Bullet Journal
The planning tool increases your productivity and mindfulness
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Appointment calendar, to-do list and diary in one? This is possible with a bullet journal. GALA tells you how you can integrate the planning system into your everyday life and benefit from it.
In a society where as many tasks as possible need to be completed as quickly as possible, it is not only difficult to stay mentally healthy, but also impossible to keep track of things. The bullet journal is intended to help you stay on track while not forgetting your personal needs. Thats how it works.
What is a Bullet Journal?
The Bullet Journal (Bujo for short) is a special type of appointment calendar. Rather, it is a planning system that is as individual as we humans are. The Bullet Journal was developed by the New York graphic designer Ryder Carroll with the ulterior motive of finding a solution to this. to work more focused and goal-oriented and to live. It’s not about checking off one to-do after the next, but rather putting the chaos in your head on paper and setting realistic goals without putting your own needs aside.
Bullet Journal Method: How does it work?
The bullet journal method is characterized by being clear and uncomplicated. In addition to various categories, which we will mention in more detail in the course of the article, everything revolves around the eponymous “bullets” (from English bullet points). So we only work with short sentences and keywords. The legend then looks like this:
- Tasks or to-dos get a classic one Bullet Point (•). Once the task is completed, it becomes a “x”. If the to-do is postponed to the next day, it gets one Arrow (>).
- Events get one Circle. Once these are finished, the circle becomes one Hook.
- notes become bullet points (-) preceded.
How is a bullet journal structured?
Basically, it’s very easy to set up because there aren’t many rules. Ryder Carroll has only provided a few elements for the bullet journal that give the notebook a structure but do not necessarily have to be used.
- Index: The index forms the table of contents of your bullet journal. You should keep the first four to six pages of your notebook free for this. At best, you should start with a pencil so that the index remains changeable. Always add your topics first and then the page numbers so that nothing gets mixed up.
- Legend: After the index, the legend comes into play. Plan about one to two pages for this. The legend is used to adhere to the bullet journal method. Which symbol is responsible for which topic? Here you can work not only with different symbols, but also with different colors.
- Future Log (Annual overview): If you like, you can include an annual overview in the bullet journal. There you can see all birthdays, holidays and other dates at a glance. You can print out small calendar overviews for the individual months and stick them in or draw them yourself. If that’s too much for you, there are actually small calendar stickers as tabs. Be sure to leave some space for additions.
- Daily Log (Daily overview): Now we get into the details. What’s on that day? You can decide individually whether you want to plan one page per day or one double page per week. The possibilities are diverse.
- Tracker: If necessary, you can also create so-called trackers, for example on the last pages of your bullet journal. Habits and sensitivities can be documented here (e.g. sleep tracker, sport tracker, food tracker, mental health tracker).
- Collections: To collect memories and train mindfulness, you can leave a page blank after each week and fill it with memories. Has anyone complimented you in the past week? Have you heard a song that you can’t get out of your head? Even the concert ticket or pictures from the photo booth can be found here – as well as other inspiration or words that touched you that week.
What do you need for a bullet journal?
Which materials are needed depends on your personal preferences. If you want to let off steam creatively, you can work with different colors and pens. Others like it more simple and only use a ballpoint pen and notebook. There is inspiration here:
How do you start a bullet journal?
Before you start your bullet journal, you should consider: what you want to use the planning system for. Do you want to manage your entire family’s schedule, use the bullet journal only for private tasks, or do you also want to add professional to-dos? There is also the option to use empty notebooks or Calendars that already contain pre-printed pages for a bujo, to grab. Answering these questions can give you an initial orientation and filter out which direction you should go. If you’re not sure yet, you can initially fill the bujo with a pencil to allow for changes. Do not forget: The bullet journal is characterized by change. By transforming an empty notebook into a notebook full of memories and through your personal transformation into a mindful person.
Is the bullet journal better than a traditional planner?
You have to find out for yourself whether the bullet journal works better for you than a traditional planner. The bujo at least has the advantage that it covers every area of life. So it’s not just about stubbornly entering appointments, but also about Personality development. It also offers the opportunity to move life away from the monitor and back onto paper. This increases cognitive abilities. Below you will find many other advantages at a glance.
Bullet Journal: These are the advantages
- Provides clarity and structure
- The bujo can be individually designed
- Helps you work with concentration without being distracted by messages and emails
- Trains mindfulness
- Promotes creativity
- Increases productivity
- Regardless of time and place, as it works without a cell phone, laptop or internet