The people who decorate their journals and make it beautiful aren't missing the point because they misunderstood the objective, they just have a different objective. Yes, the system was designed to simplify and organise without spending a lot of time and effort on it, but for some people this may be the only creative outlets they have. If you always have it on you, then it's easy to whip it out and start creating something, spend a few minutes on your lunch break doodling title page or whatever. The people who genuinely love decorating their spreads don't necessarily do it all the time, but they *make* time to do something they enjoy. Their bujo doubles as a sketchbook, or scrapbook; it's a hobby AND an organisational tool. It's counter-productive to you because thats not a hobby you see value in. You're not getting the same level of satisfaction that they get, and thats perfectly fine. My advice to anyone starting bullet journalling, would be to keep the bullet journal and decorating separate. Start a scrapbook or decorate your personal journal instead so you can keep the bullet journal as spartan as possible, at least until you get the basics down and learn how to use it. Plan in some time for decorating the other journal, so then you have the bullet journal AND the hobby. Once you get the hang of bullet journalling, then try decorating it. Just dont go all out or it'll put too much pressure on you. Start with just a title page or even just the titles. Keep it minimal and use your other journal to go all out in. If it becomes stressful, or too complex, then just keep it as a bullet journal and remove the hobby aspect.
Exactly my thoughts. Not everyone's bullet journal is made for the exact same reason. I think it's nice some people have found their creative outlet when it comes to journaling and even can wind down during it from a stressful day. If it works for you & makes you feel happy/comfortable, then it works.
@@extrakimmu ^ a lot of generally artistic people like decorating everything. It isnt a chore for us. I personally don't bujo, and my journal (which is for therapeutic reasons, primarily to help with my adhd, anxiety, and ptsd, doesnt replace therapy but is a tool to cope) is usually simple, but sometimes I go ALL OUT and nothing is wrong with that
You my friend are one of the very few people who get it ! I've seen so many people hate on the artsy journals and I just don't get it. If it adds value and joy to your life , consider decorating it as a hobby ! If not just use it as the productivity tool it is. Or maybe somepeople just want an art journal not a bullet journal. That's totally fine too. Bottom line , you do YOU ❤
im an artist and i try to do two different journals. one artistically one and one ugly one. Works for me. i love to use colours and drawings in a journal in general
When I was doing my bujo pretty bloody regularly, it was so creative. Like art, and printed out photos of the months "theme". Colours EVERYWHERE. But that worked for me. It really worked for me. I loved sitting down on a Sunday to do the next weeks spread, I loved sitting down on the last few days of the month to do the monthly spread. Like it was a form of self care for me. What stopped me continuing doing a bujo was COVID, and the fact that I graduated uni. So a lot of my journal was filled with ... nothing. It wasn't because it was creative, it was just... lack of things to do. That and my ADHD got worse when COVID hit, but you know...
Some people use bullet journaling as their creative outlet, I think it's nice some people found their creative side when doing this hobby. If it works for them, then it works. Not everyone's bujo is for the exact same reason
@@bartekmalinowski And to make it even more clear, not always to get _more_ done but to do things in a _better way_ (as in in a way that suits oneself the best).
@@utuelielthat's literally the opposite of productivity. Getting less done but doing it in a way "that suits oneself best" aka lazy people. People really be claiming to use productivity techniques to be less productive smh. Do whatever design you want. Waste your time however you want. But don't insult the creator and people who use it by calling it bullet journaling
I’ve been trying to get into bullet journaling for years but kept failing because I couldn’t make it pretty enough (I have messy handwriting) At the beginning of this year, I started to focus more about functionality and less about aesthetics, and this made it so much easier and stress-free to keep journaling.
For this reason I gave up bj and have resorted to a cheap yearly planner (10 USD) instead. Can't be bothered to be artistic and well organized at the same time.
this is what drives me crazy. Bullet journaling isn’t about being pretty or drawing spreads. The name has been co-opted by something else and so bullet journaling gets a bad name. It’s flexible enough to allow that level of creativity if that’s what you want, but it’s not required at all.
1 - don't make it preety 2 - write down your thoughts and your day 3 - be grateful 4- review monthly by asking 4 questions 1) what worked 2) what didn't worked 3) what lesson learned 4) how your habits go means habit tracker
Are you seriously saying, you should create UGLY spreads? That’s ВS! It’s important to have bujo that looks good, as much as it should be functional. There’s zero excuse to avoid addressing the aesthetics! Nobody wants to write in an ugly messy (but functional) journal. It’s just reality! Humans love beauty, probably even more than function!
I tried doing a bujo, but I didn’t have the time to make it pretty. It did help me see what formats I enjoyed and was able to build a custom planner from the happy planner.
@@ELENAOttawa People who are disabled, like me, simply do not have the time or energy, and like the video said, it didn't work for them either. Making it pretty is great for artists! But not everyone is an artist.
@@justbecause9049 Use stickers! That made the world for me. I can draw, but I don't want to sit there for 2-3 hours drawing. With stickers and design paper I can make a page in 15 min. a day. It's functional and pretty. (Also leaned from 11 years bullet journal and there were a lot of ugly spreads, if I look back now)
I was flipping through an old, mostly unused journal and found a couple paragraphs I wrote about a cat that has since died. I wish I'd written more. I'm a writer, so I write. The pretty spread people are artists, or want to be, so they draw. Possibly the worst thing that happened to journals was corporate people realizing they could rebrand scrapbooking stuff as journaling stuff and suddenly you don't just need a notebook and a writing utensil, you need washi tape, stamps, punches, and tombow markers to go with your name brand leather-bound dot grid journal and authentic replica fountain pen. And I say this as a dot grid fan.
whenever i just want to look for journaling content i only find scrapbooking, scrapbooking ruined journaling! scrapbooking shouldn’t be considered a journal, it should be considered a scrapbook.
@@dmtrophiess Well sounds like a you problem, because when I know what I'm looking for I have to specify and I find either for writing or scrapbooking because I do all of the above or even together. People need to stop complaining over little things and let people be.
As a writer myself, I loved reading your comment. I had the same realisation a couple of years ago while looking through old journals. My entries were focused on my schedule and the projects I was working on. At times, I wrote about how nervous and frustrated I felt about insignificant things. I only found a few golden sentences here and there (or a paragraph at most) that mentioned *something or someone I loved.* And like you, I also lost a pet, my dog, when he was quite young. Searching for his presence in my writing was heartbreaking. There was hardly any evidence of how much I had loved him and how important he had always been to me. This why I now write about specific little moments or thoughts I want to treasure. It doesn't matter if I don't catalogue my entire day. Honestly, I might not even mention school or work in my journal ever again. My life is much more vibrant than my daily tasks. There is so much love to write about.
