Updated: January 26, 2023
The post on Tuesday January 11, 2022 identified many different journaling types available. One of the most versatile journaling types mentioned on Tuesday's post is the Bullet Journal.
In this article we will cover what a bullet journal is, what supplies you need to start a bullet journal, and the different sections of a bullet journal.
The following topics will be covered:
1) What is a bullet journal and what supplies are needed to get started?
2) Bullet Journal Key and Index
3) Future log of Bullet Journal
4) The major sections of Bullet Journal - Monthly, Weekly, Daily Spreads
5) Custom Bullet Journal Collections
Note: Ryder Carrol is credited with coming up with the bullet journal .
The bullet journal is a productivity system based on rapid logging with symbol keys to help you organize important events, notes, and tasks. The system used for bullet journaling is referred to as the bujo rapid logging system. The bullet journal can also be referred to as a bullet journal planner.
The keys allow you to classify tasks without spending much time writing, this makes for a quick system to get more tasks done.
You can use the bullet journal to monitor habits and activities to increase productivity, health, or anything that might interest you.
The bullet journal is a personalized and flexible planner and journal system where you can make edits and add collections to suite your life and situation.
This journaling system provides great flexibility and versatility.
The supplies you need to gets started bullet journaling are 2 items:
Bullet journal keys are the core of the bujo rapid logging systems.
The key symbols make the bullet journal fast, easy, and effective.
The value of the key symbols is that it allows you to write, track, and scan your tasks and event in a simple and effective way.
It allows you to easily and visually scan your days' tasks and get your list written quickly without losing the meaning of the bullet journal tasks.
The bullet journal system uses the following symbols:
The index is where you list your entries and their respective pages for easy finding in the future. The index is your reference or mapping that you will likely need to find at a future time.
The index is a time efficient and effective way to quickly find important information in the journal in the future. So, making the habit to fill out the index is important for you.
The index you will reference your pages as you fill them, either by following a chronological order or by clustering related pages.
For Example:
January - pages 7 - 21
February - pages 23- 27
Running log - pages 22, 28
March - pages 30 - 35
Project tasks - page 29
The future log is one of the first pages you setup.
It is considered a collection page.
The bullet journal future log gives you an overview of future months at a glance.
This is the placed to add your important long-term future events, tasks, appointments, and plans and birthdays in one (1) place. For example medium and long term vacations, school breaks, events, appointments, and family visits.
The other major sections of the Bullet Journal are the Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Spreads. We will discuss each section more in depth here.
A monthly spread is an overview of the current month at a glance. The monthly spread is simply a calendar where you add important monthly events / appointments and notes. The monthly spread is one of the first monthly pages you see along with the optional monthly cover page.
Next we discuss the Weekly spread in more detail. The weekly spread is much like the monthly spread, however, the focus is on the weeks events, appointment, etc.
The weekly log is where you have all the weekly events, appointments, and important dates in one place. You can also add the weekly bullet entries that you mark complete or add notes as you go.
The bullet journal weekly spread is one of the most important pages where you add your entries and migrate tasks.
Finally there is the bullet journal daily spread. The daily log is where you will add all of your daily activities. The daily spread is designed for day to day use just like the weekly logs are for weekly use. You will rapid log your tasks, events, notes, etc. in the daily log / journal.
You can use the bullet journal daily spread to track habits, add quotes and mantras, or simply journal.
There are many different other custom collections you can use in your bullet journal too.
Collections for the Bullet Journal are just pages or logs where you organize related information. For example, recipes, drawings or art, Blood pressure readings, etc.
Some possible Custom Collections for the Bullet Journal are:
To summarize we learned all about the bullet journal. The bullet journal is efficient, versatile and flexible. All that is needed to start a bullet journal is a notebook and a pen. There are several different sections that comprise the bullet journal. The Key and Index are very important and should be the start of the journal. A bullet journal usually includes a future log, monthly, weekly, and daily spread and could also include custom collections. And we learned the weekly spread is one of the most important sections of the bullet journal.
For journaling prompts these posts will help
Credit to https://diaryofajournalplanner.com/bullet-journal-guide/ as this site is the main source of information for this post. Much more details and/or bullet journal spread examples are available on this blog.
(C) 2022-23 jspublishing.blogspot.com
If you are thinking about starting with journaling. Here are some pointers:
1) Determine the right journaling type for you and your needs is the first step.
