How to start a bullet journal (step-by-step method)

When it comes to planners, bullet journal is the buzzword these days.

THE PAGES YOU NEED

The following are the pages you need to start a bullet journal.

1. Index

2. Key

3. Future log

4. Monthly log

5. Weekly log/Daily log

6. Collections
INDEX

Bullet journal is a very flexible system that you can tweak to your needs. Its
possibilities are endless and it becomes what you want.

The beauty of a bullet journal is you can write in it whenever you want. Even if
you don’t write on some days you don’t have to leave the pages blank, unlike
other planners.

So you definitely need an index to keep tabs on the pages you write.

Leave the first four pages (that fall side by side) for the index.

When using a bullet journal it is better to get used to writing each page’s topic
(heading) and page number first. And immediately add it to the index before
making an entry.
FUTURE LOG

You can use the next two pages for the future log. Write “Future log” on top of the
page.

A future log is a place to write down your events, tasks, and goals for the next six
months. It helps to have a quick glance at the upcoming events in the future log.

Divide each page into 3 equal parts by drawing horizontal lines. Write down the
names of the months in each column. Add your entries.

You can note down birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, vacation trips etc.

I also have a page called “Year at a glance” to note down the past events which
are important for me.

Like the day I went on some trip, the day I visited someone, milestones of my
kids or career etc.
MONTHLY LOG

Next, we create the monthly log. Take two pages that fall side by side. One page
is for calendar and the second one for monthly tasks.

Write the name of the month on top of the first page. Write the days of the month
(1, 2, 3….30/31) downwards. You can write the starting letter of the
corresponding day of the week next to each date, like in the picture.

Now you can write the month’s events and appointments corresponding to each
date in the calendar page.

The second page is for monthly tasks and goals. You can draw two columns with
headings ‘Tasks’ and ‘Goals’. This is where you write what you want to achieve
that particular month.

I write my goals in all areas here. Like relationship goals, goals for my blog,
spiritual goals, health goals, parenting goals, self-care etc.

It gives an idea of how my month is going to be (or should be).

After each month I do a monthly review and evaluate how much I did accomplish.
And set new goals for the next month and migrate tasks (if any) to the next
month.
WEEKLY LOG/ DAILY LOG

Some of the bullet journal doesn’t have a weekly log. But a lot of bullet journal
enthusiasts have it. It depends upon your needs. If you have a lot of tasks,
meetings, and appointments to take care of, you need a daily log.

You can also have both logs if you have a busy week. Write the important tasks
in advance in a weekly log, and elaborate all the mini-tasks that come under
each important task in the daily log. If you are using both logs, you can do a
“brain dump” by writing all the events in advance in the weekly log. And each day
you can expand each task in the daily log. This way, you don’t miss anything.

If your days are mostly the same or if you don’t want to enter every task you do
into a bullet journal you can go for a weekly log.

I mean, come on, you do many of the chores out of habit. You don’t need a
reminder for every task.

On some weeks, I use only weekly logs. But sometimes, I make daily logs as
well.

I usually draw a weekly spread in advance between every Friday and Saturday. I
write down all those tasks that need to be done on specific days and additional
tasks if any, goes to the spread each day.

It helps me to dump my thoughts “off my head” and visualize my week in

advance.

I usually plan the night before. But even then, weekly spreads are enough for me
to write down the tasks. This is an example of a weekly log.
In a daily log, you write each day’s tasks as you go. If you have to juggle lots of
things at home and work, you can plan accordingly in your journal. You can
separate work and personal/home into two columns and add respective entries.

To create a daily log, take a fresh page and write down the date as the heading,
and add your entries.

The daily log gives you the freedom to take more space if you want, for busier
days. If you do not record daily it’s better if you keep a daily log rather than a
weekly log, as you will be leaving blank spaces in the weekly log.

It is okay even if you don’t record in your journal daily. You can pick back up
where you left off without feeling guilty of leaving blank pages.

That’s why people love bullet journal, because of the flexibility it offers.