My Bullet Journaling Story
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- Опубликовано: 23 авг 2024
- Hey everyone!! Welcome welcome to a story of why I quit bullet journaling, what I was craving instead, and what I am doing now. If you guys have ever also quit or shifted how you do bullet journaling, tell me why in the comments!
Chapters:
00:37 what bullet journaling is and what it has become
02:08 my history
04:11 dailies & migrating tasks
06:31 the minor stress of drawing my own layouts
07:09 the online community & creativity
11:12 rapid logging wasn't for me
12:50 the joys of a preprinted planner
17:49 why i'm back in a bujo
I always kinda feel bad for Ryder Carol for how badly his idea has been co-opted. If you search bullet journal, you don't find the simple, uncomplicated method. Art journaling is totally valid, but not the simple, distraction free goal for people with ADHD that Bullet Journal was supposed to be.
As a person with ADHD, I get easily distracted with all the bullet journal spreads that aren’t actually bullet journal spreads lol. I love Ryder’s method but the concept is almost too simple, like is that it? Yep, that’s all there is! My ADHD brain can’t comprehend the simplicity, wants to make it more complicated than it really is and I overthink it then I just end up not doing it 😂 So yeah, the art of bullet journaling is great as a distraction and that’s why it doesn’t work for me hahahah
Dude has major cult leader / Batman villain vibes and is still clearly doing pretty well for himself, so I don't feel that bad, but I do laugh heartily at the fact that I think everyone else on earth assumed that the "bullets" in a bullet journal were the dots in a dot grid notebook. Personally I also don't want to be accosted with Wellness Retreat Seminar when I'm looking for "functional planning", which is exactly what you get on the official Bullet Journal channel.
every time i hear “i have adhd so i’m not going to try bullet journaling” i want to scream
Anytime I watch a video where someone is talking about bullet journalling but obviously doesn't know what it actually is, and who doesn't reference or link to Ryder Carroll, I always write a comment about it so hopefully others might see my comment and look into it further. On the one hand, what you see online isn't the real thing, but I think that the DIY Art Planners got the "bullet journal" term trending so enough people who actually do their research can find the real thing.
yes yes yes!
It’s really nice hearing about why the core of the bullet journal method didn’t work for you-for a lot of the ‘why i quit bullet journal’ videos are about why the extraneous/decorative things didn’t work. You’re also right about the decorative/artistic things showing up first/only. It took me YEARS to find accounts like kaitlin grey or lindsayscribbles. I actually had a similar journey to yours 😅; only going from erin condren sticker-heavy spreads to the pared down bullet journaling system!
And the rapid logging and daily logs work for me for the same reason they DONT work for you, which I find super interesting-I have ADHD, and my focus, energy, etc. always fluctuate so much I need to be able to flip to the next blank page and set up something entirely new very often!
I have ADHD, and the bullet journal made it possible for me to plan from an emotional standpoint. Planners used to actually hurt my feelings because I forgot to use them, have memories of getting in trouble for not using school ones, etc. With bullet journals if you fall off, you just start on the next page.
These days though (after a few years of bujo and getting over those feelings) I find myself wanting to go for an actual planner. Migrating can be kind of a chore, and it would be nice to just put something in March 25 right away instead of it going in a future log, then a monthly log, until that week/day comes along. Especially now that I am no longer a student and life is more appointment/meeting based vs a long list of assignments.
Overall, would not be considering a planner if it wasnt for the bullet journal. Now it feels like I need more
I use my Google calendar for "long term" planning. And I add them in when I get to the month
The common planner has been a really good balance of the bullet journal and a planner when I need one. I lean into which ever I need on any given day.
I made a year’s worth of the monthly logs and tasks lists at the front of my notebook for each year and then just used it for however long they were needed, rather than having to wait, and having to track appointments for many people and a heavy medical needs dog. Made life easier.
I have an undated planner so if I skip for a while, I can pick up where I left off
I can relate, I couldn’t really use a planner because I was ill for about 5 years and everything was unpredictable because I never knew how’s I’d feel until the last minute, thus making planners unnecessary. However last year I was a lot better and started to “cosplay” as a person who had stuff to do and started to keep a planner. It was a vertical weeks set up, sometimes I used the time slots but mostly I filled it in with how I was feeling, ideas and deco was actually the thing that kept me motivated to use it daily. Now this year I use the same vertical weeks planner and also an appointment book for like hair stylists, when I really want to work on my time blocking/productivity (but mostly I track how I’m feeling and write how stressful it is to be productive ;)
I still bullet journal, and have been doing so on and off since 2017ish. I am also in grad school, and I like taking an hour every Sunday to set up my spread for the next week, it really helps clear my mind. However, I have a large distaste for the BuJo community as a whole, because it really feels like it became more about materialism and having all the pens and markers and washi tapes in order to create (replicate) a certain AeStHeTic (no shade to ARL or PBB who have turned their aesthetic into full-blown careers). The hyper-consumerism and commitment to aesthetic to the point of anxiety in pursuit of a "perfect" BuJo that looked like someone else's got really repetitive, and like you said, boring.
I loved how you talked about bullet journaling and how it didn't work perfectly for you. So many people say they quit without fully understanding how the system is supposed to work! I have ADHD and used the system for 7 years in a notebook like Ryder intended and it was planner peace for me - until I got tired of setting up monthlies and weeklies. And this year I went with the Hobonichi weeks because I was setting up my weeks exactly how they set them up. So now I bullet journal in a planner and it's working well for me so far! The bullet journal system has really solved so many issues I've had with every single other planner system I've tried digital or physical and I'm so glad Ryder shared it!
My life and needs have shifted a lot over the last few years. Bullet journaling has been flexible through it all.
It is definitely such an accommodating system and I'm so glad its workin for ya
When i was at work - as a teacher - planning and organisation was vital - i no longer have ‘urgent’ tasks since i retired so i have moved to undated planners - creativity is important to me and ‘habit’ tracking has become vital so that i can ensure i still have some structure in life - i really think that any journaling/planning/tracking has to fit the need of user
I don't work yet, but I'm a student and i agree! I used to bullet journal the typical way, daily spreads and lists etcetc. But when my classes started again, i started to abandon my creative bullet journal. So, since im a (broke😂) student and couldn't really buy a hobonichi dated planner, i made my own! I copied the setup of a hobonichi (months and weeks) and i basically used it like a normal dated planner. It worked out great for me!!
I jumped ship as soon as I saw that the Weeks had the same exact layout I had been drawing by hand for about 8 months. I still use Alastair method task lists in the weeks and I pull from that to populate my daily to-do lists that live in an A6 Avec. I'll never do undated again.
Undated can be annoying and adds another thing to think about. I hated drawing out my weeks too, I got a Moleskikn weekly then bullet journal to elaborate my days a bit as I go.
I tried a bullet journal again for a couple of weeks and I realised it doesn't match with the way my brain think about organisation. I love detail sorting with a clear overview, and keeping a bujo feels like having a room without storage where there are piles of stuff all over the floor.. I'm back to a filofax now but I've carried over the markers, washi and stickers so my inner child can still be happy despite doing all the grown up stuff lol.
you GOTTA take care of the inner child
Similar journey! I used a bullet journal for 3 years (6 A5 notebooks) and realized that I was basically taking time every week and month to draw out a dated planner. I liked the flexibility but was done with the chore of making my own layouts, so now I use a ring planner for the best of both worlds! I’m a huge fan of the Plotter system, because I can group my to-do lists and note pages into their project management folders to keep things tidy.
I will have to look up the plotter system! Thanks for sharing!