2) Get the right journal for you and your needs. Do you like fancy or cute journals? Or if you purchased a fancy or cute journal will you not want to use it to save it for the important stuff? Determine what journal will motivate you to make this a habit and stay with it.
3) Journaling should be a reliever of stress. So, don't stress out if you planned on doing a daily journal and you miss a day or a week. It is fine. Journal when it makes the most sense for you and your schedule. You will still get the benefits of journaling on your own timeline. And start out small. Journaling for 5 or 10 minutes will make a big impact.
4) Practice makes perfect so keep up with journaling. You will see progress over time.
Some ideas to help you get started with journaling are to write about your dreams or goals or how you feel about a situation and what you can do to work through a situation.
Journaling is extremely beneficial if you are in a difficult situation or feeling down.
What trips do you want to take? Who do you admire? What good can you do in the world? All good questions to journal about or think through while you journal. Journaling will help you to figure out what you aspire for and what you aspire to be.
Additional journaling prompts (questions) are found at 50 best journaling prompts.
Start out small and don't feel like you have to journal for a long time or that you have to do it every day. I'd suggest starting out with the goal of journaling a few times a week and then try journaling daily. Figure out what works for you.
Credit to https://tinytrips.com/articles/journaling-tips-benefits as the primary source for the information in this post.
Journaling is a big part of Dream Big. Journaling will help you understand what "Dream Big" means to you. Good luck and leave any questions you may have in the comments.
Check out other information and resources available on jspublishing.blogspot.com
Below are blogs and communities for those who keep a journal.
Facebook has a number of journal-centric pages that you can get involved with.
In the comments below, let me know if you would like to see more journaling resources. Journaling is a path way to Dream Big. Taking time to journal will help you to Dream Big. And then take actions toward your dreams.
What does it mean to journal?
Journaling is about looking inward and exploring what makes you tick. It is an incredibly flexible practice that is easily tailored to your needs.
Here are some types explained in more detail:
Benefits of Journaling
The benefits of journaling was discussed in a previous post. Here is a quick overview in case you missed it:
1. Increased emotional awareness.
Research shows that emotional awareness has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression.
2. Improved mood.
Journaling—particularly gratitude journaling—may improve mood over time.
Calling your attention to positives likely helps restore this balance.
3. More mindfulness.
4. Better health overall.
Beyond reducing stress and boosting mood, research has shown that expressing gratitude may help lower blood pressure, deepen sleep, and improve self-reported health overall.
5. More resilience.
Journaling can be especially helpful during hard times.
6. Self-discovery.
Last but not least, journaling can help you get to know yourself a little better.
One last benefit of journaling is it allows you to dream big and then take actions toward your dreams.
Journaling/Writing Therapy - Scientific Research
There is great scientific evidence on the benefits of journal writing therapy.
Journaling is helpful for people to identify and accept their emotions, ease symptoms of mental illness, and manage stress,
Research even shows journaling can have a positive impact on physical well-being.
Michael Grothaus notes studies suggesting journaling can strengthen the immune system, drop blood pressure, help you sleep better, and generally keep you healthier (2015).
The benefits of journaling and expressive writing for those suffering from depression are pretty clear.
It helps those dealing with depression build a buffer between their negative thoughts and their sense of well-being. It also provides an opportunity to release pent-up negative emotions and move to a more positive frame of mind.
What do Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci have in common?
They all journaled or kept a diary.⚡
Research indicates there is great benefit in journaling.
In fact, journaling can help:
A daily event journal, gratitude journal, or dream journal are the best ways to get started.
Other forms of journaling include: Stream of consciousness, Food, Fitness, and Sketch journals.
Remember there is no right or wrong approach.
What is important is taking the time to get in touch with your mind, body, thoughts, and spirit.
Inspiration and motivation are necessary to dream big and start taking action toward your dreams and goals.
Happened upon these articles. Sharing as it resonated with me. Hope it helps.
1) 4 tiers of digital transformation: https://enterprisersproject.com/4-tiers-digital-transformation
2) Before saying yes to a job consider company culture: https://enterprisersproject.com/saying-yes-job-consider-company-culture
3) How to do Hybrid right: https://enterprisersproject.com/how-do-hybrid-right
4) Why do so many strategies fail: https://enterprisersproject.com/why-do-so-many-strategies-fail
5) Build a better dashboard for your agile project: https://enterprisersproject.com/build-better-dashboard-your-agile-project
Here is the article source for this info: https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2021/12/5-must-read-harvard-business-review-articles
Share your thoughts / comments.