I’m an industrial designer and I was taught “form follows function” and while that might sound like what you pointed out in your video it kind of isn’t. As the function changes so does the form… and the way the brain of the person that uses the journal works also plays a big role. For you the more artsy setup doesn’t work and I thought I was the same but this year was the first year I actually stuck to a journal the entire year and funnily enough this year I did an illustration for each month and very artsy fonts… this way I personally feel motivated to open the journal and actually use it plus if I have to commit and sit down at the end of the month to create the new spreads it forces me to actually use it and to find the motivation for that I do it in a way that is enjoyable for me. It takes me the better part of a day to do the entire month but that’s essentially one day of ‘me-time’. That being said: I do art and I draw in sketchbooks during the month as well so for me this is free time not a daunting pile of work… well most of the time at least and at those times as soon as I got up and started doing it I do find it enjoyable. The best thing about using a bullet journal is that you can personalize it so it works for you… some people just need to realize that having an artsy journal might be nice but if it doesn’t work for you it’s ok to let go instead of pressuring yourself to do it any at cause that clearly defeats the purpose 😊
Because of creating “pretty” spreads it actually made me stop doing BUJO because I felt disappointed because I can’t be consistent from doing all the pretty designs. From now on I’ll make simple ones that actually helps
This video is great! I would love to have those pretty journal layouts, but yes, they made me feel disappointed. Maybe I will start put with this method and transition into making it more artsy once I have more of a flow with it.
I use Pip-stickers; kinda expensive but saves lots of time and makes my journal look real cute. I hate plain journals... My plan originally was to learn how to draw, and I LOVED doing the bujo for that reason, BUT it was too much pressure. Drawing is one of my daily habits that NEVER get checked off:(
I have two separated bujo's, one for decorating and for the day, and other for organisation. Sometimes i add colors or stickers to the 2nd one, but most of my creative things go for the 1st. Some people find this inconvenient, but if one day u woke up with ur creativity at the 99%📈, u may want to decorate something with those feelings, and just keep ur organisation bujo "clean" or, as the name says, organised. Hope it helps! 🩵🩵
I started bullet journaling in college but it only lasted for a few months if not weeks. I was overwhelmed by the bujo community where all the people seemed to have pretty spreads and templates. I thought I needed to be like them to be successful in bullet journaling. It turned out I didn't have to. By the time I found out about this, I had switched to digital journaling using Notion which worked better for me. Now I can spend the time that I used to ruminate on what highlighter or pen color I need to use, to do other more productive things for me.
AMEN. By the time you color and design, draw, you could have accomplished several tasks which is the reason for a planner or notebook. "Can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome.
@@MR-pr8tp It depends on the person. Productivity and creativity can go hand in hand, they're not necessarily mutually exclusive. Personally I won't use my bullet journal in the long run if I don't find it pretty and if I don't have fun setting it up. And it's my hobby as well. I like spending time on it, but I spend this time on bullet journaling instead of watching Netflix for example, not instead of doing what I have to do. You don't have to be this black and white...
@@chaaachouu16Agree. It’s a hobby. Sure I use it to keep track of tasks and info, but I also enjoy making it beautiful! If art or paper crafting isn’t your thing, use the original method!
Just let people do it however it works for them. I haven't ever seen an artistic journaling person say that other people should be making their journal pretty, but I've seen so many "functional" journalers complaining about how other people like to keep their journal, even when they are only spending minutes a day to keep it visually interesting. And I say this as a person whose daily pages look WAY worse than the functional layout shown in the video. But every month I commit about an hour to painting a complicated new monthly spread. It's one of my hobbies, so it's by definition not a waste of time, even if the spread doesn't keep me on task or make me more productive. Every few days I put in a nice sticker or tape in something interesting. My journal works for me as a productivity tool BECAUSE it exists in a liminal space between diary and planner. The day to day is functional, but without the fun stuff I wouldn't bother coming back. Can't we just stop the judgment and let people journal how they want?
No, people aren't missing the point, they make their own point, I also bullet journal and to me it is something is use to draw because I like drawing but can't actually bring myself to draw a whole painting. I also use it to write down my tasks and figure out what exclusive task I needed to do for that day. Everyone has their own way of bullet journalling. No one is missing the point.
I see a lot of comments saying that making your bullet journal pretty isn't bad; let me yes, and that. I do it the other way around. My sketchbook also serves as my bujo. This is EXTREMELY helpful because I skip pages with sketches and art pieces I'm proud of and repurpose sketch pages that aren't particularly good, or that I used just to test swatches or do practice strokes or gestures drawings. Sometimes I completely remake an old sketch into something entirely different with new materials after I've bujo-ified the page. I am also a stationary JUNKIE and it's a great way to use a lot of my washi tapes, stickers, sticky notes and ephemera. This also serves an incredibly important value of mine, which is to actually USE all the different notebooks and sketchbooks I've only partially filled because I was just testing them or not happy sticking with them or felt limited by them. Whenever I combine the two, I have a reason to fully utilize a whole sketchbook. This has been my first year doing this and I've finally, for the first time in my life, completely filled a sketchbook where I love just about every page and I'm planning out another for next year, which I imagine will be filled up before the year is out----which never happened with my old Bujos that I used to switch out for some new fun notebook with different/better paper or whatnot. It's not a junk journal. It's not a smash journal. It's not a travel journal. it's not a bujo either. It's my sketchbook bujo and it's taken me five years to realize the minmaxing of a bujo is just not for me, so I've developed a system that works for me. I imagine a lot of bujo creatives absolutely feel the same love while decorating their bujos. :)
"Bullet Journal: Lessons & Corrections" Summary (My own words, not direct quote) 1. Form over function 3:45 1.1 Keep it simple. Flexible. Do what works for you 2. Writing for clarity >>> organization 4:48 2.1 Action step: Nothing fancy or complicated, create everyday evening routine & write flow based method journal entry 2.2 Pragmatic insight: Check calendar of events next day. Write tasks want to accomplish to mentally prepare beforeee waking up what to do everyday 2.3 Why journal write? Be aware how you spend your time & Reflect on your archived timeline of personal writing of thouhts, ideas, notes 3. More gratitude journaling 6:07 3.1 Most ROI habit to do every. single. day towards delayed gratification, not instant gratification 3.2 Simple exercise (The true impact on fulfillment and happiness): Gratitude as a resource to develop willingness, ability and skill to appreciate small things, even on bad days. 3.3 Write a word, sentence everyday for 21 days (How long it takes to form a habit) 4. Bonus Oversight Revision: Look back!!! 6:50 4.1 Assertion: It cancels your energy, time of the function and process of organizing and joting little insights to not refer back to your writings 4.2 Regularly re-read (Monthly, weekly, your own choice) 4.3 Implent review to take action as a tool to personal development/success- 1x/ per month look back at journal entries, try to ask 4 Qs 4.3.1 What worked? 4.3.2 What didnt? 4.3.3 What lessons did I learn? 4.3.4 How did my habits go? 4.3.5 Bonus Q: Where did my time go? (Time tracker) 4.4 Inspiration, Motivation to change after self-evaluation: 4.4.1 See your winnings, success, achievements big or small. 4.4.2 Have a strong inspired/driven/ determined mindset & consistent/focused action to be accountable/disciplined to manage & meet your micro/long term goals 4.4.3 My personal remark: Dont give up! Goal setting is a learned skill and practice. It's not created overnight.
Adjust it to your needs; you don’t have to follow any one else. I use mine with a weekly spread and a few extra sections: yearly plan/monthly sections with space to write upcoming commitments. I have a page with journaling entries, but never beat myself up if I don’t do it. I use pages for lists/personal projects randomly as things come up. If I could figure out how to post a picture I would! It includes 9 vertical rectangles (m-f plus this week and next week). I graph my sleep hours. With the 2 spare slots I (at the moment) have one for sewing projects and one area for work tasks. I use a circle for personal and a square for work tasks. I keep an eye on my ‘this week’ list and slot things in and adjust as I go. Works great for me. I also do gratitude, either on the main page or in notes section. I don’t beat myself up about any of it! It is a visual plan of my week and I love that! Appointments have alarms in my phone as well when important. Done!