Oh man, I totally have the same problems with bullet journaling! I have been using my own planers for years and years, sometimes customized, sometimes handmade, sometimes drawn bujo-y ones. I'm so glad I found your channel because we have a lot in common planerwise and your videos help me find a more functional style that really helps me to focus instead of nailing myself to a style for a whole year that doesn't do it for me. Lately I've been combining a predated planer for my work and a notebook for personal planing, and yes, I LOVE jotting down everything that comes to my head on the next empty page as well and wouldn't really think to use empty pages in the back of a predated planer. My latest weekly is followed by multiple pages of research on Spain because I'm planning a vacation.
Sam!!!! I'm so glad that you liked the video and that you have been finding inspo from the channel
For the most part, I would say that the bullet journal method has worked for me, because it's so easy to drop and pick up things from it and go fast when I just need to write notes (because I've always had my Google calendar for dates/additional structure). But when I was in grad school, it was actually the dated Passion Planners that worked best for me, since it was so visual with the time/space. I still kind of miss everything that came with them, but ultimately I wasn't using it enough when I had to start working from home. Now I'm just full time in the bullet journal, which has always been half planning and half journaling for me. I agree that it can be hard to find creators with styles that I can actually use, though, so I've gotten used to cobbling things together from different places.
I tried bullet journaling in 2020 and 2021 and never knew how simple the original bullet journaling method was. I have always thought bullet journaling had to be decorative and only recently have actually looked into Ryder Carroll's original method and found how simple and minimal his spreads are. I feel re-inspired to start bullet journaling again, but I am currently using a dated planner for 2023. I'm not sure if I'll start bullet journaling again right now, or use it along side my planner, or just wait until next year. But I am glad to have found the more minimal bullet journaling method as I think I could benefit more from them rather than the beautiful artistic spreads that are out there.
I got interested in bullet journaling 5 years ago and got mine 3.5 years ago. When I discovered it, I knew nothing about Ryder Caroll. But I did not put thousands of trackers right away and basically had a monthly spread and weeklies. After experimenting, learning about Ryder Caroll and discovering a lot of people using it, I found a suitable way for me to use it. Rachael Stephen really inspired me and she doesn't embellish her journal much. Now I've got : a monthly spread with a vertical calendar and task page / weekly spreads with a vertical timetable, 3 main tasks, a to do list and notes / daily logs with tasks and long journal entries. This is what works for me and decoration depends on the month. But most of the time, I keep it pretty simple, with few doodles or stickers.
Even if I watched a lot of content on pretty bujos, I didn't feel the urge to make mine as pretty. It definitely got me to experiment and try decorating as much as them, but when I realised I couldnt keep up with it, I just stopped. And now that I've explored a lot and found something that works for me, I don't watch bullet journal content as much.
I am one of those people who bullet journal/ rapid log in my dated planner. The common planner was EXACTLY what I needed and wanted. The monthlies and the weeklies already setup let’s me plan like you do in the weeks (“ just flip to the day and write the event”) and the back pages let my days flow as they need. I figured out to split the pages vertically let’s me fit tons on my pages. This way sometimes a day is half a column or 2.5 pages and I can just keep going. The blend of both has been so freeing and comfortable.
This is so great to hear. I’m still in my bullet journal but ordered a common planner for 2nd half of the year. The design she created seems perfect to pre-plan plus still rapid log. I drew out monthlies and vertical weeklies in my notebook to test it out. Hope it’s working well for you
@@jeankd408 I hope you love it!
I tried to bullet journal and was almost paralyzed by the “need” to be creative and artistic. It became more about that than about planning. Also, like you, the one list approach doesn’t work for my brain. I like white space and things separated out visually. I’m using the Common Planner and really like it. I use a Hobonichi A6 for my work notes and do not make it pretty or decorate it very often. I may use a notebook for that in the future, but I like the dates printed on the pages.
I always wanted to have everything in one notebook and I've tried many different styles of note-taking. I'm currently using the 6-ring planner where I can freely mix the preprinted (dated or not) layouts with simple dotted pages for ideas, brain dump etc. I like Carol Ryder's ideas of BuJo except for the index one, for me it is inconvenient to search for the pages by the number. With rings system I just move pages to form necessary collection or just sequence of thoughts
When I first got into bullet journaling, I KNEW I didn't want to dedicate the time and energy to all the pretty spreads so I stuck to the basics (mostly just one single pen and a highlighter) and eventually found that my daily spreads boiled down to a to-do list (sometimes multiple on one page). At some point I got a regular A6 hobonichi (because I wanted to try doing marker illustrations on some spreads) but found the daily pages to be far too much commitment so I went back to simple bujo. Later I wanted to try dailies again and luckily for me hobonichi came out with their day-free series which is what I've been using since the start of 2022. I basically treat it like a bujo - there's space for daily tasks and if I only fill half the page that day, I can use the other half the next day (I have the A5 size). This makes it so I still have the freedom to use each page how I want (daily task page, journaling page, illustration page, etc) but since it's a hobonichi, it comes with the calendar views at the front which is where I jot down future events. Maybe you could look into the hobonichi day-free as you keep experimenting with your pocket journal!
I definitely respect your thoughts here. I will say I had a lot of the concerns you mentioned about bullet journaling before I realized they aren't really required. The point of bullet journaling is to be flexible. I stick to the original/official method. I use it to keep track of my fleeting thoughts (not to do lists) and use a printed planner for pre-planning my weeks/months. But before that I didn't do dailies, I just did weeklies. I'm so happy you found something that works! It's all a big experiment.
Totally agree Jourdan! Thanks for the comment ♥️
I love this! I tried to do the beautiful artsy spreads but it didn’t work practically for me. I started in a new basic notebook with the idea that I wouldn’t try to make it pretty, just functional. It’s been a MILLION times more helpful.
you hit the nail on the head on why bullet journaling became too time consuming for me rather than a productivy tool. setting up became a chore, even with simple basic layouts to the point where i'd just abandon trying in favor of sticky notes everywhere. this year i moved into a hobonichi cousin and have not looked back. i love art journaling, but found i need to keep it seperate from my actual planning.
Yeah same, it has to be distinct for me. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the detailed explanations you give about how and why you change up your planning process! I took your planner quiz awhile back and loved it! I, too, love the Hobo weeks for its dated weekly spreads. But I keep returning to Ryder Carroll's simple method of organizing a notebook which he calls a bullet journal. Hats off to all the talented, illustrators! What I like about the bullet journal method is its ease to set up and the blank page. Sometimes I really need a blank page and all the journal pages in a Hobo weeks mega gives me room. I like keeping my notebooks and looking back on my daily highlights and who I've seen each day. Or talked to or emailed. As I flip through my old notebooks (and planners) I want to know what was going on rather than reviewing an old to do list. Sometimes a simple phrase (bullet) or three pages of longform sentences present themselves. When I see the washi tape, stickers, highlighted spaces and decorative artwork not only in my own notebooks, but mostly in others, I think about how all that ephemera highlights each person's life at that time. That's why a keep a journal.
