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This video could have been made just for me as I have struggled my entire life with procrastination and perfectionism. This has cost me not only in time and production but in relationships with those I love. I'm 68 years young and this lifetime of procrastination/perfectionism reached ridiculous heights: I began watching videos about junk journaling during 2020's lock down and became very busy ordering supplies and saving all kinds of paper such as receipts, envelopes, food packaging, etc. until I had about 5 BIG boxes full of junk - and had not journaled or began a journal one bit. That woke me up and I dumped most of the stuff. This video was another wonderful wake up. When I first discovered the BuJo method in 2018 I waded through videos of BuJo YT vids that looked like I had to learn calligraphy, painting; collect stickers and, in short, make a BuJo look like an arts & crafts project. I was about to move on UNTIL a woman in the BuJo online community made a video referencing the official Bullet Journal site. When I watched that first introduction video I was so excited. I practice minimalism and I'm truly a "one book, one pen" type of person. I excitedly began the BuJo practice then...a parent developed Alzheimers and I dove back into mindlessly watching videos that didn't bring value to my life at all...I was just trying to dull the pain and gradually began ordering "tools" again. Thank you SO MUCH, Ryder, for this video. I began with a blank page and took notes while watching this video in the journal that truly adds value to my life. I'm packing up the excess stuff to donate.
I’ve just started bullet journaling and I love it. I watch some of these videos online with these people are using colored pencils and drawing all of these elaborate schedules in calendars, etc. Everyone’s free to do whatever helps them, but I look at all of that and I just feel like that defeats the purpose of the bullet journal. At least for me. Bullet journaling is a way to organize my life in a very simplified way. The less I have to do, the better.
Same. Honestly, these days I bullet journal in a simple planner I picked up from the grocery store because I can't even be bothered with making even the simplest of spreads (like the ones Rider makes). I've considered moving back into a notebook, but well it hasn't felt worth the time it would take. I fill out the days as or after they happen, not ahead of time. So much of the "BuJo" content I find when I search online is actually DIY planners. By which I mean: they only worry about the future, they don't ever talk about reflection, they design elaborate habit trackers for dozens of habits and elaborate "my favorite movies" or whatever lists that honestly seem to serve no purpose at all, they use dozen of pens and markers, they whiteout even the tiniest mistakes, they rave about how washi tape is the most essential bujo tool (bleh), they make dozens and dozens spreads way way way in advance and fill them up with plans, etc… a bujo *tracks the past* and some people who post their "bujo" online aren't doing that at all. They never stop to learn from what they captured in their notebook because they didn't capture anything, they just scheduled out the future. And pointing this out only gets the crying "a bujo can be whatever you want it to be, stop trying to tell me my VERY REAL bujo isn't a 'real' bujo!!" and how "their bujo community" doesn't need this "toxic gatekeeping" or they just delete the comment. To which I say: ok my deskchair is now my "real" bujo, because if a word can mean ANYTHING then it means nothing. A bullet journal is simple by design, meaning it takes minutes to deal with, not hours or days.
I think the reason for that is simple - it's trendy to call your journal "Bullet Journal". We often forget that for those who post stuff on Instagram or RUclips are not just sharing their journals for fun, it's their job, it's how they find sponsors or get ad revenue. The magic word "Bullet" added to something that is just a hand drawn diary, makes it possible to gain larger audience. And their audience is now convinced, that if you like drawing, writing diary entries or using cute stickers, you are a so called "planner person" and you should buy all these different planners and create all the different trackers in them, because that is what this hobby is about. And yes, many people now call planning a hobby even though that sentence makes no sence. People decorated their personal journals for decades, but they just called it diaries before. With Social media thriving on hashtags and titles, some words get misused, some lose their original meaning and then an action or process this word was supposed to represent gets confusing too. I'm very happy that Rider now addresses these issues, in a very kind and gentle way, but still not letting BuJo lose it's original meaning.
@@kettyandkitty yes, I’m really glad Ryder spoke to this, because honestly, much of what “bullet journaling” has become on social media has absolutely nothing to do with the method that Ryder so carefully developed and documented in his videos, book, and I’m sure his course.
Bullet Journaling has changed my life. I forgot when I started but I've gone through 3 journals for my personal life. I've gotten better at recognizing what I no longer need and changing (either adding or removing certain spreads) things to accommodate my own changes. I recommend it a lot to others, but one of the first signs I notice of hesitance is due to how it all looks online. A lot of my non-artist friends say how they aren't artistic, and even my artist friends express some fear of being judged. I try my best to explain that none of them is a reflection of what Bullet Journaling is about. As an artist myself, I don't even use my BuJo "artistically." I use it to help me manage a lot of aspects of my ADHD. while idk how to combat that "first impression" people have of it, I just genuinely appreciate how this system can be made for anyone's individual needs and their growth.
I've also gotten sucked in to the online world of bullet journaling. I did make my intention with the bullet journal on the creative side because it helped my mental health. It did help, but I'm recently finding myself having my needs for a journal to actually keep track of goals I want to accomplish and keep note of other parts of my life. I also have been getting drained with coming up with themes every month and creative spreads. With that, I'm restarting with simple spreads and with the original method and go from there, as the simpler spreads will help with understanding myself and how to process to what I want to achieve.
For the first time, I've been journaling consistently for nearly 6 months. It has given me a ton of insight on where I'm at in my life. Prior to starting it, every day seemed like a blur because I had no specific intentions to tangibly reference every day. I tried using my phone to manage things, but it's just way to easy for me to forget the reason I pulled out the phone when I'm flooded with distractions as soon as I unlock the screen. I have a long ways to go, and my life is an utter mess right now. But for the first time I feel like I'm actually making progress because I've been actually documenting it.
You're right, it's hard to follow through on a thought, when your attention is redirected to other things on your phone. It's great to hear that journalling is helping you.
I've noticed that my practice tends to go in cycles: sometimes I need simplicity, other times I enjoy using it as a creative outlet. It can be whatever I need it to be at the time.
I restarted a couple of months ago, trying to use it to focus on my goals after a long period of depression with the understanding I have ADHD (Weirdly I started bullet journalling before my late in life diagnosis a couple of years ago) . It has helped to unclutter my mind by making simple lists whilst I unclutter my life. Each time I do not complete something on the list, I will try to write meaningfully about the reasons behind it, which stops me from beating myself up and falling back down into a depressive cycle. Thank you Rydar for coming up with this method.
I wholeheartedly embrace the concept of “begin again”. For me, this has been playing out like one of those time loop movies such as the 1993 classic, Groundhog’s Day with actor Bill Murray. In these movies the main character re-lives the same day (or span of time) over and over again with the hopes of breaking the cycle. The loop continues until they figure out what they can do differently to escape. I feel this describes my begin again experience in my bullet journal. Each day I strive to start over and my bullet journal is helping me recognize what I can do differently to break the cycle that I find myself in. I’m not totally out of the time loop yet but working on it!
This video resonates with me incredibly. I used to use my bullet journal in a very successful way and I loved it. Sadly I got sick, and now I've tried to restart a couple of times unsuccessfully. I hope with the tips in this video this time works. I would like a video for people who can't use their journals daily. People like me who are bedridden some days of the week, and it's really hard and even painful to write on those days. Sometimes it feels that to keep a good bullet journal practice, daily usage is mandatory, but there's a lot of people who physically can't.
Question for Ryder: How do you incorporate the daily reflection in the bujo practice in a way that's functional and carries through to the weekly and monthly reflection? What steps or questions are vital each day for the daily reflection - particularly the PM reflection? Does this change for the weekly? I noticed the (artistic) bujo community rarely mentions or explains daily reflections. In my own restarting of bujo a few weeks ago, the practice started to make more sense when I actively reflected on my intentions for that day (not the basic did I get my goals done or simple wins). It started to click when I reflected on where my mind is at and how my actions and thoughts of the day relate to the intention I had set in the first place. However, I've been having trouble fitting it into the daily spreads in a functional way, and some days I also get stuck trying to figure out how to reflect in a meaningful way every time (without repeating the same conclusion multiple times in a week). Thanks again for the great video! It's fun that my restart actually did go through the first 3 steps you explained in the video! Turning failure into feedback is a big one I have to focus on more while focusing on my needs. Keep up the amazing work!
I restarted a couple of weeks ago. I used to add a lot of pretty stuff to my BuJo and now I’m going to the bare bones. I’m loving it much more now, there’s no extra fluff and I get to concentrate on what’s really important. Thanks for creating this method.
