With the chaos of assignments, tests, sports, work, and other activities, students and adults alike often crave a tool to help keep themselves organized. While many reach for planners, a new twist on such organizational tools is called bullet journaling.
Bullet journals got their name due to the significance of bullets, which are often used to create lists of high importance. The basic idea of a bullet journal is quite similar to a planner, however, the user gets full customization of what they would like to include in their planners.
Bullet journals start off as a blank notebook or sketchbook, then the journaler decides on a certain page layout or spread they would like to create. Common ones include a monthly or a weekly spread, where one creates a mini calendar for the entire month and then some weekly calendars for the following weeks to reach a deeper organization.
Another uncommon tool many bullet journalers use is mood or habit trackers, where one can record how they felt or how they’ve kept up with their good habits in a day or week.
Abbie Andorf, a current senior, said “Personally, I don’t think I could ever bullet journal. They’re pretty and I get why people do them, but for me I would be too stressed out by trying to make it perfect.”
However, bullet journaling offers various pros. It allows the user to decide what they would like to achieve in terms of organization level and what kind of layout they believe to suit them best. For those who don’t keep up with their planners often, it also allows them to come back and utilize the journal whenever they need to instead of skipping various blank pages. Lastly, though it may seem like it’s time-consuming, many find bullet journalling to be relaxing and a good destresser.
Mackenzie Schmidt, a beginner to bullet journaling and current senior, stated, “I first saw it on Pinterest and thought it seemed like a very cool way to express yourself and allow your creative side to flourish. I’ve found that it helps me relax, so when I’m stressed I just doodle in it and come up with ideas for new pages.”
You don’t need many materials to start your own bullet journal. Simply find a blank notebook and some colorful pens, look up some inspiration on Pinterest or Instagram, and you’re all set. There is a large community of bullet journalers across social media platforms, many even offering their own templates. A bullet journal offers the idea to turn into your planner into something more, whether it be a travel diary, personal goal charts or whatever you see fit.