I don't bullet journal anymore, it started as a fun simplistic way to organize my thoughts, but after going down the Pinterest rabbit hole, it turned into a super complex and time consuming activity. I also shared my spreads with some family members and friends that I felt proud of, and then began being requested to share it with others too. "You gotta check this out, Joe, look at her notebook!" So from there I began using codewords that I only knew, it turned into a huge chore and wasn't fun anymore. I currently digitally plan because I still am able to write and be creative, but am able to post photos and copy text more easily and that really works for me! Thanks for your videos, they've really helped me to look inward and see what I need, and ignore the extrinsic motivations! ❤
I used the Bullet Journal method for well over 5 years. I almost dropped it because of the artsy pages. The whole "I can't do this" kicked in and then someone pointed me in the direction of Ryder Carroll's video and it all changed. I am very much a daily log type of person so drawing out weekly pages wasn't a thing, having complicated "spreads" wasn't doing it for me. I found a definite groove. I have been a follower of TCMC for a long time and had watched her Hobonichi videos and was curious and coffee spilled all over my bujo so I took the opportunity to get a Cousin and I haven't looked back since. I started with the Cousin last March and it was everything I needed. I didn't have to draw out the weeks (I still do have a love-hate relationship with the weekly pages, because I don't really need them but I have found my groove with them finally) but I love having the monthlies all right there and having the daily pages to rapid log my tasks and a spot to journal. Like you mentioned about the creativity in a pre-printed space, I have felt mine. More so than the blank page. I started back to school this last summer and the pre-printed pages because a necessity because of time constraints. But I quickly felt the restrictiveness of the pre-printed planner especially when I needed a wide open space to dump a bunch of things for my class. Enter the A6 bujo. Wow, I never thought I would like, much less love, a small bujo but (like some in the planner community) after Helen started using her A6 I thought it might be good. I ended up with the Stalogy and it is perfect! I can have all of the wide open space to take notes, log tasks, keep track of things with my classes -- it is perfect. I throw it in my backpack and bring it to work. It has become my EDC. My Cousin is 100% my brain on paper and I love it so much, but my cute little pocket bujo is just perfect. So I have come full circle a bit and re-entered the world of bujo but on my own terms, nothing fancy, and 100% pure function. All while still keeping my pre-printed. Wow, that was a lot and probably way more information than you needed, haha! Thanks, as always for sharing your content :)
I also left bullet journaling some time ago! While I liked that the original Ryder Carroll method was optimized for productivity, I'm someone who gets bored easily with repetitive, simple layouts, so I was/am an artsy bullet journaler at heart. I also discovered early on that I need proper calendar and weekly layouts in order to make sense of the information I have written. Now, between grad school and raising a toddler, I just don't have the same kind of time to devote to making my own layouts over and over again. I moved into a Hobo Weeks this year and I'm loving it so far! It strikes the right balance with me between structured monthlies/weeklies while keeping the room for flexibility and creativity as my needs change. I also really like the smaller size, as I don't get nearly as overwhelmed looking at it. I do keep a supplementary traveler's notebook, though, for my various creative projects (writing, VN planning, characters, etc) that likely wouldn't fit neatly into my Weeks.
New subscriber here! I was an avid bullet journaler until about 2020 myself and have kind of been all over the place with planning until this year when I started basically OG bullet journaling with a felt pen and Field Notes - which now accompanies me from room to room and place to place just as much as my phone! With a (very) recent ADHD diagnosis I'm finding I need a little bit more structure/time tracking which is how I found you. ♥Your channel has been so helpful for me as I revamp my planning routine going into 2024. Between this and the distraction method you've basically already fleshed out what I was planning to do, I just ordered a Hobonichi Weeks and I'm exited to dig in and get into a sustainable routine again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I love the minimal, task-list style of bullet journaling and I use this for my daily planning no matter what system I'm in. Over time, however, I've realized that having the structure of a dated planner significantly decreases my anxiety. I'm spatially oriented, so if I mix all types of spreads together in a bujo I feel more disorganized. I'm right there with you on having a supplemental notebook for your planner, which is what I do now. I do my main planning in a medium Passion Planner and put messy notes in an A6 Stalogy.
This! I hadn't managed to put this into words. Thank you!
I draw out all the monthly calendars beforehand, so my notebook always begins with the calendars for the year. I never cared for the weekly because some days were full of things while others were so slow, and wasting space really bothers me. So my bujo is mostly rapid logging and other notes, but all of that only shows up after the monthly calendars.
I stopped bullet Journaling due to the art. I felt like it was time consuming and I kept aiming for perfection. And I got caught up in it. I have recently come back to it because I couldn’t find a planner that fit my needs. Now it’s functional and much better for me. I don’t focus on the art anymore. It’s really basic but I love it.
Thank you for sharing your journey!
I totally did the oscillating from system to system. My bullet journaling started in 2015 at the same time I picked up a hobonichi techo. In 2016 I kept only a bullet journal and that lasted through 2018 until I went back to hobonichi. I haven’t looked back, but I’ve definitely adapted the weeks to be more journalesque, including attaching extra pages in the back 😂
Loved this video and your honesty, Rachelle! And: Yay, pen & ink functionality! I started out this year in a Hobo A6 for dailies (yes, I am a daily planner and have always been, tho' I tried out weekly planners and bujos after I retired). I started this year in Hobo A6 and it worked ok for every day, but I found myself longing for my favorite FC rings with pocket size Blooms inserts. The size and structure is perfect for me, comfortable as an old shoe after using FC planners for years during work life. Planner peace is found!!
This was a great video. Really enjoyed hearing about your journey and your reasoning. I like your idea of drawing out a layout first to see if it works before buying a dated planner. I actually did this in reverse for the common planner I already ordered but thankfully so far it’s working out ok. Lol
This is my second year back in a dated planner. I started bullet journaling (original/minimalist) to try to increase my productivity, but I never got into using Dailies. Like you, I got tired of having to rewrite the layout every month, year, journal. My current planner stays open on my desk, and I use an app for recurring task lists.
Having an app honestly comes in so clutch sometimes
My best system has been a hobo a6 for work (dailies, with hour by hour planning/post-logging), with 3 big goals on top of each daily and weekend days used as week planning. My personal planner houses quarterly personal goals, monthly lay out with health trackers on the days of the monthly (pollen count, temperature, headache, advil, mood, etc), then weeklies which I now realize look exactly like hobo weeks weeklies (but the hobo weeks is way too small). I use a half year a5 stalogy for the above and lay it out every three months. Never fancy. Black pen for writing and a mildliner for drawing lines and headers. And then I have a travelers notebook that houses a daily(ish) journal, random projects and lists, and book notes. Mentally I don’t find journaling or being creative in a dated planner very helpful. Plus I love that TN inserts are short, so I get to be random and then replace the insert after it’s quickly filled. I found when I open that dated planner (even if it’s like my stalogy that I dated myself) I am not in the head space to journal or be random. I benefit so much from separation. Also, events and to do items are all done digitally. I refuse to make my planners about to dos, esp my personal one. It’s for goals and tasks that go back to my goals. The rest is minutiae. :)
The bullet journal, for me, is so much like the spiral notebooks of grade school. you can't move pages around and you have to do the indexes and other page points to go find stuff. and you have to make it yourself. i lived in 3-ring binders back then. it's absolutely wonderful that Ryder was able to find a working method for him.
I was a big Bullet Journal person for a while, but got overwhelmed by the decisions I would need to make. Since using a Hobonichi Weeks this year, I've seen my mental health improve because once again have a container to put memories and tasks. That said, I also have a Passport TN where there are no rules and having these two separate spaces works really well and I'm finding that I am actually more creative that I have been in the past because there is a place for structured and unstructured journaling/record keeping/planning, ect. PS - I really liked this video. Thanks!