I've been using the Bullet Journal method everyday for the past 6 years. It's the only thing that has worked for me. I continue to use the method Ryder introduced in his first video several years ago. It's basic, simple and incredibly powerful. I am so grateful.
I've just worked through your series of videos on How to Bullet Journal and this was the last one. All really useful thank you so much. I didn't know where to start when I googled it but found your Ted Talk and then came here you make it so simple. Will be saving up for the course!
I was facing problems to continue my bujo practice on a daily basis due to my tight schedule. I was thinking about a reboot myself as I find it hard to organize myself without my bujo. This video has helped me in finding a solution to reboot my bujo practice. Thank you Ryder ☺
This is my 5th year doing this. I cannot tell you how much it truly has changed my life. I always appreciate seeing your content and how amazingly you state your point. This video is so relevant to many things in my life right now. Thank you :)
Such an inspiring video again. Thank you very much for sharing this. It's so sad, that you see so much performance on Social, more than practice. But to share the practice means to show something of your innermost to the world outside. That opens the door for hatespeech. That is social media. There is no right or false in the practice itself. But bullet journaling could be useless if you do it for others. That is the reason why so many people stop bullet journaling unfornately. Please make more videos that dig deeper into the method. 🧡
My bullet journal morphed into a deck of numbered index cards and post-it notes, with a few rubber bands. Same techniques (mostly), just a different medium. (:
I agree with the points in this video. Your system has benefitted me for years. It has kept me present and the journals offer a reference when ever I need to look back.
Such great advice that I find it helping me with two projects I am working on which happens to be why I need a gentle push to get my Bujo practice restarted. I think what happened for me is that I fell into the rabbit hole of trying to emulate another prominent Bujo vlogger. Sigh. At my age (ancient), you would think I could just be me. Thanks for the encouragement to be in the community of sharing, yet not to be consumed by others' methodologies. I am going to go back to a simpler style, not exactly minimalist because I am a doodler, but more purist, like when I first got my first Bujo and began to design it to meet my specific needs at the time. KISS a fine acronym. Going back to basics. Sigh of relief.
I've rewatched this video multiple times, which is to say, I've needed its reassurances over and over. So grateful for the wisdom it shares each time. Today, what's most helpful is show up > catch up. Thank you!
Thank you. I took a month off from journaling after several years of consistency and now find myself struggling to pick it up again. Needed some new motivation!
Thank you! 💚🌻 You are not only guide how to organize our complicated thoughts and life... I also found in those video a lot of understanding.. huge motivation to start again! To not concentrate on past... just that each day... each page is new beginning. I stopped my bujo some months ago and couldn't start again.. mostly behind was thought that is a lot to catch up...I did not know how to start again... But now i know and for sure i will start again! 💪💚🌻😊 Thank you very much. Sending a lot of good energy! 😊🌻💚
I had to stop bullet journaling because I was using it for productive procrastination. Not that I did not use the spreads I created, I did. However, it took hours to make all these spreads in my personal and my thesis bullet journals. So, I simplified. I use the methods in a data calendar, or I use a undated calendar that already has the months laid out in it. I spend less time on spreads and more time on trying to focus on what needs to happen that day, that week and that month.
I learned about the bullet journal years ago and bought all the books about it and this January after seeing a video about setting up for 2022 I brought my old one out that I started out with and have happily used it this year!! However, I’m starting to fall off the wagon , and so this was a much needed video!! For that I am grateful and even with ideas of what I’d like to include, finding videos and techniques that have made these additions work for others to get ideas of how incorporate it and make it work for myself would be great. Thank you so much for this video!!
Hi Ryder- I am beyond thankful for you n your vision. I was a teacher for special needs kids for 25 years and I told them, (when writing) to JUST START. I’ve discovered I will not take my own advice. Lol. I have a serious adversion to “JUST START writing. Help!!!!!!!
I appreciate seeing this video in the new year, especially since I'm updating my journal now and finding what works best for me compared to previous years. Thank you. 💖
Hello-I would love to see some content about applying the Bullet Journal Method for university students. The kids graduating this spring have had a very chaotic high school experience because covid hit when they were in grade 10. So much of their learning has been online and inconsistent, and it would be great to see some organizational help geared toward them (and appeal to them) in a physical form, instead of using their electronic devices-which can lead to distraction. Cheers!
A few years ago, when I was still in uni, I heard about bullet journaling and absolutely fell in love. I did go though quite a few journals back then. There were times when I did full-on creative spreads, because I needed to channel my creativity somewhere as it had nowhere else to go. At other times, my bujo was very simple and minimalist. When the personal bujo didn’t serve me so well anymore, I restarted in a new format and with a new intention with the focus on uni. That also served me well. But somewhen that stopped and I was so stressed out, I did not reflect on what my new intention was. I simply stopped bujo-ing regularly and somewhen (about two or three years ago or so?) I stopped completely. Lately I feel very lost without a bujo or other tool to keep track of my life. I feel like a lot is intentionless… or rather, my intention is not funneled anywhere, it‘s all over the place which makes it really overwhelming. I think I might start my bujo journey again soon, and I take all the headspace that I can come up with lately to find out what my need and intention for restarting is. This takes time, and that‘s okay too. When I look back, so much makes sense. I felt like I actually had my life together a bit when I was bujo-ing back then. I was more intentional with my time and purpose. I had thought about my goals and even though I might not have reached all of them, I reached some. But now I don’t even have any ‚properly‘ set goals and it‘s starting to really bug me. Also, as I realized nearly a year ago that I most probably have ADHD and am waiting to my diagnostic appointments, my journey with the bujo also makes a lot of sense. How it helped me, why I stopped and how it‘s starting to creep back into my mind with my hyperfocus on it. I‘m excited and hope I don’t get too overwhelmed or too caught up in a mindset of wanting everything to work perfectly from the beginning. I know I can let go of that - but it‘s not easy. Thank you, Ryder, for still making content (here). It helps me in rediscovering my needs.
Wow, this was quicker than I thought. Sending that comment after watching the video and a good night’s sleep helped me see that my first intention/purpose for restarting is finding out what I need and what I‘ve been missing in my life lately. ❤
This was such a crisp and powerful video Ryder! Bujo practice and morning pages have immensely helped me in the last 2 years! I found these lines from your video very powerful and I so deeply resonate with them. 1) Bullet Journalling for me and how it is serving me. 2) What do I want to begin NOW :) Bujo practice helps me explore my own inner landscape and also somehow it's not easy to not be truthful and authentic on the page :) 🌼 A question for Ryder - How can we explore 'groundedness and anchoring' through Bujo Practice?
6 years in and on Volume 13! When I have lagged it was the designing that ruined it. I was very good at making striking spreads. 3 years ago we moved into take care of dying parents. I had to revisit the original videos to keep my bullet journal going and make it work with my increasingly crazy life and all that I juggled. I use a few special pens and pick 5 colored markers for the month. No more decorations than that until I complete a day, week , month of real logging. Then I reward myself with using sheets from my sticker collection. 😍
I didn't expect to get a shot in the arm for my art practice in a video about Bullet Journal practice, but that's the magic I guess. Thank you for the tips Ryder, especially tip 4. Re. BuJo, I have messy ones, super simple ones, and have this year started doing a more colourful and arty one. I love watching other people's videos of their journals. But because mine contain so many honest details of my life and the way I process it, I can no more share it than I can show people my underwear. There's nothing in there that isn't either private or messy. I think I'll just enjoy other people's journal art and enjoy my private journal practice at the same time. Now if only I can remember to note my reflections on the app...😅
I completely agree with what you are saying. I am an artist too, and started doing bujo 2 months ago. I am also seriously in need of more organization in my house, and in my life. I'm finding that for right now, making my bujo "pretty" is the last thing I need to spend time on (although that may change as chaos diminishes & organization increases), and that if my bujo practice is going to be real enough to help me make changes in my life, it will also be very personal, and not to be shared as "art." I too enjoy other peoples' bujo art, but the biggest benefit for me right now is to keep it fairly basic and use it as an organizational tool.
Great video. Very helpful. I especially find your advice on setting an intention valuable. I've often wondered why I feel compelled to keep a journal. Putting it into words and keeping it in perspective will help me remain committed to the process.
