Bullet journals are the talk of the town. By "town," I mean Pinterest. They are like planners, except you get to make them yourself, so they can look however you like, and contain whatever pages you want! Pinterest is full of great ideas, but starting one yourself can be quite daunting. To help make your first bullet journal a breeze, here are some steps to take so you don't end up throwing your journal in the trash and crying on the kitchen floor.

1. Plan your pages

Plan. Them. Out. Make a list of all the types of pages you want in your journal, whether that's calendar pages, cute quotes, or lists of things. Also, make sure there are enough pages in your journal to fit all that you want to include. And don't worry about filling every page, because you might think of something you want to add after you've started! Order your pages so you have a plan of what you're doing before you start.

2. Get inspiration

Pinterest! Take a look at Pinterest to get some inspiration on types of pages you might want, and how you might like to decorate it! You don't have to copy other people's designs exactly, but you can get some good ideas!

3. Buy the right supplies

The right supplies are crucial. Supplies include a dotted notebook, good pens, a ruler, a pencil, and a big eraser. You could also invest in things like watercolors or stencils, depending on what you plan to do. Just make sure the art supplies you use don't bleed through your paper!

4. Practice on scrap paper

Before you attempt any design or lettering in your journal, PRACTICE. Also, when you do write in the book, start in pencil, to make sure it looks how you want before you commit to pen.

5. Take your time

It's easy to want to rush your journal, but take your time. It doesn't have to get done in a day, or even a week! If you rush it, you'll likely make more mistakes and become frustrated.

6. Don't worry about perfection

It's your journal! Don't worry about making mistakes! It doesn't have to be perfect, in fact, the mistakes can give your journal more character. Drawing and writing in pencil first, however, is a good way of planning your space and design beforehand, so you make fewer mistakes.

7. Leave room to add on to it later

You don't have to fill all the pages right away! Leave pages blank in case you come across something you want to add, or photos you want to paste in later!

8. Enjoy your work

Now that you are finished with the base of your journal, you can enjoy filling it out with the day-to-day things. If you really mess up, you can always start over, but don't worry about perfection, you're the only one who will see it anyway! Good luck, and happy journaling!