My 3 Years Bullet Journal Evolution

I like to think of myself as someone who strive to be as organised as possible, because otherwise, I know that I would get distracted and not know where things stand; not just literally (I lose a lot of stuff quickly), but also figuratively. This led me to get into the habit of making to-do list and spreadsheet my way around any long term planning for many aspects of my life.

I was introduced to bullet journaling through Youtube in spring 2016, and I decided to give it a go immediately because it's already so similar to what I've been doing anyway, just concentrated in a single notebook. So I went to Müller, a big drugstore that I know carry stationeries as well, and bought a simple, no name checked notebook for about €5, because the signature dotted notebook from Leuchtturm or Moleskine would cost me €20, and I can't seem to justify that price (I still can't).

In the beginning, I stuck with the traditional must-haves of bullet journaling, an index, a yearly future log, and (self)-numbered pages. I didn't include a legend because I didn't see the point of it; if I'm the one who will be creating and using the keys, surely I would remember them. Besides, I only used 3 keys at the time : the single dot, the cross, and the greater than symbol. I realised almost immediately that the traditional must-haves weren't right for me; I simply didn't use them, and I was too lazy to keep up with the page numbering and indexing; I flip through the pages, find what I need, and that was good enough for me. I didn't buy any fancy or specialty stationeries either; I just use the coloured pens that I already had for the meagre decoration and writings.

My one and only index page that didn't even make it to a full year

At first, I did my weekly layout as was pretty standard; over a double page spread with the days spaced out and (somewhat) decorated. I realised early on that I simply didn't need as much space, and so I decided to do a whole week on one page and kept it very minimalistic.

One of my first attempt on decorating a page

A double page spread that was my favourite because it was really simple

One of my more decorated pages

This worked out slightly better, though I still have some days that are empty. I stuck with this format for quite a while - most of 2017, albeit with decreasing amount of colour or style. I liked the set one week a page format as it allows me to have enough space for my daily tasks and also to plan ahead. The problem was that I was lazy in keeping it up. I would go days at a time not filling in the bullet journal, and ended up wasting many pages.

A very basic one week a page layout that I stuck with for a long time because it required minimal effort

In 2018 I decided to switch things up, taking into account that I often left my monthly layout empty and unused, and that it cost me quite a bit of time to set up nicely. Again, I was simply too lazy to be bothered with them, and so they were cut. I also decided to take bullet journaling even less seriously and simply do the daily tasks as I go, not caring if I've jumped a few days, weeks, or even months. I found this to be the best format for me so far, and one that I will be continuing in 2019 (check out my updated 2019 Bullet Journal Setup on my Youtube channel!)

My monthly layout was left most empty for most months

My current daily/weekly set up

By late 2018 I had a rejuvenation burst on my bullet journaling, which saw me adding a habit tracker and wish list for the first time ever. I used to think that they were a waste of time, but actually, they were really helpful on keeping my on track - even if I felt bad when I look at how little I actually do the things I want to be consistently doing. I also tried learning how to write in a faux-calligraphy style and decided to invest in brush pens to learn how to use them (I went to the very affordable Edding 1340 Brush Pen).

I have noticed that over the years, I don't keep up with my bullet journal during the summer holidays. I didn't feel the need to be organised because I didn't really have anything going on except for enjoying my absolute freedom : sleeping, eating, and watching Netflix; none of which require planning.

It may seem odd that I managed to fit three years of bullet journaling in a single notebook, but it really was because I was so poor with being consistent and keeping up with it. But then again, what most people say about journaling is true : do it the way you want to. I have learned that tailoring the bullet journal to your need and style is the only rule you should keep in mind while bullet journaling. Decorating and making it pretty, the standard layout, even the legends - these aren't rules! If it's not you, don't bother with them. Don't feel bad because your bullet journal doesn't look like those on Pinterest, or be scared that you don't have the coveted tools like calligraphy or brush pens; they're just add-ons. Your bullet journal can be perfect even if you only use a standard ruled notebook and pen, if you do it according to your needs.

xo,
Maria