I have been using the bullet journal for a long long time..maybe from 2018 onwards..I have come a long way with how I use them..before I used to try and decorate and doodle and make it attractive and colourful with multiple pens, highlights, washi tapes and stickers...the notebook was a big journal type one and then it got smaller and smaller n the stationary is reduced to just 2 pens and a few hi-lighters now..I have skipped a lot of spreads and have just a few regularly used ones..I have skipped trackers and so many things that I though I had do have..from my experience BuJo is what u want it to be..and the basic original tutorial is the only one u should see when u start out..the others overwhelm and discourage you..I am a happy BuJo person and I have perfected it to sute my style..😁
I'd love to see the term omnijoural (or just plain ol' journal) return to fasion. A bullet journal (and for that matter a commonplace journal) , to me, is a term for a specific type of journal; it's pedantic of me I know, but it makes me twitch when it gets used for everything.
i once mentioned in a group that when people pre-draw out a month or year of weekly spreads and that’s their whole planner, that’s by definition not bullet journaling, and got told off for being a gatekeeper 🙄 bullet journaling is useful and helpful for a lot of people and it is actually bad that when people look it up what they find is just “draw your own art journal planner” lol
@@eikawithac oh SAME, it drives me up the wall!!
@@eikawithac I'd like to gatekeep the word "gatekeep" because by definition, stating a definition or fact, is in fact, NOT gatekeeping. 😆
No, I agree. I've seen people use the term bullet journal for what's really just a sketchbook. No dates or plans to use it for planning. Some people who create reading journals call them bullet journals, too, which makes no sense. "Bullet journal" is not a catch-all term
@@Somebodyelse141 someone else in these comments mentioned that a lot of people seem to think "bullet" refers to the dots in a dot grid and unfortunately that really tracks
I find a lot of functional people are working out of pre-planned style inserts and don't do a lot of videos. It's the creative/artist community sharing their beauty and fun that tends to rule in YT videos. I recently found Sterling Ink and YEEESSS...It is wonderful and I plan to buy for future years.
That is definitely true! BUT i feel like its because people feel like their functional stuff WON'T get love. I personally am here to love the functional stuff!!!
Same! More functional, more better!
I still bullet journal (the simple way) BUT I currently only use a regular notebook with printable trackers. Works well for me. I don’t have a lot of scheduled tasks so I don’t have to worry about loosing tasks. Any events are scheduled into my phone with reminds. Using a notebook allows me to write or do anything in it but once I finish the notebook I can sort the pages into what I need vs what is gibberish.
Ahhh a hybrid system that works. I love that.
I also start from the back in some of my books, it's great for things where I don't know how much space I'll need. Nice to see someone else who has the urge to do this!
Came to say the same thing! Guess there are a few of us 😊
Re: how old bullet journal is, my first bullet journal dated back to Feb 2014 :) I decided to turn this year's bullet journal into a therapy / wellness tool, and as traumatic memory came up, sometimes I could write 3 pages in one day, but I've never used more than 60% of a notebook each year when I was using it as a productivity tool. I have ADHD too, and I think the disadvantage of the original bullet journal is that I have poor working memory, and pages hopping is stressful. I watched a recent video from Ryder and he's using his monthly spread as an archival summary page, so no one should feel bad about not sticking to it, or trying something else if it doesn't work for you.
These are great notes especially from the ADHD perspective
"It's my planner, I can do whatever the fuck I want" had me like, GIRL YEEEEESSSSSSSS!!! 💃🏽
YAAAAAAAAA
Thank you! I felt the same way and have multiple failed "fancy" BuJo's that didn't function for me. Now I have a hodge podge of different styles that I cycle through. Trying to find the "Magic" combination. I'm setting up a composition notebook with what works, for next year. I'll get a nice journal when I find my ride or die spreads and combos. In the mean time, I'll enjoy journaling along with your videos. 😊
I bullet journaled for a few years and did love it, but it’s just so time consuming! It also was very counter productive… I wouldn’t get my monthly or weekly set up in time so I wouldn’t have anywhere to put my appointments, etc., and as a result I was LESS organized than before I bullet journaled. I switched back to dated planners in 2019 and am currently in the Hobonichi Cousin and it’s much more functional for me.
It’s interesting to hear how bullet journaling works so well for some. It has never worked for me. The art journaling aside - I am with you about the rapid log 😅. It was absolutely maddening for my brain to see a long list with symbols. When it comes to planning - I love structured planners with a defined place for everything. And then I love the blank notebook to long form journal (and maybe sketch? Have been trying to get into that too!). Thanks for the discussion!
Thank you for commenting!!! this is very much how I feel. I really do like the unstructured planner for all that thought/art dumping though.
I've tried doing it by hand, but with the time i have its so constricting. But I found about the Jibun Techo planner and omg let me tell you i have loved it since the day i bought it. Everything i need is right in there. And i won't have any fear of losing any space for my ideas or journals coz i can buy their notebooks. for the refill
I love Bullet Journal content and I keep a sort of modified (what we typically think of) bullet journal, but it has been perpetually wild to me how Ryder's system became what we see so commonly today
Btw, I have 3 journals; a "limited" bullet journal: I have a calender, a weekly task list, I weekly track my mood and journal about what happened in the last week, I track my grades, my chores, movies/books consumed and reviews, money decisions, and how much I read on particular days. That's it. I collage and art journal, but no yearly spreads.
The second journal is a monthly I use to note down tests and quizzes (which I also keep track of on my other journal's calender) but I Mark off the days and keep track of all of my test scores in the back.
The third is a daily, a mini hardback molskine and I can decorate as much or as little as I want, it can be really ugly or super cute. And I can write as much or as little as I want, but I try to write something every day. No boundaries, no requirements, stress free but a good way to keep track of things that happen in my life and manifest and what have you :)
1) Love your system and 2) I KNOW it's insane how different Ryder's original system is from what we see today, BUT I also feel like it can't really be separated out. Like, sure you can really like XYZ franchise, but the fandom kind of makes it hard to participate sometimes, yk?
This year I’ve switched from a ringed binder system to notebooks. I tried bullet journaling… the daily rapid logging part was fine until I had to do any future planning. Yes, I know there’s a whole future log thing, but I felt confined to one or two lines. I’ve just discovered preprinted bound books with pages at the end for rapid logging, but can still plan out future events. Now I can relax knowing my plans are in one place.
I struggle with bullet journaling as an ADHD brain because of the lack of pre-existing structure. The super blank page gives me choice overwhelm I guess. It even made me think planning wasn't for me until I tried weekly planning on a random booklet (even having the full bound book is a bit too daunting 😅). Random sidenote: the bg music on this one was a bit distracting, it sounds like there are two overlapped tracks. Your voice and way of explaining however are super engaging so I pushed through the music 😅
I like your videos and your functional focus! And that‘s me, too. I am in an (un)dated planner since 2012. I used mostly Moleskine XL (19x25cm), mostly type „project planner“ because it has a lot of additional notes pages. This way you have your full calendar AND a substantial notebook all in one (but no blank pages).
This year I use the Hobonichi Cousin, added 60 pages on top for the yearly planning procedures, that means creatively styled „collections“ for each life area, monthly goal-setting and review etc. I styled them completly as I wished and on bullet journal paper. (In the Moleskine before I used the unnecessary frontpages for this purpose, taped them over.)
In both planner systems I always tweaked the pages for my specific needs, adding habit trackers, word of the day, daily tasks etc. Never had any problem with that approach. I agree with you - some bounderies makes you even more creative while saving some time drawing them ;)
I tried bullet journaling for a whole year, too. Liked it in priciple, but it was too much work (I find), because I do use my planner very often as a work tool and don’t tend to skip days or weeks very often. But before that experiment I never used a future log in my planners, but adapted this method into my planners afterwards, which conveniently usually have such a thing by default.