I agree on the pretty spreads. I occasionally have free time and like to make fancy crafty spreads, but I usually spend about 10 minutes setting up monthly pages in a format that is functional. It matters more to me to be able to use and feel comfortable in my journal, and that means allowing mistakes and low effort pages to exist. I also have slowly started adding in a journaling aspect where I answer daily, weekly, and monthly questions so that I am more focused on my goals and my mental health. I like this a lot because before I didn't realize when my mental health was declining but now I'm forced to face my mental state on a regular basis
@@bartekmalinowski i think so! I'm still trying to get to a point where i consciously think about my goals more often but now I'm starting to see my progress in a measureable way as well as collecting data to be able to look at why certain things didn't work. I think the biggest benefit is i feel like i'm actually making progress because i have data to see what had changed/worked and what hasn't, whereas in the past i just had to rely on my memory and a vague sense of how i felt about my goal progress. But even though I am not more mindful all the time, it's comforting to slow down every week and write down my specific emotions instead of continuing to distract myself from them. I feel like i am taking care of myself more by journaling and giving my future self a record to look back on.
I love to look at the pretty designs, tried to replicate some and I realised that I'm not using them at all. So I decided to have a monthly, some lists each month and the rest is simply journaling/creating. It works so well and if I want to draw or scrapbook I just use the next free page. People are too focused on other people's opinions because of social media creators. Just do what fits you and it will be perfect for you.
I think this video went straight to the point. I love my journal pretty BUT - I threw away three journals in the first year - I finally bought me a Scrapbook journal in addition as I realised it stressed me that every month looks SO different It was like my brain could not focus on what was written there because it was busy sorting out the designs and months and finding the information - so my monthly setting is basically the same layout every month but I make it pretty with Washi tape (mostly) because it is a quick and easy way if you are not an artist - I skipped my daily spreads because I realised they stress me (I do not have that many appointments and stuff to write down) I sign the "never sacrifice function for form" line. I found my way after a year. I still love how Bullet Journaling works for everyone differnt.
The old scrapbooking community has faded away and scrapbooking is now seen as old fashioned. The scrapbook energy lives on, though, and has spread into the planner community now. It’s kind of it’s own thing, separate from pure productivity/planning.
Actually, I discovered "scrapbooking" through my attempts at planning. My friend is an OG scrapbooker and has over a decade of memories in these neat books going back to high school. They are pretty awesome, but not quite my thing. Now, filling in things I did in a planner and "memory keeping", that clicks for me. I still don't have the same level of detail or frequency of events recorded as she does, but if I'm going to record at all, its going to be in a planner.
@@yossarincatch6051 ??? Making a pretty scrapbook page is very similar to someone making pretty planner pages. I see a lot of people doing Baby/travel planners/journals. They put pictures/details/itinerary/packing/etc. Sounds like youre gatekeeping because you arent a creative person. Thats okay. Let other people be creative.
@@persephone3892 if you are a high schooler or a bored grandma sure, but this is purposed as a “productivity” tool, not a “creative” tool. If u really are that creative, sell your art, don't waste time that you don't have
For me, the more I enjoy creating spreads and looking at them, the more I want to use them. I've consistently tracked and planned stuff in my bullet journals for half a decade and I have been more consistent than with any other system, because on top of being functional, I enjoy it. I enjoy looking at it, I enjoy making the pages, I enjoy filling it in, I enjoy the doodles and the lettering and the scrapbooking and the painting and it makes it a lot more functional for me, personally, than having a bare-bones function only planner. And in the times where I've been stressed with a lot going on, those have been times I use my bullet journal more. Going all out on spreads doesn't put pressure on me to go all out with every speed. I have spreads that are nothing but bare functional lists and checkboxes. But overall, if I enjoy my planning system, I use it more, I use it more reliably, and I use it more consistently, which makes it more functional, not less.
it is exactly the video I was looking for! thank you a lot for being clear and concise. especially for showing examples of how you actually write it down. I found out about bullet journaling years ago but never actually got to do it (probably fancy videos set my expectations too high) very grateful for you bringing it down to earth.
I am so glad that I didn't bother to make it pretty but instead presentable to my future self and to convenience for my present self. I just started one week ago.... And I'm glad i found this video
it comes with time, when you want to make it pretty you will. Just a sticker here and there, is also functional. The key is to balance both worlds and does come with time.
I really love that getting super creative with bullet journaling is fun and useful for some people, but for me it just made the process too overwhelming to keep up with. but it clearly works for some people
I remember the first time I got into bullet journaling and while I did a lot of pretty spreads it immediately worked for me but after I finished the first (and school for that matter and went straight to university) I had a bit of a bullet journaling crisis. I didn't have much time anymore to create spreads and tbh I had pretty bad friends who even looked in my journal where I wrote personal stuff too. Since then I was pretty afraid to take it with me. I just recently decided to go back to the basics and I've watched the "original" bullet journal video again. I keep the journaling part and the planning part separated now but I still kept the habit tracker and sometimes time tracker in my bujo. One big mistake I made in the past was that I set up all the pages for a months in advance and taking away the flexibility that way. Also for anyone who might read this that has the feeling that gratitude journaling just doesn't work for them: It helped me a lot to write a little paragraph why I'm grateful for that certain thing. I often see people writing gratitude with just a few words but for me that never worked because I didn't feel grateful until I actually thought about why I'm grateful for that thing. Maybe that could help you too! On a side note: That's a pretty professional video for a channel this small and it was very interesting. Great video and keep up the good work :)!
Wow, thanks for this super insightful comment! I'm very grateful you watched the whole thing. Love the gratitude practice you're talking about. I always do that 'in my head' when I'm writing a thing down, but for those just getting started that's an awesome idea. Happy to have you on the team ;)
I feel for ya. I had anxiety when I read what your friends did. My mother read mine as a teen. And didn’t hide it. She wrote back. She also did it again when I was 24!! Anyways. I’m sorry you were betrayed like that. That never should have happened. And quitting journaling was just a human reaction. Don’t ever feel bad for shutting down 💜💜
Hi Yatshie and Lola. Sorry to hear that your journals have been peeked at 😢...... maybe you might like to try creating some codes which only you yourself could understand. That way, you could enjoy the benefits of journaling without much fear of anyone violating your privacy , and also engage in a sense of mystery when you re-read it later in life where somehow you'll have to make a guess of your own notes. 😂
@@4061earthabcdesong haha. I like how you’ve made this into something fun. For sure we’d have to guess at what the heck were saying. We’re we drunk ? We’re we pretending to be posh? 😂😂
This was an excellent reminder! I might strip mine down to the bones. One suggestion: You might try starting your day with gratitude. It can have a positive effect on your whole day. Also being grateful before any event of importance is a good habit. Amazing how gratitude can improve your health, emotions, and even brain wiring. Science is catching up with what the Haudenosaunee have known for years.
