If you spend any ounce on social media these days, you know that the current trend is bullet journaling. For those of you, like me, who enjoy minimalistic vibes, this might be your thing.
After seeing this trend across everywhere from Pinterest to YouTube, I decided to try it out. One of the things that I struggle with on a regular basis is staying organized. Another is forming positive habits. I did a little research in the wonderful world of Pinterest on ways I can ease into the bullet journaling lifestyle. I’m really not an all or nothing person, so I decided to start with one or two things, to peak my interest, and then, if I could stick with it.
Here is how I did with my first month or so just dipping my toe into the world of bullet journaling.
To start off slow, I decided to do 3 things (one of which I was kinda/sorta already doing.)
1. Keep my weekly agenda/monthly calendar up to date.
2. Track the progress I was making on habits I am trying to form.
3. Track my days emotionally.
So, If I am totally honest, I got up to a rough start. The first 4 days of the project, I went on a roadtrip and completely forgot my planner/journal…smooth move Exlax. I learned very quickly what worked for me and what I liked and disliked about bullet journaling.
The first thing that I learned is that while bullet journaling is a great way for some people to have all of their calendars, lists and journaling in one place, it was not exactly practical for me. I am someone who already uses a calendar, so it was more work for me to draw up my own into a journal than it was for me to just use my own planner that I already have. Also, tracking my emotions was just way too much…how do you choose one emotion to encompass your entire day? I can see, though, how these both would be great for some people. I’m just not necessarily feeling the same thing in the afternoon as I was in the morning or will feel in the evening.
The part that I did love was the habit tracker. For this, I came up with a list of habits that I wanted to create or maintain throughout the month and track them. Sounds simple enough! Using this habit tracker gave me something to look at in the morning, as I started my day, then return to before I went to bed and have the satisfaction of checking things off. It not only encouraged me to form these habits, but also look back and see how I was doing. There are a few things on the list that are very “duh, Anna” and that I didn’t necessarily put on the list to form, but also to make sure that I could keep track of my schedule (like washing my hair. That’s not a habit I struggle with). However, there were habits that I really did want to get back under control, like exercising, making my bed and not eating out. Obviously from the picture you can see that I still need to work on some of these things, but it is very useful to see the visual. If I’m having a crummy day, I can look back on the habit tracker and usually see that I have either A) not exercised in a few days or B) eaten out 2 or 3 days in a row. It really is helpful!
I want to encourage you, if you are starting or currently have a bullet journal to add this to one of the pages! It has been a great addition to my daily journaling routine – if anything, it has helped me feel more organized!
As I have found the habit tracker very useful and gotten into the habit (haha) of using it, I would like to introduce some more bullet journal-esque things into my daily journaling. I would love your help with this! What are some things that you have in your bullet journal? Please help this beginner out!
Hot Mess Blonde 