meat. To-dos, notes, random thoughts.
- Rapid logging – Just quick bullet points. Tasks (•), events (o), notes (–). You mark them with little symbols so they don’t all blend together.
And that’s it. Really. You can get fancier with habit trackers, mood logs, vision boards, but at its core, it’s just a notebook you boss around.
But like… why bother?
Fair. That’s what I asked too. I mean, you could just use your phone, right? But here’s what I found:
- Writing stuff down feels… calmer. Like getting things out of my brain and onto paper is basically free therapy.
- Crossing things off physically? Chef’s kiss.
- It’s flexible. Forgot to use it for three weeks? Cool, just open it up again. No wasted pages, no guilt.
- It weirdly makes life more fun. (One time I tracked “days I drank coffee after 4pm” and discovered I was my own worst enemy.)
The “Beginner Struggles” No One Talks About
Here’s where I keep it real, because if you Google bullet journaling right now you’ll get perfect Pinterest spreads that look like art exhibits. Real talk:
- Ugly pages happen. I once drew a crooked line so bad it looked like a drunk squirrel made it. Kept it anyway.
- You’ll forget about it. Everyone does. Mine spent a month under my couch once.
- Comparing kills joy. Don’t scroll Instagram spreads unless you want to cry about your stick figures.
The journal police are not coming. Messy works.
My Favorite Starter Ideas
If you’re brand new, here’s what actually helped me stick with it:
- Simple to-do lists. Don’t overthink. Write what you need to do, cross it off, move on.
- Gratitude dump. One line a day of something that didn’t suck.
- Habit tracker. Make a grid. Color a square when you do the thing (drink water, workout, avoid doomscrolling). Feels like a video game for your life.
- Brain dump pages. Anything goes. Grocery lists, doodles, “things I would name my future dog.”
- Weekly highlights. Even if it’s dumb stuff. (“Bought strawberries that didn’t go moldy in 2 days.” Big win.)
The Supplies Rabbit Hole (and how to avoid it)
Okay so yes, you can spend a small fortune on supplies. Brush pens, stencils, stickers, the whole nine. But do you need them? Nope. Here’s what you actually need:
- A notebook. Any will do. Lined, dotted, blank, whatever.
- A pen. Seriously, just one. (Though I have a graveyard of half-dead gel pens, so do with that what you will.)
If you want the extras, sure, go wild. Washi tape is fun. Mildliners are addictive. But you don’t need to wait until you have the perfect supplies. Start now with whatever’s in your junk drawer.
My Weirdest Pages
Honestly, the best part of bullet journaling is how personal it becomes. I once made a page called “Things I Regret Buying” and listed everything from a bread maker (used twice) to neon biker shorts (don’t ask). Another time I made a page of all the restaurants in my town I still hadn’t tried. That page became my date night guide.
The weirder, the better.
Quick Tips for Beginners: Guide to Bullet Journaling
- Don’t overcomplicate. Keep your first few pages stupid simple.
- Make it visible. Leave your journal out where you’ll see it. Mine lives on my desk under my coffee mug.
- Forgive blank pages. Life happens. Skip ahead.
- Remember: it’s for YOU. Not Instagram. Not your mom. Not that one friend who still has perfect handwriting.
Wrapping Up about Guide to Bullet Journaling
So yeah, that’s bullet journaling. Or at least, my version of it. Messy, scribbled, imperfect—but honestly life-changing in a way I didn’t expect. It’s like giving yourself a space where chaos is allowed, but somehow still makes sense.
And if you ever get stuck? Just write “eat tacos” on your to-do list, check it off immediately, and boom—you’re officially a bullet journaler.
