MY BULLET JOURNAL 2017 LAYOUT and Why You Need to Have One

I've always been an organized person. As a teenager, I kept a few notebooks in which I'd write my to-do-lists. During university, I discovered Filofax which I used for almost a decade after which I was ready to try something new and exciting. I thought I'd write about the Bullet Journal system that I learned about and have been using myself this year.

It was last March when I randomly stumbled upon BohoBerry's blog and ended up spending a few hours watching videos of her filling out her Bullet Journal. It transformed the way I organize my projects, ideas, and lists. Let me tell you how amazing this system is and why you should try it. First of all, it's absolutely personable and it can be whatever you want it to be: a sketchbook, diary, project manager, dream log, motivator, organizer, and the list goes on. It was invented by Ryder Carroll who wanted to create a basic, easy to use journal. Ryder's website has the best explanation of the system basics that you can find online.

I'd recommend to start with Ryder's basic journal, use it for a few months, and see if you want to tweak it to your needs. Do not be intimidated with all the beautiful spreads, logs, and complicated layouts; you can choose how to make your Bullet Journal personal and change it to fit your needs. I prefer to get things done quickly and can't imagine myself decorating my planner with washi tape, embellish with doodling, etc although sometimes I'd use some drawings or use calligraphy in headings (I'm still working on my handwriting though so it's not always pretty;). Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy and appreciate some beautiful planner pages that I see online, but I always wonder how people find the time to do this and whether they plan to plan their planner pages? That's being said I prefer convenience and structure over decorations. But let's get started, shall we?

My Bullet Journal

Last year I've been using Leuchtturm1917 Medium Hardcover Dotted  and this year I'm going with my favorite yellow color. I'll write another post about how to pick a good journal, but take my word, for now, Leuchtturm1917 is one of the best available options.

You'll also need a pen. Faber-Castell Artist Pens in different sizes are my favorite. 

The Index

This is the first page of your bullet journal and basically is your table of contents-lists and collections. Just simply record the topic and page number.

Future Planning

A Year at a Glance page is easy to make and is a great cheat sheet throughout a year.

I keep it for Birthdays, Holidays and Anniversaries. For my Future Log, I used 4 pages and chose this square layout that worked great for me last year. It also gives you the option of adding important events throughout a year.

Goal Planning for 2017

Here's my annual goal planning layout. I'm still working on filling it out and can't wait to see how it's going to turn out. 

Collections and Topics

It's basically categorized to-do-lists and objectives and could literally be anything you want. The ideas are countless and tailored to your needs. But don't rush into creating tons of different spreads. Take the time to build your own personalized planning system and meaningful collections will populate over time from your daily routine.

Monthly Pages

Events scheduled in the Future Log get migrated here at the beginning of the month. A monthly log is very important since you can manage review and edit your actions towards your goals. At the end of the month, I take a look at my goals and decide if they are completed, need adjustment or become irrelevant. 

Gratitude Log is a new thing for me. It will be my first month to use it. After all, it's not a bad idea to put down on paper what you are grateful for in life. Gratitude will bring us happiness 😉 I'll let you know how it worked for me.

Weekly and Daily Pages

This is a layout for my regular weekly spread. I just recently started using it and I'm sure it will get modified multiple times from this layout, but so far it works for me. In monthly and daily spreads you simply record your scheduled events and weekly/daily tasks to do. 

My favorite thing about this system is adaptability. You can change the way you use it at any time and not be limited to the possibilities a standard layout offers. I hope this post will inspire you to try this system and be productive in 2017!

Now your turn! Have you tried a bullet journal system? Did it help you to keep your projects organized?

xo,

April