This video comes at an ideal time for me. Over time I have learned that the factors that most harm me when it comes to continuing with my intentions are 2. 1. When the practice starts to get too complicated and I start to lose focus of what is really important to me, which I think you make perfectly clear in this video. 2. When external factors such as a possible move, travel, receiving visitors at home, alter my routines. It would be great if you could inspire us to better manage these events. What helps you in these cases? Thank you very much for everything you share. You are inspiring!
All the pretty spreads you see online are lovely but to me that seems like it’s just adding another task that you have to complete, something that you need to perfect which means you are going to put off doing it. I’m an artistic individual but I can’t be bothered with all that. Bullet journalling has been a great way to get my brain down on paper quickly and keep track of things coming up just using the basic system. I don’t use trackers, I don’t do fancy titles. The fanciest I get is a bit of highlighter on the page title and dates just to break things up a bit visually but my journal is messy. My handwriting is not neat. I have random pages of notes in between daily logs but I can find everything using the index. It’s a tool to enable you to get stuff done. Don’t make it a chore in itself. Let it be imperfect.
Thank you for the video! These 5 points are really useful for moving forward with my issue: I have not used the collection section in my BuJo yet. So I decided to use those 80 pages to just plan the following months. It is what I need now to finish all my projects. To paraphrase a common quote about making money, "“Don't work for your Bullet Journal, make it work for you" 😆
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. I love the idea that failure is really only feedback, useful feedback. This video is golden and I'm taking it to heart. Happy New Year!
Thank you for another video, really helpful and inspiring! And I love how honest you are (particularly about journaling for others..) I am curious about something: how to go from a need, to a practice? For example, how to go from "I want to loose weight", to fitting it into your schedule. Is there a certain amount of steps you take? For instance mindmap about the change you want to make, discern goals, set intentions and then work out practice time into your daily schedule? Happy bullet journaling to you, too!
I am new to Bullet Journaling. I am in a quilt group with others my age and older, 67. Some of us can’t hold our intentions in our heads for the day and we make a list to work from. Some cannot remember why they went to the store or what they were even saying. We are a product of the 60’s hippie drug culture. I know how common this is and I feel so lucky to have lived this long so I use ‘helpers’ like putting things in my way so I remember what ever I need to do. Bullet journaling has taken a load off for me and I hope to be able to set some of us up with a journal that will work for their stage of memory loss. I am not on any social media so fortunately I haven’t seen any of the journals you refer to. Mine is basic and functional but I ordered the Bujo X because I have a dip pen that I adore. I want you to know that your product is helpful to little old ladies and very much appreciated. Thanks Ryder.
Advice please: I've been bullet journaling for a year and a half now.... I've collected data on me to try to make me happier. I keep track of my sleep, mood, food intake, and lazy hours. Averaging the mood each day and averaging everything each month. I try to write a journal entry every once in a while, too... I just feel like it's more data gathering than learning anything. I always have more energy than other, so sleep isn't really effecting things. I think my food is. Which is why I split it into snack, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I've always been underweight, so I figured that might be it. I can't stand having an unproductive day, so I kept track of my lazy hours, too. In the morning and evening I write down my mood on a scale of 1-10. I want to feel more, but I feel as though I'm so focused on the data gathering because it's fun for me. I love to collect my data, but I can't seem to put it to use... I've recently started keeping track of my water intake, too. I just don't know how to use what I've found. I can barely find a relation between the information gathered and my mood. I could be at an 8 in mood with 3 hours of sleep, no water, and one meal, but at a 3 with everything at a good level. What should I do to find a trend and fix it? Or should I just try more journal entries than data entries. Maybe even make a control week and lower different things to see what changes... Maybe I'm just thinking about it too much. Advice? Anyone?
These are perfect things to reflect on. If your mood is only 3 when everything else should be good, why is that? Is something on your mind on that day, can you identify what makes your mood low or was the mood low already in the morning? Did something happen yesterday? Same thing with good results. What made me happy today? What I think effected my mood today. Ask yourself the 5 whys. Start with why are you tracking these things...and answer.. then ask again why...and so on.
Thank you so much for this video and the important points! Every one of them I had to learn in the past. It is like sport - I don‘t do sport only for doing sport. I have goals, which i want to reach by doing sport. Having a BuJo for having a BuJo doesn‘t work!
Daniel, I had a similar problem recently. I reached the end of my notebook. I opened the new notebook and felt stuck: it was pristine, and I would spoil that pretty, untouched state by putting pen to the paper. And, whatever I wrote might turn out wrong some how. After a day of wondering what to do, I skipped the first page and on the second page, I wrote this near the top: "Just write!" That broke the ice for me. I tiene the page, por the date at the top, and started my regular journaling again.
@@monim5431 same, I think I should use app. Cause The kind of thing I write to my journal is wired somehow. My fear is if my parents or cousin or classmates find this, they would mock me. Also I cant bring the big dairy all place. Cause I have to do.
I've been Bullet Journaling for about three years now. When I started I my stated Intention was to take a hobby into a some more professional; the first step was to develop and deepen the basic skills of my craft. I've made a ton of progress in past three years, due in no small part to the tools from the Bullet Journal method. My question for Ryder: how do I use the Bullet Journal to transition from my previous Intention (acquiring skills) to new one (becoming a working professional artist)?
Genius on so many levels ✨. Do you incorporate your long form journaling like stream of consciousness or morning pages on your bullet journal? And if so how do you do it or what suggestions do you have about that. Thanks you 🌱
Just jumping in to say, I do this. Like he says, a new day on a blank page, and I often allow myself to Brain dump all of my thoughts each morning, and throughout the day. One notebook for everything.
@@rebeccaw9656 thanks for your reply i appreciate it, Yeah i been thinking about doing that seems easier and logical , but i am afraid that my business and home to do’s might get lost in all the writing
You can follow the new day on a blank page approach. Or you can set aside a certain number of pages for your weekly/daily logs and start your morning pages after, if this would work better for you.
This has inspired me to listen (again) to my audible version of your book. I have the physical copy as well, with it’s worn pages. Wondering though… new notebook? Or pick up where I left off? 🤔
So lovely to see you thank you for creating this system - I'm not fancy in my bujo but it's helped me a lot keep on top of things. I love your pen - any plans to put those on the market? 🌞
i was wondering Ryder.. if we didnt catch up those missed days, how would a monthly log which is supposed to provide a bird's eye view ever be useful? and if we didnt have those regular journal entries, how would we be able to create the monthly log at the end of the month?
Question: Ryder, how would you adapt the bullet journal practice for retired people? Without much time restriction or external demands, I'm having a hard time getting thing done... Sound strange but I'm sure you know that the more time one has, the harder it is to buckle down and get things done. There's the lack of motivation, the absence of incentive and/or external validation or pressure. Some people may be very disciplined but other, like me, tend to need deadlines. I'm finding most of the approaches suggested more appropriate to someone with a job, a business, an externally driven lifestyle. As a newly retired person, I struggling with finding a new approach to getting the most out of my life. I would welcome some insights and suggestions. Many thanks (I've been bullet journaling for years).
Have you determined what is your new intention in retirement? And my post is coming wayyyyyyy after your initial comment so hoping this finds you well.
@antoinettebefree In a way, the problem is both 1) having a lot of things I could be doing - just for the fun of it - and feeling like a kid in a candy store...unable to decide what to focus on and, 2) struggling with shaking off the old habit of feeling I should be doing something useful, something with a purpose. I'm doing OK but thought @bulletjournal could focus a bit on those of us who are at a different place on our lives and may need slightly different "tools" to organize our days and get the most out of them. Thanks for reaching out!!
@@celinem8456 you’re very welcome. And I think @bulletjournal can help (disclaimer: I am very very very new). I see it as the place to hold what you choose. So, choice is really what’s operating here because if the kid in the candy store eats everything their belly will not like them. You have such a great opportunity to choose without the pressure of the hustle of what you must. May your retirement journey be the stuff dreams are made of. 💓
Question: What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Loved the video and started a bullet journal because of you. I used to put all the things I wanted and needed to do on a mega gigantic list and then start doing them one by one but I felt lost by doing it like that, so I started with your method and it help me. Could you show us your beginnings with this method if you still have the old books? Thank you!!
Hi Ryder, You say you use personally your monthly log to keep track of what you do during a day (youtube & The Bullet Journal Method). Do you migrate unexpected events that pop up from your daily log back into your monthly log? How do you fit this into the monthly log half spread?
