After being introduced to the idea of the bullet journal, I knew at once that I wanted one for myself. The bullet journal, or BUJO, was created a little over three years ago by a designer in New York. It combines elements of a diary, notebook, to do list and sketchbook all in one system.
A bullet journal is a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less. Most of the bullet journals that I have found online consist of three basic parts: logs, a planner, and collections.
The planner section is exactly what you find in any planner you see in the store. It consists of items such as year and month calendars, notes for each day etc. Simple ways to keep you organized, productive and more in control of your life.
Logs are ways to keep track of habits and or daily activities to give you a new perspective of how you go about each day. Examples of this include tracking how much sleep you get per night, how much water you drink per day, the foods you are eating, or even your mood throughout the year.
Collections can be either stored information that can help you later, such as a list of birthdays and important dates to remember, or they can be lists of things you want to do, visit, or accomplish.
The best part about the bullet journal is that it is completely up to you. The purchase is of a blank journal; the rest is up to you.
During my first semester of college, I rarely used my planner. However, the idea of having a journal that you not only can design yourself, but can also use to keep track of the things you do every day to ensure a healthy lifestyle, fascinates me.
Naturally, artistically-inclined individuals might be a bit more excited by this idea, but no true skill is needed to have a beneficial and stylish journal. There are thousands of pictures and Youtube videos filled with ideas, hacks and tricks to create your own.
While a bullet journal is not for everyone, it is worth a try if you are looking for a way to organize and plan better. A bullet journal is also a creative outlet since it is up to interpretation.
I could not think of a better way to start off the new year than getting myself organized and living this year out to the fullest.
By the end of the year, you are able to literally hold the year in your hands. Your journal may even end up giving you more insight about yourself and your habits, meaning you know how you can improve to have an even better next year and every year after that.