So my conclusion: I‘d like to combine some bujo for the yearly and monthly planning, but prefer it on top of a dated planner fot the weeks and/or days - and additional note pages or daily pages are a must have. Ideally all in one book, not to heavy to carry. Quite a wishlist ;)
since becoming a mom I have had so many challenges with bullet journaling; whether that be with no time to create the spreads that work for me or just pre- planning doctor appts in the future it just stopped working for me. This year alone I’ve had so many frustrations trying to find a system to work (I’ve purchase 4 different ways of planning in 2024 alone). I am waiting for a sterling ink common planner that looks like it will work for me so Im praying that is the case! wish me luck
I love my Common planner because it solved the problems you are describing. I use Quarterly and Monthly to have an overview, weekly to journal and memory keep on key moments on that day, and use all the blank page at the back when an inspiration struck and just go with flow. For work, I followed your Weeks layout and it works for me! Thank you for sharing!
Omg glad that it's working for you and thanks for sharing! I have been loving my CP lately too.
I still do bujo because dated planners are expensive. In my country, a hobonichi can cause almost 4,000 Php (without shipping) and I just don’t have the money. What I do instead is copy the layout of some dated planners in my bujo for inspo. It’s a lot cheaper.
I just got my first hobonichi cousin yesterday because of this problem. I love setting up layouts and the whole concept, but sometimes my executive function is really bad and I just need a dated place to put my todo list. Right now I’m going to try using both. Schedule and planning and todos in the hobonichi, and lists and collections and brainstorming in my bullet journal. My business is getting more complex and my system is falling apart. The 24 hour schedule sold me on it since I work all hours of the day.
Lovely video :D My problem with BuJo is 1. the setup time. 2. the lack of flexibility and reminders. I know the "having to rewrite stuff" is part of the method... but as someone who doesn't have a lot of things to track/write anyway... it's more a flexibility of having different views of the same thing. I use a Personal Knowledge Management app called Logseq as my go-to journal app. Still applying some BuJo ideas. And for reminders I have a calendar for appointments and I use the app TimeTune for timed reminders to take breaks for example.
Still I miss miss miss analogue in that set up... so I'm still experimenting on what works and doesn't. I've tried a Hobonishi Weeks like set up... but Having a lot of horizontal space for the day instead of vertical didn't really work. And when I was shopping locally when all the planner madness because of school happens... the problem with most planners is that the weekends have less space... I need the weekends to have more space (or at least equal) 🤦♀
So I'm still setting up weekly spreads in my blank notebook to see what actually fits me :D
I use bullet journaling when it was new and I love being creative with it. Slowly it started becoming stale and I got disabled so making stuff from scratch is too much for my hands. I went to notion, but I love writing more, so I decided to combine it and ordered a hobonichi original after seeing someone using it on tiktok. I could still be creative if I wanted to, but I didn't need to do the daily stuff and calendar.
The useful and practical elements or ideas gathered together by RC as “the Bullet Journal method” are useful for many styles of journaling. After using the method, I likewise found it too fragmented and impractical for my personal use BUT there were gems within the method that worked wonderfully for me; aspects that I adopted permanently despite abandoning the method. It is not merely a matter of a journaler’s style preference, it is very related to an individual’s lifestyle and journaling needs - which are dynamic and subject to change over time.
I admire the art journals in the creative, makers realm; but I have other art and creative hobbies, and don’t need my journal to be a creative outlet as part of its functionality…obviously a creative individual’s creative energy will spill into all aspects of life, including keeping a journal; but I don’t need to intentionally create artistic spreads, or allow any decoration to distract or obscure the journal’s practical function.
I also haven’t been using a predated planner, because my daily/weekly schedule doesn’t need such micromanaging.
For the past two years I have been enjoying a One Book with One ink colour (monochrome) omni journal system. It allows the freedom to be as minimal or as decorative as desired, yet keeping a consistency in style and remaining very serene on the eyes, when flipping pages or reading. I still use multiple pens, or even stamps and stickers within the same monochrome. I needed to adapt to it at first, formerly using a full range of colours (fountain pen inks, washi, etc.); but it’s been great fun and a wonderful exercise in creativity. I plan to choose a new colour for the next journal, whenever my current undated book becomes full; and continue the monochrome style. It might be cute to pull out an old journal and identify the time of life by the colour used.
That is so cool, I love the idea of a monochrome notebook! Lately I've just been using black/grey, but I love the idea of changing it up, too. Thanks for sharing!!
I think the beauty of bullet journaling is that is is completely customizable: as simple or elaborate as you want and need. Using the original system from Ryder is just as valid as an artistic spread. Hearing people talk negatively in the comments about one or the other completely negates the mindset of finding an organizational planning system that works for you. And using pre-printed planners are also just as valid. The division in the community is sad when we're all just people passionate about the same things: planning and organizing our lives in a way that works for us as individuals. Instead of making different styles negative or "wrong", we should just unite and celebrate something we have in common.
Wow, so much of this resonates with me! Years and years ago, I was in a pocket Moleskine weekly memo (basically a Hobonichi Weeks with a smaller size and bad paper), and I listed deadlines and appointments/events on the dated side, then used the free page on the right to divide my to-dos by context, according to GTD. It worked, and I stuck with that for years. This year, I tried a MakseLife planner (ginormous. Looking to offload it), a Hobonichi cousin (also too big) and a Hobonichi Weeks mega with dailies on the back pages as needed. The only thing working for me is the Weeks, as my personal planner. I’ve decided to go back to a composition notebook for work as a bullet journal (I have to track every 15 minutes, so I do that to one side, list appointments at the top, and the rest is for to-dos, interspersed with meeting notes.)
For the rest of my life, I’ve got TNs: one standard TN with inserts for gratitudes/habit tracking, journaling/tarot daily draws, and one for art journaling/memory keeping. Another standard TN holds my Weeks as well as an insert for random thoughts, ideas, notes, etc. for brain dumps. One pocket TN for my “no, no… really” book, which is what I use for those days when my daily to-do list gets out of hand and I need to focus on the things I REALLY need to get done, and finally, one standard TN for fiction writing. It’s a lot, but that way I can find what I need.
Sorry for the novel. I’m a writer.
I picked the stuff that works for me out of the bujo system and don't use the other stuff. I don't use the bullets/migration and just make my list of things to do and cross them off as I do them. If the item has to be moved to the next week (I don't do dailies.) then I write it again. I have a future log (Alistair-ish), monthlies, trackers for my crafts, writing, reading, shows I want to watch, and a few other basic pages. I tend to make those my pretty pages at the beginning each year, and everything else is pretty much minimalist. This year I actually made the spreads I haven't changed in a few years into spreadsheets that I printed out and glued into my bujo so I didn't have to actually draw them out, saved me a bit of time. I also do an entire semester's worth of monthly and weekly pages at a time so I can just fill in the entire semester when I get the syllabus and calendar. I do like seeing what others do just in case they have an idea that will help me in mine.
Oh man, I bullet journaled for YEARS before I gave up and switched to the kokuyo jibun techo. I knew the core and tried to stick to it, but it was impossible to escape the pressure to make it into a scrapbook-with-to-do-lists. I love the setup videos, and they're soothing to watch, but man. If I ever see "minimalist" labeling a bullet journal that contains paint again, I am maybe going to scream a little. I ended up switching because of that pressure and also because I needed to set up for a while to make my bullet journal work--it wasn't enough for me to sit down and write out what needed to be done, because I flat out do not remember ANY tasks unless they're written down the moment they're thought of. Not just big things or meetings or chores, but down to, like, showering or brushing my teeth. Right now, I use a jibun techo, which has pre-printed habit trackers that you just need to label that I use for things like hygiene, in combination with a hobonichi cousin, and I use one for long-term planning and the other for day-by-day planning. I'm still searching for the best system for me, and am settling into something, but it does sometimes make me sad with how often I've heard people say that they could never bullet journal because they can't do all the pretty spreads.
