Are you trying to figure out how to start bullet journaling on the empty pages of your new bullet journal? Don’t know how to begin? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Here you will find easy steps to get you set up, including definitions and resources so that you can understand the lingo.
When you are new to bullet journaling, everything can feel so confusing! With all of those blank pages, it’s hard to know where to start.
On top of that, every time you go to research the topic, people are using words you’ve never heard before, like future logs and journal spreads.
This page is a place for you to find all the answers to those difficult questions. I will be sharing with you all of the bullet journal vocabulary you need to know so that you can understand what people are talking about. I will also be providing links to other articles that will help you in the process of setting up your bullet journal. You will also find recommendations for resources and materials that I think will help you along your journey.
How to Start Bullet Journaling: The Complete Beginner’s Guide
What is bullet journaling and is it right for you?
Before looking any further into the details of bullet journaling, it’s important for you to consider whether it is even something you are interested in trying. It has been a trendy activity for a while now, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a good fit for you.
So what is bullet journaling?
At the most basic level, bullet journaling is an organizational strategy that involves planning and diary-writing.
What is the purpose of bullet journaling?
The original idea was to use bullet formats to quickly install information into one single planner. Instead of having fancy words and longer sentences for context, the shorthand of using bullets is used. This helps you get lots of information collected without using up a lot of your time.
However, though this was the original intent for bullet journaling, people have taken creative liberties to do things with these empty journals. Some people use bullet journals exclusively for planning and organizational purposes while others use them for diary entries only. Others still like to designate different bullet journals for different purposes, like making lists or keeping exercise records.
Is a bullet journal a diary?
At the end of the day, bullet journaling is whatever you want it to be. However, it is primarily used for recording plans and events.
Bullet journaling is a good fit for you if you like to get creative and have had trouble with the limitations of traditional planners in the past.
Bullet journaling is not going to work for you if the idea of filling an empty page with your own designs fills you with anxiety. If you prefer to have templates to work with, then I would recommend you don’t turn to this open-ended type of planner.
Does bullet journaling help with anxiety?
Depending on how anxiety affects you, bullet journaling might help calm your anxiety, but it also runs the risk of giving you anxiety if you’re not careful.
If you are someone who uses planning and organization to settle anxiety, then yes, bullet journaling might be a good fit for you. However, if you are someone who gets stressed by extra tasks, then this outlet might stress you out since it does require a time commitment.
The benefit to bullet journaling is that it can be whatever you want it to be. If you know what you need in order to calm your anxiety, then absolutely, bullet journaling can help!
Is bullet journaling time-consuming?
Bullet journaling is not time-consuming when used in a particular way, but it does have the potential to be time-consuming.
The original purpose of bullet journaling was actually meant to save you time. Instead of writing out long journal entries and trying to find the information you wrote on random bits of paper, this organizational tool was meant to give you a place to put all of that information in little to no time at all.
But then social media got a hold of it and we started paying more attention to the creative implications of such a book. People started to decorate their bullet journals for inspiration. Over time, the organizational tool started to become an aesthetic piece of work. When used this way, it definitely became more time-consuming to use.
I personally like a balance between the two. In my own bullet journal, you will notice that I do like to have a clean design that looks nice. But my bigger priority is to make my bullet journal easy to use and low-maintenance.
You get to decide how time-consuming you want to make your bullet journal!
Materials to Use When Bullet Journaling
I am not on the level of some bullet journaling gurus out there who have a plethora of fancy tools they’d recommend for this activity, but I do have some basic items that I like to keep on hand when I’m working on my bullet journal.
To start your bullet journal, you only really need two things: a bullet journal notebook and a pen.
Easy!
But if you want to do any level of decorating, there are a lot more tools you could keep an eye out for:
- Coloured pens
- Pencil Crayons
- Markers
- Rulers
- Glue or tape
- Washi tape
- Stickers
- Scissors
- Scrap Paper
- Magazine cutouts
- Stencils
What is the best bullet journal for beginners?
Personally, I think the Leuchtturm 1917 Bullet Journal is a good tool when you are learning how to start bullet journaling. It has a few templates already included so that you have a little bit more guidance than other bullet journals offer.
