Plan your way from zero to hero!: What is a Bullet Journal?

Journaling can change your life. Staying abreast of your to-do list and marking off your habits can take you from a zero to an achievement hero!

My go-to journal is a Passion Planner, but first off, let’s look at what a bullet journal is so you can find the system that works for you.

Bullet Journaling has been hot for quite a while now. If you haven’t heard of it, then you’re not alone. But the planner and organiser communities have taken hold of it and are giving it a good workout!

If to-do lists and being productive are your life, then read on.

Those who have a passion for getting things done typically have a list of items that they want to achieve daily – whether they’re habits or progress tasks, then keeping track of these is of primary importance. This is especially true if you have your own thriving business. We all have so much to do.

Keeping track of all these tasks can be a full-time job! If you’ve got a team to manage, plus you’ve got all your own work to do, then you need a robust system to take the strain. Holding all this information in your head isn’t productive and can be exhausting!

Enter the bullet journal—a simple way to track your tasks and what you need to do in one notebook.

The key of the bullet journal

The key is typically found on the first page and will help you stay on track with how your bullet journal works.

Index

The index page is like the contents page of a book. You’ll write down which pages of your notebook contain specific information.

Calendar

This part contains the structure so that you can make your daily entries

Lists or collections in bullet journals

Finally, there are the lists of what you want to keep tabs on. For example, you can list out the books you want to read, the courses you want to do, or the clients you wish to contact this week.

How the bullet journal works

Running a bullet journal can be as simple as you want it to be. Most people will have just two pages set aside to write out your key and your index pages. Next, you’ll create a monthly page to record selected dates and times such as birthdays, appointments, events etc.

Many people prefer to write out 1 to 31 on the page, a number for each date, then write down an appointment as they come up. At the same time, others like to create a more traditional grid for the month that flows over two pages. I recommend that you try each method to see what works for you. Once you’ve drawn out your monthly pages, go back to your index to note the page number where it is.

Now turn the page after your monthly page and write today’s date. Make a list of everything you need to handle today, including any appointments. Add your daily habits.

You may wish to refer to your key now. These are typical ways of adding a key to the bullet journal.

 The key of a bullet journal

> Task

▶ Completed Task

⇒ Migrated Task

○ Appointment

◉ Completed Appointment

◎ Migrated Appointment

★ Notes

If your task list changes, then just cross it out.

Pick out the key bullet points that make the most sense to you and add your tasks to keep track.

At the end of your day, go through your list. If specific tasks have not been completed, either cross them off or move them to the next day. You can always tackle jobs the next day or so, be sure you don’t leave it off your new list, or it will get lost.

We’re going to get deeper into how to make the best of using a bullet journal and how you can get started and use it to be your most productive.