Thank you for creating this video. Rachelle. I started to set up a bullet journal this year. But all it gave me was stress and frustration. I thought planning to start planning was too much for me. Then I ordered a Hobonichi Cousin from Amazon. No regrets here.
I am in the process of pulling away from the bujo system, but I can't find a planner to replace it!
My ideal planner is basically the A5 hobonichi cousin, but with the weekly section in the hobonichi weeks design, and with the daily pages with with the full page of writing space (so basically no quotes).
It would still need the monthly pages as well.
It's driving me crazy that I can't find a planner like this, since it makes sense that there are plenty of other people out there who would love this setup as much as me!
not sure if you still need this but i think Kinbor does an A5 with exactly this layout, maybe check out that brand :)
i have a hobonichi weeks mega and use the back pages as an anything goes bullet journal - and i love it. a lot of your journey sounds similar, but i do so much forward planning, i never lasted long in a bujo. thanks for the videooooo!! 😊 🙏
Thank you for commenting and watching!!
I've been off the hobonichi weeks for past 2 years as though I find it in good use but kept having supplimentary notebooks for just brain dump. Last year I sifted through my hoarding of stationary to find still wrapped up traveller's notebook in passport size. I used to experiment with the TN standard size but got frusterated with the many separate books and pulling them in and out. I tried out the TN passport along with a moleskin dated weekly planner. I actually stuck with them for most of last year. This year mainly using the TN passport the way Lindsey Scribbles uses, with 2 books. The first is a TN monthly and using the blank pages to house yearly habits. The second book I am using a penco notebook just for bullet journalling which I find I can freely write down notes wherever and whenever. So for the past 3 months (I started setting up 2023 last November) I have only been consistenly carrying this 1 planner system while in combination using the phone calendar and notes. I have not had the urge to get a suppliment notebook for any other writings/projects. Now my only problem is the other 2023 planners which I bought on impulse starting last August need to be re-assigned to other uses, like a fountain pen journal or my event note jotters. That way I can type up the notes later and put them into an event folder with pictures and event related PDF of shedule and lineup for memory keeping. PS - most of my events are film & food festivals.
I had a brief affair with the hobonichi cousin. What I really loved about it was not needing to create my weekly pages, and also that the sections were more organized. But I'm not always constant in my planning and take breaks regularly, so I felt like I wasted a lot of pages (and money) on that. I never really left my bujo. I also love that it's just a notebook. But I don't like how disorganized it is and how big it is. Even in dated planners I use the bujo method. The reason I'm avoiding branching out with more kinds of planners is that I'm afraid of needing many planners, many books. I don't like needing to carry a lot of books, especially how I'd need them in different sizes. (I guess the story I'm telling myself is that I'll forget some or get disorganized, which is something to look at in myself.) And I dislike the elastics in TNs.
Agreed. I can't do bullet journaling for that rapid logging reason. I need stuff do be organized and in certain places or it all becomes a muddle that feels very panicky. I need the dates and the structure, so I can mess around with creativity (or not) without losing the overview. Like you, I'm struggling a bit with flipping from dated to the notes pages, but I like the Sterling Ink Weeklies section because there's room for notes on a bunch of things - even if I don't end up in the notes pages, I still have a sort of summary. Still evolving....
totally agree with this take and that's exactly my struggle with the Common Planner right now - but so far, so good! Thanks for sharing.
I am one having a dated planner at work and using the bullet journal signifier and key, which helped me a LOT. On the personal side however I haven't quite found my "queen" planner 😉 I'm still experimenting with different sizes 😁
I am a graph paper girl too - I tried the dotted paper but my sight is not good enough and I couldn't see the dots while I was writing 😂
I tried buller joournal one, but I was already pretty sure, that I couldn‘t keep up with it, even when I focus on really simply spreads. I need the opportunity to put in dates and events that are probably month ahead. So a preprinted planner was better for me.
But I usually use a filofax ring planner, because it has the option to add or to take out things. When I want to, I can change my planning style troughout the year. Or I can ad additional pages for projects, trips etc. So I think it’s kind of a planner and bujo hybrid.
I used to bullet journal too but I got tired of setting it up and trying so hard to be artistic lol The hobo weeks saved me! I have one for appointments, chores, to pays, to do’s, to buy’s and a tiny tracker. I have a separate one for my MT course. Then I have a pocket moleskine for random thoughts and lists. BUT I also started using ring planners! A pocket one as my wallet, then a 😮personal rings for my book log and an A5 for my home planner (projects, supplies, service, meal prep, health, daughter’s uni sched, and wife’s work sched). I know that’s a lot but it’s my own version of GTD! I love your videos! Keep up the good work!
I’ve gone back and forth but I gravitate to the bullet journal. I like stencils and stickers but I don’t do pretty pages. I tried stamps but I made a mess. I use my phone for my daily calendar and master to dos. I use my Bujo for a future log, monthlies, weeklies, trackers, and books. Plus brain dumps, wish lists and notes.
I've kept bullet journals since 2017. I tend to fall off the wagon for a few weeks or months at a time and avoid buying dated planners because it feels so wasteful, so the bullet journal was a good solution.
I avoid 'migration hell' by putting appointments, deadlines etc in my phone and use my phone to backfill the journal so I don't miss important things. (Which is also vital for those periods of time where I'm too overwhelmed and lose track of everything lol, always my trusty google calendar backup)
I really like the freedom of it, I can change my layout to fit my needs. I've put 2 weeks in 1 spread, I've used 1 week on both sides of a spread, recently I've been putting the days of the week on the left, and tracking + master to do list + reading list + 'happy memory list'.
I keep an A6 notebook for quick notes, dailies when I need them, and space to write things out like packing lists or whatever. I don't like pulling out my very personal bullet journal in class so deadlines etc go in there first too.
I meshed will with the original method, though I didn't use it exactly the same way Carroll did. It was my homework tracker and class tracker and got me through college before my ADHD diagnosis. For this year, I've set up a psuedo-weeks in a b6 stalogy to see if I like the constraints and will buy one for next year. I also have a journal, which is more of a 'normal' journal than a bullet journal, but it sees lists, tasks, and spreads when I have the need and don't want it in the stalogy. I'll probably always have this backup journal no matter what I do with a dated planner in the future. It's too useful for my process and thinking.
That was an very informative video...Enjoyed it a lot... Thank you..
I did bullet journaling in 2014 when it came out and loved it but kinda like you said art journaling took over and I also loved that and did that for years but when depression hits me I just can’t make all those spreads then I feel so lost without a planner or view of my week. So I started experimenting in Happy Planner because I was hoping stickers would make decorating faster but then I just dumped money into that and never really got the hang of it beyond making pretty spreads. I’m currently in a Hobonichi multi planner system which is working really well. Hobo weeks mega for work type stuff, Hobo Cousin because I need that weekly vertical and it’s a nice place to journal as often as I can in the daily pages.
I tried BuJo for a few weeks after watching Ryder's video and reading his book. I can see the value in having one place for literally almost everything, but the upkeep required with setting up layouts, indexing pages, transferring tasks, and the like felt a little too much. I also felt the system invites "context collapse" via rapid logging if you aren't on top of the upkeep. I would go back through days and find mini to-do lists and notes next to long-form brain dumps intermixed - which made it confusing as to why I wrote it down in the first place. It seemed as if there was little if any organization in the system except that it's a capture device with some forward-planning tools.