It isn’t the top brand in paper quality but I find that it’s the best and most affordable place to start your bullet journaling journey.
As you start to get an idea of what things you like in a bullet journal, you will be able to buy your next bullet journal to suit your specific needs a little better.
For example, you don’t know yet how many pages you tend to use or whether you want numbered pages or empty ones. The Leuchtturm is a good risk-free option to try out your skills for the first time.
Can I use a sketchbook as a bullet journal?
When it comes down to it, there are no rules when it comes to bullet journaling. If you’d rather use a sketchbook, then go for it!
Keep in mind, however, that it will be a lot harder to make your journal look good this way.
I like the way that the bullets inside a bullet journal help you draw straight lines and measure distances easily and accurately. If this is not something you care about, then a sketchbook will work just fine. If you are more particular, you will get more enjoyment from a bulleted page.
Can you bullet journal with a lined notebook?
A lined notebook is also okay to use as a bullet journal if you want to, but it definitely won’t look as nice.
The benefit of a bulleted page is that you can barely see the dots.
Your finished project will look neat and organized and without the added clutter of the lines. But if you don’t care much for the aesthetic of a bullet journal, then its functionality will be about the same.
Is there a bullet journal app?
I don’t bullet journal all of my life- I use my bullet journal for personal organization and do all of my work organization on the computer. For this, I like to use Notion. It is the easiest to use and offers all of the benefits of a bullet journal for organizational purposes.
The downside to this program is that it doesn’t look like a bullet journal. If you want it to look more like a traditional bullet journal, then Zinnia is a great free app that you can use to make one!
How to Start Bullet Journaling
Okay, so you’ve done a lot of deliberating up until now. You’ve considered whether this is a good fit for you or not, you’ve looked into what you need to start, and now you’re sitting with an empty bulleted book in front of you.
Now what?
For most people, starting the journal is the hardest part. It’s overwhelming to start planning something with that many blank pages.
But don’t worry, I’ve got an entire walkthrough for you! Check out my article Your Ultimate Bullet Journal Setup for Better Organization to get step-by-step instructions on how to set up your bullet journal for the year.
Is it OK to start a bullet journal in the middle of the year?
If it’s past January and you’re wondering if it’s worth it to begin a bullet journal, don’t worry! Remember, you make the rules in your own bullet journal, so if you want to start it in November, then, by all means, do it!
There’s no bullet journal police to tell you that you are breaking the bujo community code or something.
Do what works for you!
Personally, I find a bullet journal useless when I’m on vacation, so when that time comes around, I just stop making pages for a while. If you have a week where a bullet journal would take up too much time and stress you out, then don’t do it that week! Nothing’s stopping you from approaching this how you want to.
What should I include in my bullet journal?
There are lots of things you can put in a bullet journal. Here is a list of the things people tend to put in their bullet journals:
- Legend
- Key
- Future Log
- Monthly Spreads
- Weekly Spreads
- Diary Entries
- Habit Trackers
- Decorative Pages
- Dream Trackers
- Mood Trackers
- Grid Reference Page
- Pen Testing Page
- List Pages
- Brainstorming Pages
If this list is overwhelming you, don’t worry!
As a beginner, it helps to start with something simple and not to go looking around for too many ideas. You can use the following pages to help get your bullet journal set up without all the added stress:
- Your Ultimate Bullet Journal Setup for Better Organization
- A Helpful Guide of the Best Things to Write in Your Future Log This Year
- 6 Easy Bullet Journal Spreads You can Create Now!
How to Design Your Bullet Journal
Once you have the organizational features of your bullet journal set up, you might be wanting to make it look a little nicer. The thing I like about bullet journals is that even if you don’t have artistic skills or a lot of time, you can still make your book look good.
How do I make my bullet journal look pretty?
If you are artistic then you probably don’t require a lot of guidance in this area.
If you are not artistically inclined, then my best advice would be to keep it simple. When you are first learning how to start bullet journaling, less is more. Do easy drawings, leave lots of open space, and stick to using a maximum of three different colours on your page (one of those colours needs to be black).
You will notice in my own designs that I usually use black, yellow, and one other colour that I change monthly.