Thanks a lot for this, it's definitely encouraging. I've been struggling to form any habit at all (BuJo being one of them), but I think it's time to give up giving up. ;-)
I have two questions for Ryder (and the community): 1) Do you have any tips on how to integrate the BuJo practice into the day? The BuJo is firmly integrated into my morning routine, but during the day I don't find a good opportunity to take notes. In the evening I am often too tired or - unfortunately - just too lazy. 2) How can I get rid of the mental barrier to write down only "objectively important" things, like to-do lists or appointments? I would like to give my thoughts, feelings and interests more space, but it doesn't work out so well. Thank you so much for your work and sharing your system!
I'm coming off an extremely difficult year where my BuJo practice (2016-present) was constantly derailed by life events. This video on re-booting triggered the reflection/realization that I'm actually experiencing a major psychological shift within a larger context that includes the pandemic, life losses and recent health issues. Question: To avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater, how do you suggest utilizing my BuJo to reduce overwhelm navigating a major life transition? (As soon as I wrote that I saw the word "Intention" in my mind - so I may have answered my own question). Thank you for this amazing practice that has contributed so much to my life.
Coming back again and again to your very first BuJo videos. After unsuccessful use of regular day by day planner (as it happens almost every year), I decided to give Bullet Journal another (I think third already) try. Just a notebook and black pen, and your original video system, nothing more. Some people have misunderstood the idea of Bullet journal and all those pretty spreads, washi tapes, weekly spreads and so on - this is simply self made planner. No offence to them, I mean whatever floats your boat. But Bullet journal is something else. It's the whole system itself and why Bullet journal is named Bullet journal - because of the bullets, that are used in the system, not because of the dotted grid of the notebook e.g. Bullet journal system is not something that you understand right away. It took me a long time and I needed to rewatch your videos and read articles over and over again until it finally clicked. And once it clicks - oh boy, you see the whole thing from the different level and actually understand how awesome the system is. And the realization that you don't need much - just a notebook and pen, not even a highlighter e.g., because the little star* in the system serves as a highlighter. I encourage people not to give up on the system if not getting it right away, and not to feel discouraged when seeing other people artistic spreads, huge habit trackers, "collections" pages and so on. This needs to be YOUR tool and it needs to serve for you and you only. Start as simple as possible. You have the whole notebook to start over and over again, to mess everything up, start again, and eventually find out what works for you. Thank you, Ryder!
How do I know which things to actually let go for the next journal? Is it effective to leave blank pages in the beginning when you might need a collection in the future?
I don't know what magic is going on here where ppl have commented a day ago and the videos is only 2hrs. Old (at the time of writing this anyway). But any video by Ryder is one I watch. Regardless of how much time travel has transpired.
Simplify 2:19 so drop the washi tape & stickers already (to the people who use them). Spending all day making spreads in a BuJo makes a pretty photo to share online, and that's about it. If you whiteout and erase every little thing you deem a mistake in your BuJo, you're missing the point (and srsly, find a therapist; a life were you can't tolerate small mistakes from yourself is torture). Doing art in a BuJo is one thing, trying to make the journal itself instagram levels of pretty is entirely another. I see so many people sharing their bujo online who have others (viewers, followers) vote on or tell them what their bujo should be like… and how much this misses the point is not something those people seem capable of understanding. A performance is a good way of putting it.
I love the idea of my bujo, but I never seem to be able to find a consistent use for it. I use my Google calendar for appointments, and I don't really enjoy journaling/writing about my daily experiences. How can I make my bujo a regular part of my life when I don't need to use it as a reminder calendar of appointments/events or for journaling?
Using our journals with digital tools has been the topic of discussion for us over on BuJo U. It's a balancing act, creating a system that flows between both digital and analog. Thanks for sending over your question, it's a great one for us to cover in a video.
Hi Ryder! Could you please explain the difference between the basic bujoU membership included w/the Basics and Beyond course vs. the Premium bujoU membership. Thanks for all you do!
Will other sizes of the bullet journals be made? How should someone choose the best one to use if they decide to go with another brand, bc let’s face it, they can be pricey. And also, how can someone overcome the fear of failing to start and keep using their bullet journal?
About the fear of failing to start, and then failing to keep it up: give yourself permission to do it that way. Often, this fear is based on the idea that it has to be perfect or I should not waste some magic person's time by starting. Your time is the only time that counts. So, try a new mantra: "Even imperfect journaling is worth it!" Consider planning to start, stop, and start again. Example - allow yourself to write "Hello, Me" in your journal every day. Nothing more!...unless you want to keep going. This gives you permission to start even if you don't have much to say to the page. It also gives you Permission To STOP! In fact, you are expected to stop after writing two words. Give it a try!
I like the bullet journal but I find it hard to use when colleagues largely use digital means for scheduling and work tracking. How to integrate a paper bujo without duplicating what is on the digital apps. How to manage those scopes to be clear what goes where.
6:15 “…Now it’s all we will ever have. The best time to begin is now.” - Ryder Carroll “It has to start somewhere. It has to start some time. What better place than here? What better time than now?” - Rage Against the Machine - Guerrilla Radio
I started with bullet journaling during my further education in 2019…after this I lost my routine…I want to restart because I need to find my focus again
I didn't know I needed to hear that catching up isnt necessarily a good thing and I shouldn't do it... I've been struggling with mental health and have lost touch my bujo. But each time I pick it up, i feel like I have to catch up, note the highlights and lows since I last wrote...
What to do with pages & index that are no longer serving you to keep it streamlined… I found a Biko I started 5 years ago & my needs are different now, leave the pages? Cut out or just cross out on the index? I don’t want to waste what can still be used & start a new journal.
Question for Ryder: How do you keep your lists from being super chaotic and cluttered? I have so many thoughts and to-dos during a day that my list gets cramped
Intention vs structuring causes. You and I have a philosophy disconnect around intention. This is not to attack your point, but to show an alternate view of the idea that is more meaningful to me and those who think like me. I view free will as largely illusory and of much less scope than most people. I'm more in the camp of post-intentional thought, eliminativism and so on. I don't want to argue the merits of those ideas here, only present a point of view that works for me in regards to bullet journaling. I view things more about cause and effect in my life. What I can do is set myself up for the kinds of causes that lead to the effects and results I prefer. This is the kind of idea about habits as presented in Atomic Habits. Structuring a system (causes) of things that guide you along a more personally desirable narrative. We are all in the process of becoming, though there is not necessarily any arrival. Adjusting some of those inputs in the process, the causes, is more meaningful than the ideas around intention and its philosophical baggage.
I'm in recovery and while I keep restarting my planning and my organization how to I follow through and learn to stick to my intention and goals. I plan so we'll by ten I never follow through and my profress
I'm gonna have to disagree on something here. Money can be a HUGE reason why we don't get what we want (or need). If someone says otherwise, I have to question whether they have ever truly lacked for money.
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
Be sure to leave your questions in the comments, we'll be using them to create more of these videos! If we pick your question, you'll get 30 days free access to BuJo U, our premium membership site! Drop your question below...
"You don't need to catch up. You just need to show up." 🌟
This video could have been made just for me as I have struggled my entire life with procrastination and perfectionism. This has cost me not only in time and production but in relationships with those I love. I'm 68 years young and this lifetime of procrastination/perfectionism reached ridiculous heights: I began watching videos about junk journaling during 2020's lock down and became very busy ordering supplies and saving all kinds of paper such as receipts, envelopes, food packaging, etc. until I had about 5 BIG boxes full of junk - and had not journaled or began a journal one bit. That woke me up and I dumped most of the stuff.
This video was another wonderful wake up. When I first discovered the BuJo method in 2018 I waded through videos of BuJo YT vids that looked like I had to learn calligraphy, painting; collect stickers and, in short, make a BuJo look like an arts & crafts project. I was about to move on UNTIL a woman in the BuJo online community made a video referencing the official Bullet Journal site. When I watched that first introduction video I was so excited. I practice minimalism and I'm truly a "one book, one pen" type of person. I excitedly began the BuJo practice then...a parent developed Alzheimers and I dove back into mindlessly watching videos that didn't bring value to my life at all...I was just trying to dull the pain and gradually began ordering "tools" again.
Thank you SO MUCH, Ryder, for this video. I began with a blank page and took notes while watching this video in the journal that truly adds value to my life. I'm packing up the excess stuff to donate.
I’ve just started bullet journaling and I love it. I watch some of these videos online with these people are using colored pencils and drawing all of these elaborate schedules in calendars, etc. Everyone’s free to do whatever helps them, but I look at all of that and I just feel like that defeats the purpose of the bullet journal. At least for me. Bullet journaling is a way to organize my life in a very simplified way. The less I have to do, the better.