Great video it helped me alot❤. I'm now convinced that internet will make you buying things and spend money where you don't need at all. I'm a student and I don't have enough money to buy an expensive journal and stickers and myriad of stationary stuff, but i was so anxious i really want to start journaling my thoughts and routine but I had all these things in mind that my journal notebook will not look pretty. But your video helped me getting rid of this useless anxiety. Now I'll pick up a simple school notebook and will turn it into my personal journal. The idea is to write down whatever you are feeling. Thanks so much❤
It depends on what season you are in. I enjoy making mine pretty, it's an artistic outlet for me. There are some months I do VERY minimal spreads. I think where people get caught is comparing to other people's bujos. Comparing can be toxic in life generally speaking. I don't journal in mine because I don't want to. I do a gratitude log, it's (yes, very corny...but true) life changing.
OMG YES. I needed this validation that I can be free from the pretty pressure. The actual writing/journaling part is missing from every planner video I watch because self-reflection is messy. So you see people switching their journals to buy a new one. But it’s the process that matters, not the planner! Thank you!
@@ELENAOttawa missing the point. Appearance has a place in the “finished” product, not the original act of creating or becoming. A diamond starts rough. Writing begins with a rough draft. A beautiful home begins with a rough idea, trees, wood, nails, it’s a very messy process. Everything is in a state of becoming and unbecoming. Ignoring the rough, unfinished, unbecoming, dying, broken, or natural states of imperfection of our minds and bodies is denying life itself. Good luck being perfect all the time. That’s a recipe for suffering. I applaud those willing to share journaling and art that is about a process. Beauty in the imperfection. Wabi sabi and all that.
I agree with this. The reason I failed to do bullet journaling is the consistency I wanted when decorating my journal. I spent time designing my spread and got tired when it came to making the schedules or important parts that I actually needed. I tried using a simple notebook to write all my tasks and accomplishments for the day and surprise, it worked for me. From then on, I've been focusing on the functionality of the journal that I need. I just decorate my bujo for fun during my free time and I don't overdo it. In fact, I bought stickers so I didn't have to do some letterings or banners and so on. The good thing about this is I discovered something about myself: simplicity works for me.
that's so nice to hear. Keep going:) For me the weekly and daily spreads didn't work. I was so stressed to keep up with the pretty stuff. But I already have a note book where I can write as messy as I want. I'm an artist so I wanted to use the bullet journal for my creative time and space. that's why I moved away from the daily thing and just did a pretty page with lots of space to write my thoughts down whenever I need to clear my head. I write down every quote or thought I want to keep and look back at. So that's my way to deal with that, I'm glad you did find your own:)
I use my bullet journal (for me more planner than journal) in a similar way, but at the beginning of every week (I set that up usually on a Sunday) I write down a simple list of tasks that I want to do the next week. Just a simple to do list, with estimated time for each task, and an arrow on which day I plan to do it. I also have a list for the overarching projects and dates / appointments that I write as an even more simplified to do list at the beginning of the month. In the week list I make tasks, not goals or projects, but these broken down into easy tasks. The notebook that I use has two bookmarks, but I don't really like the fabric strings. I put them at the end so they don't get in my way and use sticky notes to mark the monthly and weekly overview and the day. The fancy bullet journaling rabbit hole was something I fell into, and sometimes I do 5 minute pretty weekly setups when I feel like it, but only then. There is nothing wrong with decorating it, but it doesn't work for me personally. For things like birthdays I have a list printed where all birthdays are listed separated in months (so I don't have to write them down every year new) with a few rows in each month to write in when I add a new one. For things that are not in the following week or the current month I also have a cheat sheet that I put into the little pocket of the notebook. I don't want to go through the planner every time I look for a birthday or other important dates that are not now or don't have to be started now. The small pocket at the end of the Leuchtturm notebook is ideal for keeping these separate sheets that I only use once every month to put into my monthly to do list. For me it is a pure productive / organisational tool. I journal in a separate small book that I keep at the end of the planner. In my mind it makes more sense to journal in a separate space and not in between my weekly to do pages. But the book is small enough so I can easily carry it around in the planner and not have a separate big notebook that I have to carry around with me.
I finished my first full year last year literally just highlighting the dates each week and getting started. I’d add the month page every month with some “focus points” and a braindump section next to it and that’s it. I write birthdays and important dates at the beginning front. I allow myself to use pages behind the week pages for notes with no format, when I’m done doing that, I just start the new week. As someone with ocd, letting go of that structure was an amazing accomplishment for me to finish a whole year consistently - without worrying about how it looks - and I’m so proud of it.
Bullet Journal has worked brilliantly for me, for the last 10+ years, but not the art gallery stuff you see on loads of video. Would not be without it.
I was amused to see that your primary reference point for appointments remains the calendar app on your phone. This makes sense to me as it's efficient and quick. What you are descibing really is simply keeping a diary and making notes of things that interest you or you want to remember. nothing revolutionary really, Charles Darwin was good at it and his simple diaries stood the test of time. People waste too much time on this stuff instead of just getting thisngs done. I was like that at school at exam time, I spent ages producing revision timetables and the time would have been better spent revising 🤣
Journaling has expanded beyond traditional notebooks and pens. There is now a greater demand for vibrant scrapbooking supplies such as washi tape, stamps, punches, and tombow markers. Nevertheless, the importance of using top-notch journals and fountain pens persists. Being a supporter of dot grid patterns, I truly relate to this passion.
Agreed! I didn't stick to the bullet journal the first time around, but what stuck with me was that minimalistic dotted grid. Perfect for organized chaos. Having recently fell into the neverending pit of fountain pens, my creative mind is screaming for a round 2.
make it just pretty enough to keep you motivated and to draw your eyes around the page. no more, no less - adjust it to you. this keeps you at the right level of decoration to keep the system functional and useful, everyone from list and a line to full creative outlet
as someone who's obsessed with keeping everything "aesthetic" this really spoke to me. I was planning to start bullet journalling and this helped! Thank you for making this!
@@ELENAOttawa oh no that's not at all what I meant. It's really fun and cathartic putting in effort to make your journal pleasing to the eye, but sometimes perfectionism paralyses you and keeps you from actually starting a journal. That's something I struggle with a lot, and this video was helpful, that's all. If you wanna keep a journal whose sole purpose is to look pretty then by all means do that! I'm right behind that idea.
Spot on!! I'm just jumping back into using my buju (with lots of wite out to change the months, etc so it's current) and everything you mentioned about spending so much time prettifying it and then not being productive is why I had stopped using it.
Great tips. I see the "making it pretty" is kind of a controversial point for some people in the comments but I totally agree with you. I better leave the pretty bujos to designers and illustrators who love that and can make some time to spend on that. If that works for them, it's cool but for all we who doesn't, just don't get disappointed, it's still a great tool for anyone.
I actually was one of those „aesthetic“ bullet journal girlies. I’m telling you, it was so f-ing stressful to keep up with a beautiful well designed theme or whatever. I spend HOURS making the spreads as neat and pretty as possible. Now, I still use a Bullet Journal. But the way it’s indented. Quick, easy, sometimes messy, just one pen, no stickers, washi tape or colouring. And I‘m telling you, it’s amazing
muchas gracias por este video; estaba teniendo muchos problemas de ansiedad por no lograr que mi bullet estuviera perfecto y me ayudaste a recuperar el foco! 💡 💓
So many different types of journals these days! I don't really do bullet journaling, per se, because it seems counter productive to me. As you laid out, it can be more if a distraction to try to have pretty layouts for the purpose of organizing your day, week, month, etc. I have a planner for planning life, keeping track of appointments, deadlines at work, etc, and a notebook that I suppose could be considered a "bullet journal" minus the journaling. It's my detailed to-do list for myself and my team, on a daily basis, to accomplish and track goals throughout the day and week, and I make sure I keep space for taking notes throughout the day, from phone conversations, meetings, etc. My actual journal is much more of a private diary to write down my thoughts, feelings, happenings in my life, etc. It stays at home, because well... it's personal. I carry a small notebook in my purse for jotting down quick notes when I'm on the go, if I need to remember something I'll forget later, if it's not written down, but again that one is more personal in nature as it really just pertains to my personal life... not necessarily private. To me, bullet journaling seemed kind of neat at first, and I life the idea of it, but it's really just overrated, and not something I find works for me the same way it apparently does for others.