If drawing doodles isn’t your thing, you can also use washi tape and magazine cutouts to offer a little bit of aesthetic design without having to spend hours perfecting your own drawings.
How can I decorate my journal?
Like I said before, magazine cutouts and washi tape can go a long way, but you can also use stickers or make your own doodles and designs. There are lots of great options, so play around with it and see what you like!
Additionally, if you don’t want to decorate your journal, then don’t! A simple pen and paper will work just fine, too.
Where to Get Inspiration for Your Bullet Journal
There is an incredibly large community of bullet journal fanatics out there, so there will be no shortage of inspiration for your own notebook. If you’re learning how to start bullet journaling, these are all great resources:
Use my blog!
If you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with too many options, you can stay right here and check out some of the ideas I’ve got for you:
Follow bullet journal bloggers
If you prefer to see your information written down, then blogs are a good place to start. Here are some bloggers I’d recommend:
Visit Pinterest
If you are just a visual person and don’t need a walkthrough of any sort, then Pinterest is the way to go. There are so many ideas there, and you can scroll and explore to your heart’s content!
Watch YouTube Tutorials
YouTube is a great place to go if you want to see the entire process in detail. They are usually called “Plan with Me” videos and you will be able to find lots of different ideas to get you inspired for your own bullet journal.
Additional Things to Consider
These last notes are about the things you might want to consider when learning how to start bullet journaling.
#1- Give yourself grace
Starting out a bullet journal can be difficult. You will likely make lots of mistakes and find things that you wish you had done differently. You might even end up with a lot of blank spaces in areas where you dropped the ball.
In those moments, give yourself grace and move forward without feeling bad about missing some tasks. It’s normal to make mistakes and bullet journals are not about perfection. Just enjoy the process!
#2- Be flexible
Over the different times of the year, you may need to add, remove, or change different features in your journal. This is okay, and you should let yourself test out different things. Who knows what cool things you’ll learn when you try something new!
#3- Share your ideas!
Something I’ve really enjoyed about bullet journaling is that there’s a whole community out there that loves to share their own creations. When I started sharing my bullet journaling with others, I started to get a lot more enjoyment out of it.
Try it yourself and see what you think!
#4- If it’s not working for you, walk away
I know it’s not normal to hear someone tell you to give up when something’s not working, but that is exactly what I’m saying in this case.
The process of bullet journaling was designed to help you, save you time, and make life easier. If it’s not doing that, then it might just be wasting your time and giving you unnecessary stress.
Don’t feel like you have to stick with it.
There was a year in my life where I was so stressed by life that owning a bullet journal was just going to put me over the edge and add more stress. So that year, I didn’t buy one! It’s as simple as that!
Monitor how you’re doing and if bullet journaling just feels like another chore, then don’t feel forced to stick with it.
Further Research
If you want to know more about the original purpose of bullet journaling, I’d recommend you read the book called The Bullet Journal Method. This book is written by the person who invented bullet journals and it outlines how to use them in detail. Again, they are not rules that must be followed, but it helps to get an idea of the original purpose of bullet journaling.
The Bullet Journal Dictionary
There are some bullet journal words that may sound a little strange to you. This is where I will provide you with a quick rundown of what the word means. It is a resource that I plan to add to over time, so if there’s a definition you would like to know, write it in the comments and I will be sure to add it for you!
Bujo
This is a casual term to refer to a bullet journal. It takes the first two letters of both words and squishes them into one word.
Future Log
A future log is a piece at the beginning of your bullet journal that is built to help you see all of your future events. It usually involves a calendar and a list of holidays, appointments, and events for that month. Since you won’t have all of your monthly calendars for the year completed, this is a good place for you to write down anything that needs to be remembered in a later month.
Bullet Journal Spread
A spread is basically just another word for template. It usually consists of 1-2 pages and it is a template that is about the same topic. For example, a monthly spread is usually two pages that are placed at the beginning of the month. You can also search for daily spreads and weekly spreads to see templates that people use on a daily and weekly basis.
I hope that the guide on how to start bullet journaling has proven useful to you. If you have any more questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below and I will add answers directly to this page! Happy journaling!
This article was so helpful. Thank you.
I’m so glad you found it useful! Let me know if you have any other questions!