Same. Honestly, these days I bullet journal in a simple planner I picked up from the grocery store because I can't even be bothered with making even the simplest of spreads (like the ones Rider makes). I've considered moving back into a notebook, but well it hasn't felt worth the time it would take. I fill out the days as or after they happen, not ahead of time.
So much of the "BuJo" content I find when I search online is actually DIY planners. By which I mean: they only worry about the future, they don't ever talk about reflection, they design elaborate habit trackers for dozens of habits and elaborate "my favorite movies" or whatever lists that honestly seem to serve no purpose at all, they use dozen of pens and markers, they whiteout even the tiniest mistakes, they rave about how washi tape is the most essential bujo tool (bleh), they make dozens and dozens spreads way way way in advance and fill them up with plans, etc… a bujo *tracks the past* and some people who post their "bujo" online aren't doing that at all. They never stop to learn from what they captured in their notebook because they didn't capture anything, they just scheduled out the future. And pointing this out only gets the crying "a bujo can be whatever you want it to be, stop trying to tell me my VERY REAL bujo isn't a 'real' bujo!!" and how "their bujo community" doesn't need this "toxic gatekeeping" or they just delete the comment. To which I say: ok my deskchair is now my "real" bujo, because if a word can mean ANYTHING then it means nothing. A bullet journal is simple by design, meaning it takes minutes to deal with, not hours or days.
I think the reason for that is simple - it's trendy to call your journal "Bullet Journal". We often forget that for those who post stuff on Instagram or RUclips are not just sharing their journals for fun, it's their job, it's how they find sponsors or get ad revenue. The magic word "Bullet" added to something that is just a hand drawn diary, makes it possible to gain larger audience. And their audience is now convinced, that if you like drawing, writing diary entries or using cute stickers, you are a so called "planner person" and you should buy all these different planners and create all the different trackers in them, because that is what this hobby is about. And yes, many people now call planning a hobby even though that sentence makes no sence. People decorated their personal journals for decades, but they just called it diaries before. With Social media thriving on hashtags and titles, some words get misused, some lose their original meaning and then an action or process this word was supposed to represent gets confusing too. I'm very happy that Rider now addresses these issues, in a very kind and gentle way, but still not letting BuJo lose it's original meaning.
@@kettyandkitty yes, I’m really glad Ryder spoke to this, because honestly, much of what “bullet journaling” has become on social media has absolutely nothing to do with the method that Ryder so carefully developed and documented in his videos, book, and I’m sure his course.
Bullet Journaling has changed my life. I forgot when I started but I've gone through 3 journals for my personal life. I've gotten better at recognizing what I no longer need and changing (either adding or removing certain spreads) things to accommodate my own changes.
I recommend it a lot to others, but one of the first signs I notice of hesitance is due to how it all looks online. A lot of my non-artist friends say how they aren't artistic, and even my artist friends express some fear of being judged. I try my best to explain that none of them is a reflection of what Bullet Journaling is about.
As an artist myself, I don't even use my BuJo "artistically." I use it to help me manage a lot of aspects of my ADHD. while idk how to combat that "first impression" people have of it, I just genuinely appreciate how this system can be made for anyone's individual needs and their growth.
Thanks for sharing. Our journals evolve as our needs change, it's great to hear how it's been working for you.
I've also gotten sucked in to the online world of bullet journaling. I did make my intention with the bullet journal on the creative side because it helped my mental health. It did help, but I'm recently finding myself having my needs for a journal to actually keep track of goals I want to accomplish and keep note of other parts of my life. I also have been getting drained with coming up with themes every month and creative spreads.
With that, I'm restarting with simple spreads and with the original method and go from there, as the simpler spreads will help with understanding myself and how to process to what I want to achieve.
I've rarely been impressed by people as much as I have been by Mr Carroll; this is such a great system that even someone as lost as me can follow!
For the first time, I've been journaling consistently for nearly 6 months. It has given me a ton of insight on where I'm at in my life. Prior to starting it, every day seemed like a blur because I had no specific intentions to tangibly reference every day. I tried using my phone to manage things, but it's just way to easy for me to forget the reason I pulled out the phone when I'm flooded with distractions as soon as I unlock the screen. I have a long ways to go, and my life is an utter mess right now. But for the first time I feel like I'm actually making progress because I've been actually documenting it.
You're right, it's hard to follow through on a thought, when your attention is redirected to other things on your phone. It's great to hear that journalling is helping you.
Ryder has become more dynamic in the way he speaks compared to before. :) Great video. I have been Bullet Journaling for two years now.
I've noticed that my practice tends to go in cycles: sometimes I need simplicity, other times I enjoy using it as a creative outlet. It can be whatever I need it to be at the time.
I restarted a couple of months ago, trying to use it to focus on my goals after a long period of depression with the understanding I have ADHD (Weirdly I started bullet journalling before my late in life diagnosis a couple of years ago) . It has helped to unclutter my mind by making simple lists whilst I unclutter my life. Each time I do not complete something on the list, I will try to write meaningfully about the reasons behind it, which stops me from beating myself up and falling back down into a depressive cycle. Thank you Rydar for coming up with this method.
I wholeheartedly embrace the concept of “begin again”. For me, this has been playing out like one of those time loop movies such as the 1993 classic, Groundhog’s Day with actor Bill Murray. In these movies the main character re-lives the same day (or span of time) over and over again with the hopes of breaking the cycle. The loop continues until they figure out what they can do differently to escape. I feel this describes my begin again experience in my bullet journal. Each day I strive to start over and my bullet journal is helping me recognize what I can do differently to break the cycle that I find myself in. I’m not totally out of the time loop yet but working on it!
This video resonates with me incredibly. I used to use my bullet journal in a very successful way and I loved it. Sadly I got sick, and now I've tried to restart a couple of times unsuccessfully. I hope with the tips in this video this time works.
I would like a video for people who can't use their journals daily. People like me who are bedridden some days of the week, and it's really hard and even painful to write on those days. Sometimes it feels that to keep a good bullet journal practice, daily usage is mandatory, but there's a lot of people who physically can't.
So happy to you still making videos. Very grateful 🙏🏼
More to come!
This is such a beautiful video. Don't Catchup, Show Up! - Profound statement.
Question for Ryder: How do you incorporate the daily reflection in the bujo practice in a way that's functional and carries through to the weekly and monthly reflection? What steps or questions are vital each day for the daily reflection - particularly the PM reflection? Does this change for the weekly?
I noticed the (artistic) bujo community rarely mentions or explains daily reflections. In my own restarting of bujo a few weeks ago, the practice started to make more sense when I actively reflected on my intentions for that day (not the basic did I get my goals done or simple wins). It started to click when I reflected on where my mind is at and how my actions and thoughts of the day relate to the intention I had set in the first place. However, I've been having trouble fitting it into the daily spreads in a functional way, and some days I also get stuck trying to figure out how to reflect in a meaningful way every time (without repeating the same conclusion multiple times in a week).
Thanks again for the great video! It's fun that my restart actually did go through the first 3 steps you explained in the video! Turning failure into feedback is a big one I have to focus on more while focusing on my needs.
Keep up the amazing work!
I restarted a couple of weeks ago. I used to add a lot of pretty stuff to my BuJo and now I’m going to the bare bones. I’m loving it much more now, there’s no extra fluff and I get to concentrate on what’s really important. Thanks for creating this method.
I've been using the Bullet Journal method everyday for the past 6 years. It's the only thing that has worked for me. I continue to use the method Ryder introduced in his first video several years ago. It's basic, simple and incredibly powerful. I am so grateful.
Excellent wisdom Ryder! Pearls....received...thank you.
I love that phrase we are not doing our BUJO for others.
I've just worked through your series of videos on How to Bullet Journal and this was the last one. All really useful thank you so much. I didn't know where to start when I googled it but found your Ted Talk and then came here you make it so simple. Will be saving up for the course!
Hi Anna, thank you. Really pleased you found this, and the other videos useful!
I was facing problems to continue my bujo practice on a daily basis due to my tight schedule. I was thinking about a reboot myself as I find it hard to organize myself without my bujo. This video has helped me in finding a solution to reboot my bujo practice. Thank you Ryder ☺
This is my 5th year doing this. I cannot tell you how much it truly has changed my life. I always appreciate seeing your content and how amazingly you state your point. This video is so relevant to many things in my life right now. Thank you :)
Hi BuJo sister!