I suffer with bad anxiety and fear I’m going to miss something. Although I also use my google calendar I find having an actual diary I can write things down in really helps. You do not have to make it this perfect work of art. Yes add colour if ya want but it doesn’t have to be a competition or a master piece that’s not the point of the system
Yup! I also use google calendar, it’s just more convenient for keeping track of appointments. The BuJo is home for my tasks, long-term planning and reflection. And I’d say: add as much colour as you want to, as long as you get stuff done ;)
This video is so good and so necessary!! Great insights and ideas (and I gotta say that the video itself is pretty dope also, great editing!). It certainly helped a lot!! Thanks a million!
You nailed it in your video: a beautiful, "pretty" BUJO isn't about productivity. When recreating a calendar and filling in the dates and coloring and drawing is involved, caring around a dozen colorful markers, devising an index, , this isn't being productive but all about fulfilling a creative activity. Spending the time re-drawing a calendar could have been spent running an errand, doing laundry, or making phone calls. I used to teach business skills and being efficient is a key component of getting things done as is the KISS method: Keep It Simple Stupid. Yes, I get it, the "personalization" of one's "planner" can be one's idea of a BUJO, but it sure isn't about productivity and being efficient when wanting to get tasks done. If I had time to color and draw, then I must not be very busy or overwhelmed with tasks and trying to move forward. People are offended when these differences are pointed out, even personalizing their comments toward others, and in a negative manner.. Simply these are two different processes is all. A BUJO's purpose "was" originally about getting things done and organizing events, needed tasks.
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?! Yes, beautiful AND functional jounal is the best option!
This is definitely a good starting point for people who get their first graph lined or bullet page journal and I wish I figured this out on my own 2 years ago. When I attempted to bullet journal , I pretty much gave up as soon as I started because I couldn't find a format that worked for me. I felt that I wasted a journal or two attempting to draw out something I could use, but would quickly throw it across the room because it wasn't neat or pretty. I understand that a majority of bujo doers out there use it as a creative outlet. I already deal with clutter and mess and all the supplies I thought I needed or design ideas I thought I wanted to try out just didn't work for me personally. It's both good and bad that users want to share their design ideas but I think it also oversaturated social media with what a "perfect" spread could look like. It would benefit some people like me to have brainstorming or examples of starting displayed as well.
after "forgetting" to update my even quite simple bullet journal, I'm in a rut. But after listening to what u said about this made me realize it was simple but not simple enough to help me achieve my goal to be productive and mentally free. You showed me the pathways now ill walk on it. ThankYou!
It's nice to hear your opinion on this. I love Bullet Journaling although I'm just doing it since 2023 started. However, in the beginning, I was so stressed to write everyday and to keep it pretty. I'm an artist and this is where I live. I found a place for all that creativity. I didn't need to write something down for every day, I just needed a space where I could write down so that my thoughts would get more clearly. So I cut the bullshit, I kept the designs pretty but I quit doing an "every day" or "weekly spread". That just didn't work for me. So: I love bullet journaling for everyone who struggles just like I did - you can cut all the bullshit you don't need and just do whatever the hell you want. :)
Yea I agree, sometimes one can get lost in details. It takes anyone some time to figure out their style and system. I found that using simple blue pen, basic spreads, not even doing daily, but sticking to weekly spreads. Cause my tasks are spread around the week, I can all I want set up a task for a Monday, but then my toddler gets a stomach bug, my husband runs late from work and my preschooler has a emotional meltdown, so all my plans goes out of the window lol. So yeas keep it real, for me set up tasks to do during a week and visit every day and do the best I can. 😅😂😂😂
😧This is the best way to explain why i quit bullet journaling because i couldnt myself!!! All i was focused on was the designs and i couldnt keep up with it! It wasnt helpful and became tedious so i stopped. Thank you for opening my eyes, i will try again with a diffrent approach.
Great summary of what to not get off track on, if using your journaling to identify issues, improve productivity and stop bad habits to overall improve yourself and your self awareness; as your goal. Then these issues can derail your efforts . I had noted these issues as well-and it too took me a few years as well. I suppose it is because we watch others and emulate the artistic beauty they show- instead of keeping to the goal we wanted from our journaling. Then we wonder why it seems to consumes more of our time and productivity, without actually doing what we wanted it to. This succinctly summarized the pitfalls well. Appreciate it.
Thank you so much Kas! This really keeps me motivated to keep going hahahh. Don't know if in a year, but 100k is happening one day, I feel it ;) Happy to have you here!
Someone needed to say this. I've watched a few BUJO videos and my thought was you put all the effort into making cute designs and you have no energy left to actually do anything.
@@thefulcrum I carry a unruled pocket size notebook to jot down quick reminders to myself and a second one that I take to the gym to log my workouts. Every few days at home I write my thoughts on how things are going, big plans for my future, new habits I want to establish, etc. I do that on a plain piece of paper and keep it in a looseleaf notebook.
Some bullet journals really stress me out. I like to keep things simple. I make my diary pretty though, plan on getting stickers, washi tape, and printing out retro photos for that.
I think it can be confusing because 'bullet journaling' has morphed into something more complex than the OG bullet journals. If you're just starting out and interested in the productivity aspect more, then definitely go OG Ryder Caroll style. Bullet journals don't HAVE to be complex & artistic. If you're a creative at heart who wants to be more productive, then keep it simple until you nail down the core principles, then try adding fancier elements if you want. But if you find yourself getting worn out from all the fancy setups, scale it back. Ultimately, it should be what works for you, and Ryder Caroll's process is just a guide - a starting point - and a great one at that. I do both, but if I'm extra busy and short on time, my layouts get simplified. I often plan the time to do artistic setups and break it down like I would a goal. And sometimes I say eff it and go simple because I feel like it. Just find what works for you, and don't focus on what others think you 'should' be doing, but on what YOU should be doing to accomplish your goals. Easy peasy. 😊
Nobody talks about how much the supplies for those pretty spreads costs. Mines functional but I do use highlighters, color coding pens, & doodles to jazz it up. Occasionally a sprinkling of washi tape & stickers. Just using what I already had on hand up. That’s just for initial set up. For actually using it. I only use a basic black pen. I just started getting back into it. And my Word. It is driving me nuts. I was looking for inspiration & dang near everything is “planner style”. I have a planner. This is my *journal*. It’s really hard to find just journal spreads. Let alone ones that are simple & functional. 😒
oh the costs add up, but it will also last a lifetime. I have mildliner that are 10 years old, still going strong most of them. I can't for the life of me, use all my sticker collections. They're just not enough spreads for it. Before I "saved" the pretty stickers for my personal Bujo. But now I have so much and need to use it every change I can. Journal, gardening, games, entertainment and work. There will always be new pretty ones, but I have a ton at home now and need to use them up. Otherwise the money wasn't spend wisely.
