Although this seems like a basic thing, my first tip is to really think of the size of
your future bullet jornal.
You need to chose a notebook that you will be able to carry all year round so this choice
can make or break your bullet journaling habit.
When I first started bullet journaling I used the medium sized molekine notebook, which
you can see on the right but I soon found out that I preferred larger pages so I could
have more room to draw calendars and timetables.
Besides the size, you should also think about if you prefer to write with dots, lines, a
grid or just plain paper.
I am currently using a dotted moleskine bullet journal and I think I will never go back.
Dotted paper gives you the perfect layout for customizable spreads but it isn’t as
harsh as lines or grid paper.
Before starting to work on your bullet journal I really recommend searching for other bullet
journals on the web and seeing what people are doing with their notebooks.
You can find tons of inspiration on tumblr and youtube and incorporate [a few of the
things you find in your own journal.
You have tons of layouts to chose from, including daily, weekly and monthly spreads, as well
as habit trackers, timetables, timelines, task lists, you name it.
If I could choose one person to recommend to you, I would definitely check out Boho
Berry because she has the most beautiful bullet journal I’ve ever seen.
Another thing I think is so important is just to start simple.
Most people I know that have quit bullet journaling are mostly perfectionist people, that ended
up not enjoying how their spreads were looking because they were trying to over-complicate
the task.
Remember that the thing that the bullet system was supposed to revolutionize the journaling
world is the fact that it is such a simple system in comparison to traditional journaling
methods.
Just because you find wonderful bullet journals on the internet, it doesn’t mean you have
to commit to that aesthetic.
Just face your journal as a tool for productivity and not merely as a creative outlet.
As such, I would recommend you to spend a week or so preparing your bullet journal,
drawing a few spreads or numbering a few pages, just to get the hang of it.
I especially like to do this the week before the new year.
However, as soon as you officially start bullet journaling, don’t worry if your handwriting
is messy or smudged – your journal is yours and nobody needs to see it.
Just keep writing and try to see how the journal develops through the year.
Maybe you will be surprised to find out that your journaling skills improve as the months
go by.
Since we are on the topic of committing, I also recommend for you to schedule a certain
time each day to write in your bullet journal.
One of the things that makes people quit bullet journaling is just finding out a few weeks
after they started that they haven’t written almost anything down.
I like to spend 10 minutes each day just sitting in front of that empty page and just trying
to remember of things that I need to do, or I need to accomplish.
If all of those productive things are already written down, I end up writing about things
that I am grateful for, or books that I want to read, or countries where I want to travel.
There is always something to write about and the task of writing every day becomes addictive
and that is when you understand that you are committed to journaling.
For a final, very functional tip, and I think I’ve mentioned this in my last year’s
bullet journal setup video, I recommend you to draw and write your permanent spreads in
the back of your bullet journal so you can quickly access them without having to check
your table of contents.
[I normally use this method to access my timetable, a year calendar, youtube requests, the contacts
of companies I’m working with, general contacts, financial information and so on.
I also like to keep my bucket list in the back of my journal so it doesn’t get lost
between all the weekly spreads in between.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this video!
If you want more information about bullet journaling, check out my Bullet Journal 101
video, as well as my bullet journal setup for the last year.
I will be sure to upload a 2017 setup in January so keep an eye out for that.
Bye!