@@BrianHazardVideos hello yourself 🙂
Such an inspiring video again. Thank you very much for sharing this. It's so sad, that you see so much performance on Social, more than practice. But to share the practice means to show something of your innermost to the world outside. That opens the door for hatespeech. That is social media. There is no right or false in the practice itself. But bullet journaling could be useless if you do it for others. That is the reason why so many people stop bullet journaling unfornately. Please make more videos that dig deeper into the method. 🧡
My bullet journal morphed into a deck of numbered index cards and post-it notes, with a few rubber bands. Same techniques (mostly), just a different medium.
(:
Can you explain your system or do a video
@@brendalg4
Buy a pack of index cards. Create a bullet index on the first one. Hold it together with rubber bands. Continue as normal.
(:
@@brendalg4 this might have other ideas too
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_PDA
@@ardiris2715 I’m curious as to why this works better for you than a bound notebook? Does it have a particular advantage?
@@calisongbird
It's not bound. The cards can be laid out or reordered or removed altogether. It fits in my pocket. It's cheap.
I agree with the points in this video. Your system has benefitted me for years. It has kept me present and the journals offer a reference when ever I need to look back.
It's great to hear that it has been working for you.
Such great advice that I find it helping me with two projects I am working on which happens to be why I need a gentle push to get my Bujo practice restarted. I think what happened for me is that I fell into the rabbit hole of trying to emulate another prominent Bujo vlogger. Sigh. At my age (ancient), you would think I could just be me. Thanks for the encouragement to be in the community of sharing, yet not to be consumed by others' methodologies. I am going to go back to a simpler style, not exactly minimalist because I am a doodler, but more purist, like when I first got my first Bujo and began to design it to meet my specific needs at the time. KISS a fine acronym. Going back to basics. Sigh of relief.
I've rewatched this video multiple times, which is to say, I've needed its reassurances over and over. So grateful for the wisdom it shares each time. Today, what's most helpful is show up > catch up. Thank you!
You are so welcome! Thanks for watching :)
Thank you. I took a month off from journaling after several years of consistency and now find myself struggling to pick it up again. Needed some new motivation!
Thank you! 💚🌻
You are not only guide how to organize our complicated thoughts and life...
I also found in those video a lot of understanding.. huge motivation to start again! To not concentrate on past... just that each day... each page is new beginning.
I stopped my bujo some months ago and couldn't start again.. mostly behind was thought that is a lot to catch up...I did not know how to start again...
But now i know and for sure i will start again! 💪💚🌻😊
Thank you very much. Sending a lot of good energy! 😊🌻💚
I had to stop bullet journaling because I was using it for productive procrastination. Not that I did not use the spreads I created, I did. However, it took hours to make all these spreads in my personal and my thesis bullet journals. So, I simplified. I use the methods in a data calendar, or I use a undated calendar that already has the months laid out in it. I spend less time on spreads and more time on trying to focus on what needs to happen that day, that week and that month.
I learned about the bullet journal years ago and bought all the books about it and this January after seeing a video about setting up for 2022 I brought my old one out that I started out with and have happily used it this year!! However, I’m starting to fall off the wagon , and so this was a much needed video!! For that I am grateful and even with ideas of what I’d like to include, finding videos and techniques that have made these additions work for others to get ideas of how incorporate it and make it work for myself would be great. Thank you so much for this video!!
Hi Ryder- I am beyond thankful for you n your vision. I was a teacher for special needs kids for 25 years and I told them, (when writing) to JUST START. I’ve discovered I will not take my own advice. Lol. I have a serious adversion to “JUST START writing. Help!!!!!!!
You are a gift to us glad i discover you in this platform
I appreciate seeing this video in the new year, especially since I'm updating my journal now and finding what works best for me compared to previous years. Thank you. 💖
Hello-I would love to see some content about applying the Bullet Journal Method for university students. The kids graduating this spring have had a very chaotic high school experience because covid hit when they were in grade 10. So much of their learning has been online and inconsistent, and it would be great to see some organizational help geared toward them (and appeal to them) in a physical form, instead of using their electronic devices-which can lead to distraction. Cheers!
The same here!
That's a great idea, thank you for sharing. We'll see what we can do!
A few years ago, when I was still in uni, I heard about bullet journaling and absolutely fell in love. I did go though quite a few journals back then. There were times when I did full-on creative spreads, because I needed to channel my creativity somewhere as it had nowhere else to go. At other times, my bujo was very simple and minimalist. When the personal bujo didn’t serve me so well anymore, I restarted in a new format and with a new intention with the focus on uni. That also served me well. But somewhen that stopped and I was so stressed out, I did not reflect on what my new intention was. I simply stopped bujo-ing regularly and somewhen (about two or three years ago or so?) I stopped completely. Lately I feel very lost without a bujo or other tool to keep track of my life. I feel like a lot is intentionless… or rather, my intention is not funneled anywhere, it‘s all over the place which makes it really overwhelming. I think I might start my bujo journey again soon, and I take all the headspace that I can come up with lately to find out what my need and intention for restarting is. This takes time, and that‘s okay too.
When I look back, so much makes sense. I felt like I actually had my life together a bit when I was bujo-ing back then. I was more intentional with my time and purpose. I had thought about my goals and even though I might not have reached all of them, I reached some. But now I don’t even have any ‚properly‘ set goals and it‘s starting to really bug me. Also, as I realized nearly a year ago that I most probably have ADHD and am waiting to my diagnostic appointments, my journey with the bujo also makes a lot of sense. How it helped me, why I stopped and how it‘s starting to creep back into my mind with my hyperfocus on it. I‘m excited and hope I don’t get too overwhelmed or too caught up in a mindset of wanting everything to work perfectly from the beginning. I know I can let go of that - but it‘s not easy.
Thank you, Ryder, for still making content (here). It helps me in rediscovering my needs.
Wow, this was quicker than I thought. Sending that comment after watching the video and a good night’s sleep helped me see that my first intention/purpose for restarting is finding out what I need and what I‘ve been missing in my life lately. ❤
This was such a crisp and powerful video Ryder! Bujo practice and morning pages have immensely helped me in the last 2 years!
I found these lines from your video very powerful and I so deeply resonate with them.
1) Bullet Journalling for me and how it is serving me.
2) What do I want to begin NOW :)
Bujo practice helps me explore my own inner landscape and also somehow it's not easy to not be truthful and authentic on the page :) 🌼
A question for Ryder - How can we explore 'groundedness and anchoring' through Bujo Practice?
Always coming back to your vids cause i know you’re the man, hello again Ryder
6 years in and on Volume 13!
When I have lagged it was the designing that ruined it. I was very good at making striking spreads. 3 years ago we moved into take care of dying parents. I had to revisit the original videos to keep my bullet journal going and make it work with my increasingly crazy life and all that I juggled. I use a few special pens and pick 5 colored markers for the month. No more decorations than that until I complete a day, week , month of real logging. Then I reward myself with using sheets from my sticker collection. 😍
I didn't expect to get a shot in the arm for my art practice in a video about Bullet Journal practice, but that's the magic I guess. Thank you for the tips Ryder, especially tip 4.
Re. BuJo, I have messy ones, super simple ones, and have this year started doing a more colourful and arty one. I love watching other people's videos of their journals. But because mine contain so many honest details of my life and the way I process it, I can no more share it than I can show people my underwear. There's nothing in there that isn't either private or messy. I think I'll just enjoy other people's journal art and enjoy my private journal practice at the same time. Now if only I can remember to note my reflections on the app...😅
I completely agree with what you are saying. I am an artist too, and started doing bujo 2 months ago. I am also seriously in need of more organization in my house, and in my life. I'm finding that for right now, making my bujo "pretty" is the last thing I need to spend time on (although that may change as chaos diminishes & organization increases), and that if my bujo practice is going to be real enough to help me make changes in my life, it will also be very personal, and not to be shared as "art." I too enjoy other peoples' bujo art, but the biggest benefit for me right now is to keep it fairly basic and use it as an organizational tool.
Great video. Very helpful. I especially find your advice on setting an intention valuable. I've often wondered why I feel compelled to keep a journal. Putting it into words and keeping it in perspective will help me remain committed to the process.
This video comes at an ideal time for me. Over time I have learned that the factors that most harm me when it comes to continuing with my intentions are 2.
1. When the practice starts to get too complicated and I start to lose focus of what is really important to me, which I think you make perfectly clear in this video.