Wow, I have been doing this for years & I didn't know it was a whole thing! But I did learn something here... How to make it more productive & helpful. However this is also a sketchbook/mixed media art book and book I use to take notes when studying all sorts of topics... It is also a personal research book into my parapsychology experiments, social experiments, thought experiments, meditation experiments health, experiments and anything else I may happen to dive into. It is definitely helpful to look back on. And also, in case it ever gets wet, use permanent markers, if it is truly very important then always use permanent markers so that it's safe from water... However, that does mean it won't be safe from alcohol and anything containing it like hairspray or also nail polish remover... So I guess this all really depends on the person and what they are surrounded by. And how clumsy they are. Anyway, thanks for making this video, Bartek. Dziękuję. Maliny są dobre. Ja mam nazwisko po słowa: Strój - Stroje - Stroju - Strojowi - Stroić - Stroiki - Strojeniu - i terz może po słowie: Nastroić - Nastrojów - Nastroje - Nastrojem ---- może zgadniesz moje nazwisko... Masz jakiś pomysł? Strojecki Anyway, have a good one, brother! 😊
The title must contain "for me" at the end. Because I love bullet journaling, I can manage the notebook the way I want. That's the idea of BuJo, you can do wherever you want
Yeah, but that would reduce the clickbait impact. This guy didn't stop journaling. He needed a catchy title for his list of bujo "sins" that boil down to the bujo version of hike your own hike.
Thank you so much dude! This means the world. I’m really trying to become a better filmmaker, and I’ve been feeling a little stuck recently… So reading this makes my day :D Cheers!
While I agree that making it pretty is a "waste of time" for me it's also an outlet to be creative. And I don't just make pretty pages. Some of them are, some of them aren't, depends on my motivation, and what I want to record, and I don't really care about the mistakes, I don't care that it looks chaotic. I just wanted one organizer to regroup all my to-do lists that I could also vent in and make it pretty if the fancy struck. My journal doesn't serve only one purpose.
I loved doing the pretty journal spreads for a long time, but I’m an artist so it was my little daily art journal or I’d paint a theme for the month or something. Then after I graduated high school there was way less time for that so I made it simple and the promptly lost all passion for it, and just had a regular planner. I think it for some people the decorating is the fun part! I rekindled my love for Bujo recently but I went with a digital app called Paper and I can use images and stickers from all over as well my drawings, so yk, people just gotta find their own way to make journaling fun and not just practical.
Thanks for this video! I'm one of the people this applies to and have been bullet journaling for two years, on and off. It wouldn't have been that way if I hadn't (and still do) focus on the aesthetics of it all.
I remember getting stuck because of all the detailed and themed bullet journals on the market and thought i had to have all this extra stuff to start journaling correctly, but when i finally researched the methodology behind all the fluff i realized the style i use in my pocket notebook IS the bullet journal method, just without a key. Adding the key helped me tremendously and now that’s my daily log, i didn’t need to buy a dot journal or use anything but a regular pen, and the journal already being beat up makes me less intimidated by it. I enjoy watching other people set up a journal, but I’ve accepted that isn’t the way i operate and that made me much better at journaling
Best video on bujo. I am totally new to this, and really wasn't seeing the point of doing it if it was going to make me waste time, decorating and making it beautiful. I agree, it has to be simple.
Thank you, i didn't do journaling because i was put off by the high standards I have seen in videos. Your video gave me the courage to try it with my lower standards.
Somehow you showed up on my feed and fell over laughing..a good thing. I had just watched a bujo and she had decorated it beautifully. I fell into the rabbit hole awhile back and quickly realized I don't have a life and decorating one sucks. Then I realized I just had a different way of doing things. Now it just has lists of paint supplies so I don't buy duplicates, people I watch on UA-cam and the tutorials I've finished. I need to make a page for the quilt projects I'm working on and what kits I still have to complete. I need to make another page of all the miniature dollhouse kits I have to work on as well. I guess I do have a life, just not one that needs goals, daily habits, a calendar and mood trackers.
I did the original bujo for years during university and it was perfect for me because I am a mess. The only thing I did consistently was numbering the pages so my summary worked. It was ugly, messy, full of doodles and it worked so well. The moment I reached Pinterest and saw how people were doing bujo, I wanted to do it like that as well. So I gave up on analysis paralysis. I just couldn't decide what to do next.
Super brilliant and helpful! I immediately picked up an old notebook and fell in love with bullet journaling, but the more I saw all these fancy/perfect layouts online, the more envious and inadequate I felt...totally defeated the purpose and it was hard to balance the joy of being creative without tipping into the perfectionism trap. Your advice is right on and so helpful! Side note, I initially clicked on this while researching how to overcome my planner guilt/overwhelm, but watched it immediately because your surname happens to be the Polish version of my maiden name, Malinouskas (original Lithuanian spelling Malinauskas). My father/family often used the spelling Malinowski over the years. I learned recently that "malin" means "raspberry" in Lithuanian. Apparently, our people had something to do with raspberries. And we may or may not be related! Cheers! ☺️
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I haven't tried the "proper" method of Bullet Journaling, but instead, an augmented way. Each day, I write a sentence or two on what I did that day, and track three habits. Basically, I put down an X or two and write a sentence. That's it. I did make another column, eventually, writing down some big monthly accomplishments. People forget that it's not about making it pretty, but making it work for you. I personally don't want to write down all my tasks on paper. I think it's a waste of time. I have a digital outliner I use to keep track of all the things I have to do. It's constantly changing/shifting, so taking the time to write it down, only for me to re-edit it a bunch of times is precious time wasted. Instead, I write down only the most most important goals in my journal, and they're macro, spanning across months. Again - what works for you?
I love this. I did the same thing, bought special pens, stickers, but it wasn't me. My process is much simpler now. I like how you are using the highlighter. I'm going to try that. Thanks for this video.
I just looked back through my old bujo I had from 2 years ago because I wanted to start it again. I was proud of the pretty spreads. It was nice to look back on the art as well as the words. I think bullet journaling got overwhelming for me because I felt it was making me too busy and re-inforcing the idea that I had to feel productive to feel healthy. I do need a balance of structure and relaxing. What's cool is you can completely tailor it to yourself and even make plans to relax! I think I'm going to start it again with emphasis on the habits and journaling part. It really helped clear my mind at the end of the day. I think as humans, we are naturally competitive and get worked up on being the best and perfect. We become obsessed instead of gradually introducing a new thing. If we don't do it perfectly, we give up. That was the hardest thing about developing this particular habit. Anyway, maybe I should have journaled this stream of consciousness....😅
THANK YOU! I fell into the same 'don't make it pretty' trap and gave up. I'm watching this because I'm going to try to go back to 'basics' for my bujo, now that I've taken a few years off and have become too physically disabled TO make it pretty. Fingers crossed!
