One of my favorite pastimes is bullet journaling. As a writer, this should be a common passion, but I believe that journaling is something everyone should aspire to do. It's fun to look back at old journals and laugh at myself or remember things whether small or big events in my life.
I started journaling during my first mission trip my sophomore year of high school and I am so glad that I never put the pen down. Although a picture can tell a thousand words, keeping a journal during a trip or a semester of school is a great idea because it's a way to recall what you've experienced and learned, all the good and the bad.
This past summer I was introduced to a new form of journaling called "bullet journaling". It's a simpler form of journaling where you don't have to write pages and pages, but instead capture a moment in a quick statement or drawing. Similar to how while taking notes you write a bulleted phrase instead of every word the professor says.
Here are some tips to starting your own bullet journal.
1. Keep it somewhere accessible
You never know when you are going to feel inspired or have a creative moment so try to keep your journal in a place where it's always available. I keep mine in my planner because I don't go anywhere without it.
2. Start Small
For your first journal get a small or skinny one. This way it can fit anywhere.
3. Use themes for your pages.
Some of my favorite page ideas include bucket lists, playlists, birthdays, monthly memories, shopping lists and study habits.
4. Personalize your journal.
The inside of the front and back covers of my journal are covered with stickers. I have stickers of my sorority, school, hometown and favorite band among many others.
5. Have pens just for journaling.
This is a personal preference, but I keep a set of pens that I use just for my agenda and journaling. My favorite pens are either Paper Mate's Flair or Le Pens.
6. Use your journal as an escape.
Sometimes life get's busy and there isn't any time for journaling, but whether it's between classes or at a coffee shop, bullet journaling is my favorite way to spend my spare time and get my creative juices flowing. I can spend plenty of time doodling and creating the perfect border or I can write down the first thing that comes to mind. I always find a sense of peace after journaling, and maybe that's because my journal is full of inspiration I've found in others.
As 2016 comes to an end and the journal I started almost a year ago is full and falling a part, I look forward to my next journal and everything I'm about to record.