2. When external factors such as a possible move, travel, receiving visitors at home, alter my routines. It would be great if you could inspire us to better manage these events.
What helps you in these cases?
Thank you very much for everything you share. You are inspiring!
All the pretty spreads you see online are lovely but to me that seems like it’s just adding another task that you have to complete, something that you need to perfect which means you are going to put off doing it. I’m an artistic individual but I can’t be bothered with all that. Bullet journalling has been a great way to get my brain down on paper quickly and keep track of things coming up just using the basic system. I don’t use trackers, I don’t do fancy titles. The fanciest I get is a bit of highlighter on the page title and dates just to break things up a bit visually but my journal is messy. My handwriting is not neat. I have random pages of notes in between daily logs but I can find everything using the index.
It’s a tool to enable you to get stuff done. Don’t make it a chore in itself. Let it be imperfect.
Thank you for the video! These 5 points are really useful for moving forward with my issue: I have not used the collection section in my BuJo yet. So I decided to use those 80 pages to just plan the following months. It is what I need now to finish all my projects. To paraphrase a common quote about making money, "“Don't work for your Bullet Journal, make it work for you" 😆
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. I love the idea that failure is really only feedback, useful feedback. This video is golden and I'm taking it to heart. Happy New Year!
Never actually seen you before. All I have to say is it helps. Thank you very much!
Thank you for another video, really helpful and inspiring! And I love how honest you are (particularly about journaling for others..)
I am curious about something: how to go from a need, to a practice? For example, how to go from "I want to loose weight", to fitting it into your schedule.
Is there a certain amount of steps you take? For instance mindmap about the change you want to make, discern goals, set intentions and then work out practice time into your daily schedule?
Happy bullet journaling to you, too!
SOOO well done. Thank you!
I am new to Bullet Journaling. I am in a quilt group with others my age and older, 67. Some of us can’t hold our intentions in our heads for the day and we make a list to work from. Some cannot remember why they went to the store or what they were even saying. We are a product of the 60’s hippie drug culture. I know how common this is and I feel so lucky to have lived this long so I use ‘helpers’ like putting things in my way so I remember what ever I need to do. Bullet journaling has taken a load off for me and I hope to be able to set some of us up with a journal that will work for their stage of memory loss. I am not on any social media so fortunately I haven’t seen any of the journals you refer to. Mine is basic and functional but I ordered the Bujo X because I have a dip pen that I adore. I want you to know that your product is helpful to little old ladies and very much appreciated. Thanks Ryder.
some might say it's a good thing you're not on social media :) I'm glad the method has been helpful for you!
This video really met me where I was at! Thanks for sharing!!!
Advice please: I've been bullet journaling for a year and a half now.... I've collected data on me to try to make me happier. I keep track of my sleep, mood, food intake, and lazy hours. Averaging the mood each day and averaging everything each month. I try to write a journal entry every once in a while, too... I just feel like it's more data gathering than learning anything. I always have more energy than other, so sleep isn't really effecting things. I think my food is. Which is why I split it into snack, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I've always been underweight, so I figured that might be it. I can't stand having an unproductive day, so I kept track of my lazy hours, too. In the morning and evening I write down my mood on a scale of 1-10. I want to feel more, but I feel as though I'm so focused on the data gathering because it's fun for me. I love to collect my data, but I can't seem to put it to use... I've recently started keeping track of my water intake, too. I just don't know how to use what I've found. I can barely find a relation between the information gathered and my mood. I could be at an 8 in mood with 3 hours of sleep, no water, and one meal, but at a 3 with everything at a good level. What should I do to find a trend and fix it? Or should I just try more journal entries than data entries. Maybe even make a control week and lower different things to see what changes... Maybe I'm just thinking about it too much. Advice? Anyone?
These are perfect things to reflect on. If your mood is only 3 when everything else should be good, why is that? Is something on your mind on that day, can you identify what makes your mood low or was the mood low already in the morning? Did something happen yesterday? Same thing with good results. What made me happy today? What I think effected my mood today. Ask yourself the 5 whys. Start with why are you tracking these things...and answer.. then ask again why...and so on.
Now, this is very helpful. Wish I’d had this starting out.
Thank you - this was so very, very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this video and the important points! Every one of them I had to learn in the past. It is like sport - I don‘t do sport only for doing sport. I have goals, which i want to reach by doing sport. Having a BuJo for having a BuJo doesn‘t work!
Well said!
Another fantastic video, thank you.
Q: paper has a nearly infinite potential. it's quite scary. especialy when you are a perfectionist. how do you deal with the fear to start.
Daniel, I had a similar problem recently. I reached the end of my notebook. I opened the new notebook and felt stuck: it was pristine, and I would spoil that pretty, untouched state by putting pen to the paper. And, whatever I wrote might turn out wrong some how. After a day of wondering what to do, I skipped the first page and on the second page, I wrote this near the top: "Just write!" That broke the ice for me. I tiene the page, por the date at the top, and started my regular journaling again.
@@monim5431 same, I think I should use app. Cause The kind of thing I write to my journal is wired somehow. My fear is if my parents or cousin or classmates find this, they would mock me. Also I cant bring the big dairy all place. Cause I have to do.
Use erasablr pens
I've been Bullet Journaling for about three years now. When I started I my stated Intention was to take a hobby into a some more professional; the first step was to develop and deepen the basic skills of my craft. I've made a ton of progress in past three years, due in no small part to the tools from the Bullet Journal method. My question for Ryder: how do I use the Bullet Journal to transition from my previous Intention (acquiring skills) to new one (becoming a working professional artist)?
Genius on so many levels ✨. Do you incorporate your long form journaling like stream of consciousness or morning pages on your bullet journal? And if so how do you do it or what suggestions do you have about that. Thanks you 🌱
Just jumping in to say, I do this. Like he says, a new day on a blank page, and I often allow myself to Brain dump all of my thoughts each morning, and throughout the day. One notebook for everything.
@@rebeccaw9656 thanks for your reply i appreciate it, Yeah i been thinking about doing that seems easier and logical , but i am afraid that my business and home to do’s might get lost in all the writing
You can follow the new day on a blank page approach. Or you can set aside a certain number of pages for your weekly/daily logs and start your morning pages after, if this would work better for you.
@@bulletjournal the second idea sounds great i am going to try that, thanks you very much for your answer.
This has inspired me to listen (again) to my audible version of your book. I have the physical copy as well, with it’s worn pages.
Wondering though… new notebook? Or pick up where I left off? 🤔
So lovely to see you thank you for creating this system - I'm not fancy in my bujo but it's helped me a lot keep on top of things. I love your pen - any plans to put those on the market? 🌞
Thank you ♥️
You’re welcome!
i was wondering Ryder.. if we didnt catch up those missed days, how would a monthly log which is supposed to provide a bird's eye view ever be useful? and if we didnt have those regular journal entries, how would we be able to create the monthly log at the end of the month?
Question: Ryder, how would you adapt the bullet journal practice for retired people? Without much time restriction or external demands, I'm having a hard time getting thing done... Sound strange but I'm sure you know that the more time one has, the harder it is to buckle down and get things done. There's the lack of motivation, the absence of incentive and/or external validation or pressure. Some people may be very disciplined but other, like me, tend to need deadlines. I'm finding most of the approaches suggested more appropriate to someone with a job, a business, an externally driven lifestyle. As a newly retired person, I struggling with finding a new approach to getting the most out of my life. I would welcome some insights and suggestions. Many thanks (I've been bullet journaling for years).
Have you determined what is your new intention in retirement? And my post is coming wayyyyyyy after your initial comment so hoping this finds you well.
@antoinettebefree In a way, the problem is both 1) having a lot of things I could be doing - just for the fun of it - and feeling like a kid in a candy store...unable to decide what to focus on and, 2) struggling with shaking off the old habit of feeling I should be doing something useful, something with a purpose. I'm doing OK but thought @bulletjournal could focus a bit on those of us who are at a different place on our lives and may need slightly different "tools" to organize our days and get the most out of them. Thanks for reaching out!!
@@celinem8456 you’re very welcome. And I think @bulletjournal can help (disclaimer: I am very very very new). I see it as the place to hold what you choose. So, choice is really what’s operating here because if the kid in the candy store eats everything their belly will not like them. You have such a great opportunity to choose without the pressure of the hustle of what you must. May your retirement journey be the stuff dreams are made of. 💓
Question: What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Loved the video and started a bullet journal because of you. I used to put all the things I wanted and needed to do on a mega gigantic list and then start doing them one by one but I felt lost by doing it like that, so I started with your method and it help me. Could you show us your beginnings with this method if you still have the old books? Thank you!!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
THX!!