I kept a journal diary and using it for 2 years almost, It worked for me. I can keep a track of my progress in different areas. There are times, I could not progress at all and there are times I made a great progress, well that's all about consistency right. Consistency doesn’t mean it need to be a straight line, but a not giving up attitude. I had a great progress in some of my habits including maintaining my sleep cycle. Well, I kept my journal very very minimal and boring xD like I have just only use a black color pen, my normal hand writing and not that much drawing. That works for me ✨ And I personally think, if you use a bullet journal to showcase your creativity, that is great, a source of your happiness and creative mind. But by doing this, if you expect progress in what you're journaling, that will mostly fail you. My suggestion, you can keep two separate journal, one to use it as a scrapbook where you can showcase your creative mind
not bujo but my handwritten notes from studying. I like to have a small travel book with me to scribble my notes while im in class and when I get home, I transfer them into my main notebook where I know exactly what I need to write down and can plan accordingly. The presentation of my notes has immensely improved and I don't feel the need to make my scribble notes look pretty. As long as I get the information, I'm good :D
I decided to get into bujo specifically for the flashy and creative layouts. Productivity stays in my regular planner. I mostly agree that prettying it up lowers the functional productivity of it.
Thanks for clarifying this! Long time I thought I didn't understand it (BuJo), because I did and do not like any washi tapes, stickers, etc., even colorful highlighting is not my thing. The only thing I found and like is writing with brown ink/gel ink. And also using dot grid is not mine, straight lines are enough. And yes, it is the content that counts, not its presentation :c)
i love writing and journaling simply about what happened in my day and my feelings but all of these pretty doodles and lettering make me really anxious about doing it. Thanks to remind us journaling is just about a pen and a notebook and that's all
I think the style of bujo you’re describing as working well for you is a minimalistic bujo, which is great for some people especially people who like getting straight to the point. Some people like to be more creative with it because that’s what draws their attention. Or keeps them happy looking at their bullet journal and can also keep them focused on their specific goals. That’s is fine too if that is what that type of person needs. I think the only thing that drives me a bit crazy is when people do junk journaling and call it bullet journaling, those journals have nothing to do with productivity that is just someone ripping paper glueing it in their journal and adding stickers.
Your absolutely right. Any productivity process that wastes your time maintaining it with excessive structure and design is not productive. Digital productivity /notes software also suffer from the same issues.
Honestly this was very helpful. I want to journal since a long time, but always start over because it never felt right. I never know how to start, because it feels like every person writes down such deep thoughts. I'll try to make it more simple. The rest will come by time and practice.
I kept a bujo for a few years but then decided to switch to digital planning on my iPad. Much neater, I can move things around, copy/cut/paste at will, available on all my devices, no need to keep buying notebooks. It works for me but ymmv.
I think that for some people BuJo is simply a hobby/ way to express themselves. I use a binder system (not BuJo) and previously had a lot of decorations in it. Tbh, even now it makes me happy to look at some of those pages. But as the amount of tasks increased, now I have a very minimalist and not beautiful at all GTD system in my ring binder. The core point is to not stress yourself with the decorations if now you are not in the mood or don’t have time for it. That’s why I adore ring planners. When I have my very simplistic planning, I just throw away the pages after I used them. And if I feel like investing some time for the decoration (usually not tho), I can keep the pages I like.
You're exactly right👍 Personally something I prefer to keep it simple and minimal but other times when I have enough time I try to make it a little fancy
I completely agree with you. In the past, I spent a lot of time making my bullet journal beautiful, but I ran into problems when running it. But now I just want to plan. A bullet journal should make life easier, not harder. Of course, it is not possible for me to carry a notebook all the time and everywhere... Sometimes it happens that I leave the house without any bag. Therefore, I use planning and bullet journal applications because I always have my mobile phone with me.Although one progresses in the path of life and maybe one's opinion about something or the method one has chosen will change, but now this is good for me, I don't know about tomorrow.
The people who decorate their journals and make it beautiful aren't missing the point because they misunderstood the objective, they just have a different objective.
Yes, the system was designed to simplify and organise without spending a lot of time and effort on it, but for some people this may be the only creative outlets they have. If you always have it on you, then it's easy to whip it out and start creating something, spend a few minutes on your lunch break doodling title page or whatever.
The people who genuinely love decorating their spreads don't necessarily do it all the time, but they *make* time to do something they enjoy. Their bujo doubles as a sketchbook, or scrapbook; it's a hobby AND an organisational tool.
It's counter-productive to you because thats not a hobby you see value in. You're not getting the same level of satisfaction that they get, and thats perfectly fine.
My advice to anyone starting bullet journalling, would be to keep the bullet journal and decorating separate. Start a scrapbook or decorate your personal journal instead so you can keep the bullet journal as spartan as possible, at least until you get the basics down and learn how to use it.
Plan in some time for decorating the other journal, so then you have the bullet journal AND the hobby.
Once you get the hang of bullet journalling, then try decorating it. Just dont go all out or it'll put too much pressure on you. Start with just a title page or even just the titles. Keep it minimal and use your other journal to go all out in.
If it becomes stressful, or too complex, then just keep it as a bullet journal and remove the hobby aspect.
Exactly my thoughts. Not everyone's bullet journal is made for the exact same reason. I think it's nice some people have found their creative outlet when it comes to journaling and even can wind down during it from a stressful day. If it works for you & makes you feel happy/comfortable, then it works.
@@extrakimmu ^ a lot of generally artistic people like decorating everything. It isnt a chore for us. I personally don't bujo, and my journal (which is for therapeutic reasons, primarily to help with my adhd, anxiety, and ptsd, doesnt replace therapy but is a tool to cope) is usually simple, but sometimes I go ALL OUT and nothing is wrong with that
You my friend are one of the very few people who get it !
I've seen so many people hate on the artsy journals and I just don't get it. If it adds value and joy to your life , consider decorating it as a hobby ! If not just use it as the productivity tool it is. Or maybe somepeople just want an art journal not a bullet journal. That's totally fine too. Bottom line , you do YOU ❤
im an artist and i try to do two different journals. one artistically one and one ugly one. Works for me. i love to use colours and drawings in a journal in general
When I was doing my bujo pretty bloody regularly, it was so creative. Like art, and printed out photos of the months "theme". Colours EVERYWHERE. But that worked for me. It really worked for me. I loved sitting down on a Sunday to do the next weeks spread, I loved sitting down on the last few days of the month to do the monthly spread. Like it was a form of self care for me. What stopped me continuing doing a bujo was COVID, and the fact that I graduated uni. So a lot of my journal was filled with ... nothing. It wasn't because it was creative, it was just... lack of things to do. That and my ADHD got worse when COVID hit, but you know...
Some people use bullet journaling as their creative outlet, I think it's nice some people found their creative side when doing this hobby. If it works for them, then it works. Not everyone's bujo is for the exact same reason
Agreed. The main reason for bullet journaling is to get more done and stay sane while at it. If doodling helps you do this, be my guest 😊
@@bartekmalinowski Your channel is really underrated!
@@bartekmalinowski And to make it even more clear, not always to get _more_ done but to do things in a _better way_ (as in in a way that suits oneself the best).
If it helps you be creative, doodle, design, etc. GREAT. But don't. Call. It. Bullet journaling.
@@utuelielthat's literally the opposite of productivity. Getting less done but doing it in a way "that suits oneself best" aka lazy people. People really be claiming to use productivity techniques to be less productive smh.
Do whatever design you want. Waste your time however you want. But don't insult the creator and people who use it by calling it bullet journaling
I’ve been trying to get into bullet journaling for years but kept failing because I couldn’t make it pretty enough (I have messy handwriting)
At the beginning of this year, I started to focus more about functionality and less about aesthetics, and this made it so much easier and stress-free to keep journaling.