I stared with a bullet journal, but same as everyone else, the artsy spreads just didn't work for me. It became overwhelming and just a chore trying to create spreads every week. I even struggled with the blank page when trying to do dailies. I finally found the Hobonichi Weeks and have switched back and forth between that and an ultra basic bujo-style daily task list for the past 4 years. I can't seem to find my groove between daily and weekly. I like both and both work well for me for the most part. But I think of everything I've tried, the Weeks has really stuck the most for me.
I loved a system I was using once upon a time with a dotted Atoma notebook, which I miss because you could move pages around easily. But the setup was starting to become a chore and i switched to dated. I do miss the functional spreads I made myself but my compromise is to use the hononichi cousin for experimenting with different spreads, charts, tables, diagrams etc, and using the days as an index instead of for the dates themselves.
i still bullet journal since 2017. I look for minimal or only pen or dude bullet journals and it helps find more functional things since i dont have the patience or time for suoer fancy spreads.
I've always used a dated planner but now I need a particular layout so I will be moving over to a notebook to make layouts in the order that I need them in to feel productive vs having to separate planners
I feel you on this, ive been in a "bullet journal" for the last year and a half and honesty, its really a hobonichi cousin layout that i draw myself into an a6 notebook 😆, it does have a few extra things, like chore tracking, but its pretty much my own dated planner with calendar, weeklies and daily task lists and reminders. Im like you though, im strictly pen and 2 highlighters, no stickers, no washi (unless im making a tab) and im struggling right now to find good productivity managment strategies to implement next year, its really frustrating, ive watched like 5 "planner/bujo set up" videos, thinking id get PLANNING ideas and strategies, but all they were doing was handlettered headers and a bunch of stickers! 😫 i actually need to use my plamner to aid me in productivity and future planning! I dont care how you stick your stickers in your notebook, im a grown woman with things to get done! Sorry, rant over, guess i need to just search out hobonichi set ups, maybe ill get actual planning ideas there.... good grief.
Definitely add in the terms “productivity” “functional” “minimal” and “Ryder Carol” to your bullet journal set up searches
I have a Wonderland 222 weekly, and the matching notebook for my rapid logged dailies. Although I used a planner before my intro to the plannner community, bullet journalling was really my introduction to the planner community. To this day, I can't for the life of my understand how people use planners like EC that only have like 5 notes pages. I need my notes pages!!
I followed the original Ryder method for quite awhile, with the only addition being a weekly page (because my time-blindness is so severe that I really, truly need it). I also started using an Alistair list, which is one of his recommended variations for a to-do list anyway! I fell off of it simply because I didn't love setting it up (that one monthly page seemed to be a real problem lol) and because I was trying to also use it as a journaling-journal, which made it way too busy way too fast.
I'm completely in love with a system such as Hobonichi Weeks (using the notes for more traditional bullet journaling 'collections' and such) + an A6 grid notebook (currently using a Stalogy, for reference, but I'm not married to the brand) to scrawl my daily nonsense all over (have a massive need to externalize my brain and it can get messy). It's that perfect balance of a neat, simple Weeks that's premade, flexible, and productivity-focused alongside my A6 for mind-mapping my thoughts, acting as a parking lot for my spontaneous ideas, and supports my gnarly ADHD brain - the A6 is what keeps my Weeks the functional, simple godsend that it is.
The only thing I'll consider changing in the future is a different size or setup of the A6 - for example something closer to Hobonichi size (A5 slim-ish) or perhaps the paper itself (thicker than the Stalogy, for example).
I've never been attracted to the bullet journalling system for the reasons you discussed. I need pre-dated spreads!!!
I loved the idea of the bullet journal and the freedom from a dated planner, but I quickly fell down the "decorated" bullet journal wormhole. Unfortunately, I found myself not having the time or not feeling like setting up an elaborate monthly layout and stopped planning in any manner. This caused a certain amount of anxiety and missed deadlines. I don't like the big planners, with extensive goal planning sections, or the less goal-oriented ones that look like they are made for my teenage daughter. I went back to bullet journaling earlier last year and allowed myself to plan out my days, write to-do lists, and journal when I felt the need, without the pressure of adding an elaborate monthly layout. I did this in a Dingbats notebook. Unfortunately, the size was a bit much for me. Then I stumbled upon one of your videos (yay, algorithms!). I'm now using two Hobonichi Weeks. One for work, one for life. I journal in daily for quick daily memories (sometimes). I'm now using my Dingbats for more in-depth journaling. The Weeks is working perfectly for me! And once in a blue moon, I'll doodle something if I'm in the mood
I went with and have used the travelers notebook system for its modular system. I am an art educator and artist, so my mind leans towards the more artsy methods but in order to bring in that chaos, that ADHD that I struggle with, I need an area that is more simple and uncomplicated...less chaotic. Honestly, I never read into the RC's bullet journal system so I never tried it, I went from a sketchbook/planner to something more organized. I have a regular size TN and a passport TN. The passport TN goes everywhere with me, it's for everything, then later if I have time to update things I reach for my regular TN, if I have time.
I tried to do bullet journaling when it first came out but inherently you must be disciplined to the process. You really have to address it every day to keep the journal up to date and useful. Unfortunately, as an executive time wasn't always available to me so my journals became more and more out of date as the week wore on. I would try to catch up on the weekend but ultimately the bullet journal became a burden and it's usefulness limited. It also annoyed me that the bullet journal cult took a left turn into the artsy fartsy universe which simply reinforced my decision to abandon it. The drive towards art demonstrated to me that the purpose behind the bullet journal had failed and was being co-opted or morphed into an artistic medium.
I don't know that I would say that the art aspect meant that it failed, but that it resonated VERY strongly with a population that was interested in combining those things. However, totally agree that it was a struggle to find commonality with that group when I was searching the internet for vids
I journaled a lot when i was young. Decided to do it again, because a co-worker of mine showed me her H6 and i fell in love with the idea of someone else doing the time tracking. I have a A5 for my personal journal, where i can basically dump everything and draw cards. And i got a weeks for work... which i use to dump tasks/ down the right side and then organize in the day side. Recently that co-worker commented that i don't use colors that much in my weeks. so .. guilty. ;)
I started planning with a bullet journal (though at the time I didn't know it was). I started with a calendar and weekly layouts. That migrating thing from monthly log, to the weekly log to the daily log, I never did it 😂😂 i had the calendar for events (birthdays, deadlines, etc.), and tasks in the weekly layouts. But weekly layouts weren't working for me for being too small, and because I couldn't help re writing tasks I didn't finish, even though the point of weekly layouts is you don't need to rewrite them in the next day, because you can still see it. So I switched to daily layouts, but I still had to rewrite tasks. And one day I found the Rolling weekly (heavenly music). Goodbye to rewriting tasks. To this day I still use a calendar for events, the Rolling weekly, and daily layouts for day to day tasks, and Google calendar for time blocking.
Today I watched another one of your videos "are you a monthly, weekly or daily planner". I get out more of daily planning, I live a lot day to day in that sense, but I realized I could use monthly layouts, because, it's been a few months since I've set achievable, long term goals. It would be good for me to have concrete goals to work towards to (like, instead of I want to sell paintings, I could write, I want to sell two paintings this month)
Edit: I had a burnout a week ago, I realized it was from time-blocking: since my classes have finished and I have to start my thesis, so it's all from home now, so basically I've been time-blocking... my entire week, in google calendar, for months. Even when I told myself it was flexible, but I was still trying to mantain what I planned. I never realized just how tiring it is to plan a day and to mantain that plan, for months and months. So that. I don't think I will use time blocking anymore.
