She's Back

And I mean that in two ways.  

She = me.

She = my good old Bullet Journal.

Its be a while since my last post because it felt like I had reached my limited. What else could I say, that I haven't covered already?  

My digital journey wasn't as long or as trying as I imagined it would be. After a couple of months, I had a pretty good understanding of how things worked and I was able to full integrate the digital planner into my every day life.  

As usual, I jumped around from planner to planner, searching for the perfect fit. But I already knew, just like I knew with a paper journal, the only method that is absolutely perfect is a bullet journal.

Then it hit me.

A digital Bullet Journal? Did that even exist? Is this a thing that I can do, how would it work digitally? How would it look?

After ten minutes on TikTok and five minutes on Etsy, I had answers to all my questions.

And now, she's back. My good old faithful bujo (bullet journal).

First, I started bullet journaling 10 years ago and even though I may venture out and try new planners, I seem to always make my way back to this method. I can honestly say it is the only planner that is perfect, because I am creating each page. I have total control over the order, the layout, the spread, the design; everything. So, I'm amazed that it took me so long to even realize I could use a bujo digitally.  

What exactly is a Bullet Journal?

It is an analogy system for a digital world. Or at least that's how it started.

Bullet journaling has evolved so much since I've started it; some people us it as a true journal; others, me included, us it as a daily planner. That's the best thing about a bujo, you can use it however you need to use it. It's yours to create.

If you look on social media you will see all types of bujos, with elaborate art work and crazy creative layouts for the months and weeks, along with tracking pages for every thing imaginable. It is so easy to get lost in the many different spreads or logs that you can create, but if you are just starting out, basic is best.

Stripping it down to the bare bones, here is the basic set up for a bullet journal.

Bujo "Rules". I'm using the word "rules" very loosely here, it's more like guidelines that might change but pretend they are rules for now.

1. One page at a time. No skipping. The next page of your bujo is blank so you can add whatever you need at that time. It grows in chronological order. Think of it as a fresh canvas for your brain dump; when you finished a page, close the book.

2. Be consistence. Stick to the same codes and symbols through out the planner — don’t go rogue halfway through. New journal, new rules. But for this one, honor the system. Your future self will thank you (or possibly curse you, but that's a risk we take).

3. Start at the start. You don't have to wait until January or until the begining of the month to start a new bujo, but when you are first setting up your journal, start with the basic start set up. Over time, your set up will probably evolve and become more elaborate, but at the core, the same type of set up should be the backbone. The fancy spreads and doodles will come later, trust me, it will evolve - just done skip the basics.

The Set Up:

Step 1. Number the pages.  
Front and back. From start to finish. You will need this later. Some journals come pre numbered, but if you’re doing it yourself, get ready for the kind of task that makes you question your life choices (but don’t worry, it’ll pay off!).

Step 2. The Key.  
This is where things get... technical. The basic bullet journal system is all about signifiers. It’s like a secret code, but for your to-do list. Tasks start with a bullet (aka a dot) because, well, what else would they start with? Ideas get a circle. Notes get a dash. Items that need to get moved to the next day get a PacMan (>). When a task is completed, you get to celebrate by crossing out that bullet with an X. That's crazy satisfying. The Key Page isn't a page, you can add it to the inside cover or inside the title page, some place where you don't have to flip to see.

Step 3. Index.  
This is the main element of the bullet journalling system. The Index allows you to navigate through your journal as you work, and makes it easy to refer back to notes or plans. Every time a page is created, it is log by the page number on the index.  The Index is the reason your journal doesn't turn into a trash fire of random lists and jumbled scribbles.

Let's say you've been handed the task of planning the company holiday party. Buckle up—this thing’s going to take a solid three to four months to pull off. You’ll probably start brainstorming in September (because why not?), and from there, you just keep adding all your party plans to the next available pages in your journal. Let’s say that’s pages 26 and 27. These pages will be your dedicated space for everything from "find venue" to "decide if we should even have karaoke again."

Once your party vision has spilled all over those pages, don’t forget to log Holiday Party Planning in the Index with the corresponding page numbers (26 & 27). That way, when you need to track down the idea for the photo booth or the snack situation, you’ll know exactly where to look. Trust me, future-you will be eternally grateful when you're not flipping through 50 pages of random to-do lists trying to find it.

If you’re using a digital bujo, now you’re living in the future. The Index has clickable links, so you can just tap on Holiday Party Planning and you’re instantly taken to those pages. No flipping. No scrolling. It’s like a VIP pass to your own to-do list.

Step 4. Future Log.  
Otherwise known as Year At A Glance. Remember the now skipping pages rule. Well, here is how you jot down task or dates for the entire year, since you won't be creating those pages at this time. Save space to add dates as they come up.

Step 5: Monthly Log.
This page is dedicated to the current month. You’ll have several monthly logs throughout the journal, and it doesn’t matter how many pages come in between. Start your Monthly Log at the beginning of each month and focus solely on that month. Keep it simple and relevant to what you need to tackle during those specific weeks.

Step 6: Weekly Log.
Follow the “one week only” rule. You get to plan for the week in front of you, and that’s it. No time travel allowed. It can be as fancy or as low-key as you want. Think of it as a guide for your week—not your entire life. Once the week is over, that next page is a clean slate, ready to be anything. Maybe it’s where you jot down meeting notes or perhaps it’s a list of Netflix shows that you want to watch this week. The point is: that next page has endless potential. And when next week rolls around? Just flip to the next available page and start planning again. 

Simple.

After this, you will go back and forth between weekly logs and monthly logs. You can add as many pages as you want. You can go wild with decorations or keep it minimal—your bullet journal, your rules. 

The beauty of it is, you’re the boss. Want to turn it into a work of art? Go ahead. Want to scribble a to-do list and call it a day? Also fine. This is why the bullet journal is perfect: it’s like having a planner that’s as flexible as you are... or as flexible as you can be before life starts happening.

So, yeah, I’m doing all this digitally now. 

My setup’s a little different—my index page links to different tabs, so there aren’t any pages in between my weekly logs. But all the same elements are there, just organized in my digital way. I’ll be honest, though—I enjoy making my monthly and weekly logs on the iPad just as much as I did on paper. There’s something satisfying about it, even if there’s no paper to flip.

I didn’t add pictures of my old or current bullet journal because, the internet is overflowing with examples. But if you’re new to this whole bullet journal thing, there’s no better place to start than with the original source. 

Click this link to head straight to the Bullet Journal website and check out the classic, no-frills version: https://bulletjournal.com/blogs/faq