Hi Ryder,
You say you use personally your monthly log to keep track of what you do during a day (youtube & The Bullet Journal Method). Do you migrate unexpected events that pop up from your daily log back into your monthly log?
How do you fit this into the monthly log half spread?
Thanks a lot for this, it's definitely encouraging. I've been struggling to form any habit at all (BuJo being one of them), but I think it's time to give up giving up. ;-)
I have two questions for Ryder (and the community):
1) Do you have any tips on how to integrate the BuJo practice into the day? The BuJo is firmly integrated into my morning routine, but during the day I don't find a good opportunity to take notes. In the evening I am often too tired or - unfortunately - just too lazy.
2) How can I get rid of the mental barrier to write down only "objectively important" things, like to-do lists or appointments? I would like to give my thoughts, feelings and interests more space, but it doesn't work out so well.
Thank you so much for your work and sharing your system!
Gratis video, thank you.
Question: where to write those tasks that don't need to get done in a specific day, week, month or year? Just someday.
I think this could be one of the "collections". Just one page/spread with massive to do list, maybe.
I'm coming off an extremely difficult year where my BuJo practice (2016-present) was constantly derailed by life events. This video on re-booting triggered the reflection/realization that I'm actually experiencing a major psychological shift within a larger context that includes the pandemic, life losses and recent health issues. Question: To avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater, how do you suggest utilizing my BuJo to reduce overwhelm navigating a major life transition? (As soon as I wrote that I saw the word "Intention" in my mind - so I may have answered my own question). Thank you for this amazing practice that has contributed so much to my life.
Coming back again and again to your very first BuJo videos. After unsuccessful use of regular day by day planner (as it happens almost every year), I decided to give Bullet Journal another (I think third already) try. Just a notebook and black pen, and your original video system, nothing more.
Some people have misunderstood the idea of Bullet journal and all those pretty spreads, washi tapes, weekly spreads and so on - this is simply self made planner. No offence to them, I mean whatever floats your boat. But Bullet journal is something else. It's the whole system itself and why Bullet journal is named Bullet journal - because of the bullets, that are used in the system, not because of the dotted grid of the notebook e.g.
Bullet journal system is not something that you understand right away. It took me a long time and I needed to rewatch your videos and read articles over and over again until it finally clicked. And once it clicks - oh boy, you see the whole thing from the different level and actually understand how awesome the system is. And the realization that you don't need much - just a notebook and pen, not even a highlighter e.g., because the little star* in the system serves as a highlighter.
I encourage people not to give up on the system if not getting it right away, and not to feel discouraged when seeing other people artistic spreads, huge habit trackers, "collections" pages and so on. This needs to be YOUR tool and it needs to serve for you and you only. Start as simple as possible. You have the whole notebook to start over and over again, to mess everything up, start again, and eventually find out what works for you.
Thank you, Ryder!
How do I know which things to actually let go for the next journal?
Is it effective to leave blank pages in the beginning when you might need a collection in the future?
I don't know what magic is going on here where ppl have commented a day ago and the videos is only 2hrs. Old (at the time of writing this anyway). But any video by Ryder is one I watch. Regardless of how much time travel has transpired.
It seems the scheduled videos was visible through playlists before it was published :O)
Simplify 2:19 so drop the washi tape & stickers already (to the people who use them). Spending all day making spreads in a BuJo makes a pretty photo to share online, and that's about it. If you whiteout and erase every little thing you deem a mistake in your BuJo, you're missing the point (and srsly, find a therapist; a life were you can't tolerate small mistakes from yourself is torture). Doing art in a BuJo is one thing, trying to make the journal itself instagram levels of pretty is entirely another.
I see so many people sharing their bujo online who have others (viewers, followers) vote on or tell them what their bujo should be like… and how much this misses the point is not something those people seem capable of understanding. A performance is a good way of putting it.
Excellent comment! 👍
I love the idea of my bujo, but I never seem to be able to find a consistent use for it. I use my Google calendar for appointments, and I don't really enjoy journaling/writing about my daily experiences. How can I make my bujo a regular part of my life when I don't need to use it as a reminder calendar of appointments/events or for journaling?
Sounds like you need to start with your intention.
Using our journals with digital tools has been the topic of discussion for us over on BuJo U. It's a balancing act, creating a system that flows between both digital and analog. Thanks for sending over your question, it's a great one for us to cover in a video.
Where can I find yesterdays live stream?
You are one beautiful man. 👌🏻
Hi Ryder! Could you please explain the difference between the basic bujoU membership included w/the Basics and Beyond course vs. the Premium bujoU membership. Thanks for all you do!
Will other sizes of the bullet journals be made? How should someone choose the best one to use if they decide to go with another brand, bc let’s face it, they can be pricey. And also, how can someone overcome the fear of failing to start and keep using their bullet journal?
About the fear of failing to start, and then failing to keep it up: give yourself permission to do it that way. Often, this fear is based on the idea that it has to be perfect or I should not waste some magic person's time by starting. Your time is the only time that counts. So, try a new mantra: "Even imperfect journaling is worth it!" Consider planning to start, stop, and start again. Example - allow yourself to write "Hello, Me" in your journal every day. Nothing more!...unless you want to keep going. This gives you permission to start even if you don't have much to say to the page. It also gives you Permission To STOP! In fact, you are expected to stop after writing two words. Give it a try!
I like the bullet journal but I find it hard to use when colleagues largely use digital means for scheduling and work tracking. How to integrate a paper bujo without duplicating what is on the digital apps. How to manage those scopes to be clear what goes where.
6:15 “…Now it’s all we will ever have. The best time to begin is now.” - Ryder Carroll
“It has to start somewhere. It has to start some time. What better place than here? What better time than now?” - Rage Against the Machine - Guerrilla Radio
Would it be possible to have a video on how to migrate from an old used notebook to a new fresh bullet journal?
I started with bullet journaling during my further education in 2019…after this I lost my routine…I want to restart because I need to find my focus again
be gentle with yourself as you do this - I hope you see this as an invitation rather than something you have to force
I didn't know I needed to hear that catching up isnt necessarily a good thing and I shouldn't do it... I've been struggling with mental health and have lost touch my bujo. But each time I pick it up, i feel like I have to catch up, note the highlights and lows since I last wrote...
Ryder anytips for being consistent with bujo!
There's a video on this! Check it out :)
What to do with pages & index that are no longer serving you to keep it streamlined… I found a Biko I started 5 years ago & my needs are different now, leave the pages? Cut out or just cross out on the index? I don’t want to waste what can still be used & start a new journal.
what i see is only art journals, not bullet journals.
Question for Ryder: How do you keep your lists from being super chaotic and cluttered? I have so many thoughts and to-dos during a day that my list gets cramped
Intention vs structuring causes.
You and I have a philosophy disconnect around intention. This is not to attack your point, but to show an alternate view of the idea that is more meaningful to me and those who think like me.
I view free will as largely illusory and of much less scope than most people. I'm more in the camp of post-intentional thought, eliminativism and so on. I don't want to argue the merits of those ideas here, only present a point of view that works for me in regards to bullet journaling. I view things more about cause and effect in my life. What I can do is set myself up for the kinds of causes that lead to the effects and results I prefer. This is the kind of idea about habits as presented in Atomic Habits. Structuring a system (causes) of things that guide you along a more personally desirable narrative.
We are all in the process of becoming, though there is not necessarily any arrival. Adjusting some of those inputs in the process, the causes, is more meaningful than the ideas around intention and its philosophical baggage.
The music is too distracting for me. 😕
QUESTION: what about using a binder instead of a regular notebook?
It really doesn’t matter what kind of notebook you use. If a binder works better for you, use it. It’s all about what is working for you.
I'm in recovery and while I keep restarting my planning and my organization how to I follow through and learn to stick to my intention and goals. I plan so we'll by ten I never follow through and my profress
Wanting to catch up is my biggest pitfall
Will the July live stream be uploaded, please??
It's up!
@@RyderCarroll thank you, man!
Where do you write down your intentions?
“What do you want to begin, now?”
Che penna usi?
Omg you look like Anthony Hopkins.
He does!!!
I'm gonna have to disagree on something here. Money can be a HUGE reason why we don't get what we want (or need). If someone says otherwise, I have to question whether they have ever truly lacked for money.
oh they know... this video was made for me lol