I've been bullet journaling since 2017 as an adult (no more classes and hw/quizzes/etc everyday - though maybe if I discovered it before while at Uni I would have liked too, since I felt limited some days with just a small box) anyway as an adult, I use monthly spreads and collections more than anything else. I have tried to buy preprinted dated planners past couple years (you know, you walk by and see a cute planner in the store) and they always end up empty ESPECIALLY the weekly and daily spreads - which then I end up with an almost empty planner.... Thus I always migrate over a couple pages from these planners to my bullet journal in the end 😅
Daily work tasks wise, I always use scrap paper to write and cross out anything I need to do asap. I dont really see the point of writing work tasks into my personal planners since in the end it's already been added to some work system (so it will live on somewhere at work) and my written down tasks are usually to add it to some system anyway (example: open a ticket, update this document, etc).
My ride-or-die has been traveler's notebooks. I had moved away from it for awhile using Happy Planner, but the only reason I was using it was because I'd bought a shit-ton of Happy Planner stuff from my bestie (who had also stopped using it, so it should've been a clue lol). But I've been in and out of TNs since 2016. I'm currently in two at the moment--a passport size Moterm, which I'm using as a wallet, and a B6 size Pen + Gear that I recently found at a thrift store. (The cover just called to my soul--"Chaos Organized.") I also set up a writing bujo in an A5 notebook cover, also from the thrift store (which turned out to have been donated to the store by none other than my bestie! 😂) I was able to fit two slim notebooks into it, so one serves as a full-on journal while the other is the "bujo" part.
Both my writing bujo and my EDC bujo are technically hybrid. My EDC has a weekly insert that is laid out much like the Weeks--horizontal week on the left and notes page on the right! I drew the month of February in the grid insert (yes, I love square grid, too!), but I'm trying to decide if I want to continue doing that, paste in printed monthlies, or use a separate monthly insert (which I would have to buy for B6 bc most of my other monthly inserts are A5 slim or "standard" TN size).
My planning style has always included brain dumping in some form, usually mixed in with full-on journaling. Basically talking to myself on paper while figuring things out. I'd gotten away from that with the Happy Planner, but I missed it, so I'm glad to be getting back into what really works for me. I do like to sticker things up and use washi, but my decorations are usually just small embellishments to draw attention to what I don't want to forget. I'm a big fan of reminder stickers, to-do list or other list stickers, and emoji stickers to denote my mood at the time I'm writing whatever I'm writing. Washi gets used for lots of things. I especially love it for covering up boo-boos or re-dating old planners. It's also good for adding tip-ins and reinforcing sticky notes.
I have devised my own Ryder Carroll-style key for bulleting things, but I keep it extremely simple--square boxes for to-do items, bullet points or dashes for notes, arrows for migrating, and X's for things that are canceled or not done. Sometimes I'll use triangles for projects, but other than that, not much else. I also use color coding for specific things (that's where I can get a little carried away, though).
Sorry for the blog post in the comments! It's a habit! 😂 Thanks for the video!
Yeah it feels like people are just copying others pretty layouts without really thinking about what would work for themselves. I actually think i have found a system for me at this point. The thing about bullet journaling for me was the flexibility, and that was lovely when my brain wants constant change to be happy. But it was also "boring", and the fun part for me was to make it pretty, or else I'll abandon it.
Right now i have a a6 weekly planner for the most important stuff. Meetings and future planning. I have a passion planner for memory keeping, a leuchturm for when i feel like doing a more fancy layout for something (so, goals and my movie/books list for 2023 so far) and then a moleskine where i just dump the rest.
So i would say, the moleskine is probably the most similar to an "actual bullet journal" except for the fact that i can't index things in a good way, so its not always easy to find.
Great video. This is exactly what I needed to watch right now. I have been struggling with finding a journaling system that works for me. I like different planner such as the Hobobichi Weeks, Cousin, Day-Free, and Planner/Original. The Leuchtturm1917 is also great. So are the various Midori's. So many others as well. It's overwhelming sometimes. LOL. Also, I think I've finally settled on the Weeks as my primary planner and also using some digital planning as well (similar to your method).
I tried using the Bullet Journaling system, but found that it stressed me out to have to think about how I should lay things out. I am a programmer by trade and I don't like doing the same things over and over (I write programs for that). So, I settled on the Weeks for structure and have side journals for mind dumps, collections, traditional journaling, drawing, etc.
My new system feels less stressful. That said, I have borrowed a lot from Bullet Journaling and incorporated it into my process.
Thanks for the video!
Bullet journaling is perfect to borrow from in my opinion, since it is so flexible. Also I lol'd at "I write programs for that" haha
Right now I am using a pretty structured planner and it is doing great things for me! But I do find that there is left over ephemera, thoughts, etc. that I just don't have a place for in the more structured planner. I have been experimenting with different things but am not happy with anything right now. Still looking.
Everything you said about why you quit Bullet Journaling is why I just did. I wasn't feeling it this year, after absolutely loving it last year! The beginning of this year I started using a Fauxbonichi Weeks for the first time (yes, FAUXbonichi, cuz I wasn't ready to spend the money on the real thing) and I was also using my Bujo, but found I didn't care for it anymore...I felt like I was forcing it. So I gave myself permission to seek Planner Peace elsewhere and ordered a dated planner to use alongside my Fauxbonichi and I think (LOL) I'm going to be a lot happier! And I still have my blank Bujo to do "all the things", if I feel like it!
Give me my graphpaper now, please! 😅 Dot grid is NOT for me.
I’ve been doing some form of bullet journaling for twenty years, and when it blew up I tried so hard to be that girly. But every single time I made a monthly spread and weekly pages I NEVER used them. I finally gave up this year after feeling defeated by piles of partially filled notebooks… I’m currently using a predated frida khalo moleskine I got from Barnes and noble at the end of January for seven dollars and it does everything I need it to. I realized there was no point in habit trackers and sleep trackers and lists upon lists if I’m never going to use them.
YES this is the breakthrough I had to have too. Why make the habit trackers and the fancy spreads if you aren't going to use them? Sometimes a $7 planner is truly all you need.
bullet journaling are my favorite, I tried to switch it up recently and honestly am just waiting for my current journals to run out so I can start bullet journaling again 😭
I started with bullet journaling, but it was just too much for me and the need to do super artsy spreads fully decorated and with a whole different theme every month was tiring me out (out of all my journals the only one i was more consistent is was my a5 graph paper midori notebook, i just realized then im a sucker for planning in graph) so i decided to try muji's planners, bought myself a day free a6 and quite loved it but it was too small... my mistake was moving into a dated a5 muji planner (turns out it is too big for me)... until i found hobonichi and travelers sized notebooks, got myself a kinbor planner to test if i like the format long term enough to commit to a hobonichi week next year or if i would rather get a TN (since format for planners is similar but one is bigger)... let's see how i like it, i already LOVE that the size is PERFECT to carry around everywhere, even with my smallest tote/bag.
fwiw monthly themes and artsy pre-drawn layouts aren’t part of bullet journaling, they’re just something some artistic people and stationery influencers like to do in their journals. bullet journaling is just a system of cross-referencing to-do lists and idea pages etc. unconstrained by pre-made layouts.
glad you found a type of planner that works for you though!