Have you ever heard of a computer? It's 2023, wake up
For this reason I gave up bj and have resorted to a cheap yearly planner (10 USD) instead. Can't be bothered to be artistic and well organized at the same time.
@dan2000ist that's so great to hear that it works for you :) keep going, you rock in your own way.
@@BotDetector-44 Bullet Journaling in paper is less distracting
this is what drives me crazy. Bullet journaling isn’t about being pretty or drawing spreads. The name has been co-opted by something else and so bullet journaling gets a bad name. It’s flexible enough to allow that level of creativity if that’s what you want, but it’s not required at all.
1 - don't make it preety
2 - write down your thoughts and your day
3 - be grateful
4- review monthly by asking 4 questions 1) what worked 2) what didn't worked 3) what lesson learned 4) how your habits go means habit tracker
Don't *need* to make it pretty, as an artist Id love making it pretty
Are you seriously saying, you should create UGLY spreads? That’s ВS! It’s important to have bujo that looks good, as much as it should be functional. There’s zero excuse to avoid addressing the aesthetics! Nobody wants to write in an ugly messy (but functional) journal. It’s just reality! Humans love beauty, probably even more than function!
I tried doing a bujo, but I didn’t have the time to make it pretty. It did help me see what formats I enjoyed and was able to build a custom planner from the happy planner.
@@ELENAOttawa People who are disabled, like me, simply do not have the time or energy, and like the video said, it didn't work for them either. Making it pretty is great for artists! But not everyone is an artist.
@@justbecause9049 Use stickers! That made the world for me. I can draw, but I don't want to sit there for 2-3 hours drawing. With stickers and design paper I can make a page in 15 min. a day. It's functional and pretty. (Also leaned from 11 years bullet journal and there were a lot of ugly spreads, if I look back now)
I was flipping through an old, mostly unused journal and found a couple paragraphs I wrote about a cat that has since died. I wish I'd written more. I'm a writer, so I write. The pretty spread people are artists, or want to be, so they draw. Possibly the worst thing that happened to journals was corporate people realizing they could rebrand scrapbooking stuff as journaling stuff and suddenly you don't just need a notebook and a writing utensil, you need washi tape, stamps, punches, and tombow markers to go with your name brand leather-bound dot grid journal and authentic replica fountain pen. And I say this as a dot grid fan.
Washi tape companies when bujo got invented: 🤑🤑🤑
whenever i just want to look for journaling content i only find scrapbooking, scrapbooking ruined journaling! scrapbooking shouldn’t be considered a journal, it should be considered a scrapbook.
@@dmtrophiess Well sounds like a you problem, because when I know what I'm looking for I have to specify and I find either for writing or scrapbooking because I do all of the above or even together. People need to stop complaining over little things and let people be.
As a writer myself, I loved reading your comment. I had the same realisation a couple of years ago while looking through old journals. My entries were focused on my schedule and the projects I was working on. At times, I wrote about how nervous and frustrated I felt about insignificant things.
I only found a few golden sentences here and there (or a paragraph at most) that mentioned *something or someone I loved.* And like you, I also lost a pet, my dog, when he was quite young. Searching for his presence in my writing was heartbreaking. There was hardly any evidence of how much I had loved him and how important he had always been to me.
This why I now write about specific little moments or thoughts I want to treasure. It doesn't matter if I don't catalogue my entire day. Honestly, I might not even mention school or work in my journal ever again. My life is much more vibrant than my daily tasks. There is so much love to write about.
@@Prieta100so if it's a "you problem" to others it's not relevant but your garbage take is more valid?
I’m an industrial designer and I was taught “form follows function” and while that might sound like what you pointed out in your video it kind of isn’t. As the function changes so does the form… and the way the brain of the person that uses the journal works also plays a big role. For you the more artsy setup doesn’t work and I thought I was the same but this year was the first year I actually stuck to a journal the entire year and funnily enough this year I did an illustration for each month and very artsy fonts… this way I personally feel motivated to open the journal and actually use it plus if I have to commit and sit down at the end of the month to create the new spreads it forces me to actually use it and to find the motivation for that I do it in a way that is enjoyable for me. It takes me the better part of a day to do the entire month but that’s essentially one day of ‘me-time’. That being said: I do art and I draw in sketchbooks during the month as well so for me this is free time not a daunting pile of work… well most of the time at least and at those times as soon as I got up and started doing it I do find it enjoyable.
The best thing about using a bullet journal is that you can personalize it so it works for you… some people just need to realize that having an artsy journal might be nice but if it doesn’t work for you it’s ok to let go instead of pressuring yourself to do it any at cause that clearly defeats the purpose 😊
I LOVED this comment, I’m definitely going to quote you! 🤩
Because of creating “pretty” spreads it actually made me stop doing BUJO because I felt disappointed because I can’t be consistent from doing all the pretty designs. From now on I’ll make simple ones that actually helps
This is so great to hear! Still seems surreal that a silly video I made is actually helping people somewhere 😄
@@bartekmalinowski keep going!
This video is great!
I would love to have those pretty journal layouts, but yes, they made me feel disappointed. Maybe I will start put with this method and transition into making it more artsy once I have more of a flow with it.
I use Pip-stickers; kinda expensive but saves lots of time and makes my journal look real cute. I hate plain journals... My plan originally was to learn how to draw, and I LOVED doing the bujo for that reason, BUT it was too much pressure. Drawing is one of my daily habits that NEVER get checked off:(
I have two separated bujo's, one for decorating and for the day, and other for organisation. Sometimes i add colors or stickers to the 2nd one, but most of my creative things go for the 1st.
Some people find this inconvenient, but if one day u woke up with ur creativity at the 99%📈, u may want to decorate something with those feelings, and just keep ur organisation bujo "clean" or, as the name says, organised.
Hope it helps! 🩵🩵
I started bullet journaling in college but it only lasted for a few months if not weeks. I was overwhelmed by the bujo community where all the people seemed to have pretty spreads and templates.
I thought I needed to be like them to be successful in bullet journaling. It turned out I didn't have to.
By the time I found out about this, I had switched to digital journaling using Notion which worked better for me. Now I can spend the time that I used to ruminate on what highlighter or pen color I need to use, to do other more productive things for me.
Those who treat their bujo like a gallery instead of a tool are completely missing the point.
AMEN. By the time you color and design, draw, you could have accomplished several tasks which is the reason for a planner or notebook. "Can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome.
@@MR-pr8tp It depends on the person. Productivity and creativity can go hand in hand, they're not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Personally I won't use my bullet journal in the long run if I don't find it pretty and if I don't have fun setting it up.
And it's my hobby as well. I like spending time on it, but I spend this time on bullet journaling instead of watching Netflix for example, not instead of doing what I have to do.
You don't have to be this black and white...
@@chaaachouu16Agree. It’s a hobby. Sure I use it to keep track of tasks and info, but I also enjoy making it beautiful! If art or paper crafting isn’t your thing, use the original method!
Just let people do it however it works for them. I haven't ever seen an artistic journaling person say that other people should be making their journal pretty, but I've seen so many "functional" journalers complaining about how other people like to keep their journal, even when they are only spending minutes a day to keep it visually interesting.
And I say this as a person whose daily pages look WAY worse than the functional layout shown in the video. But every month I commit about an hour to painting a complicated new monthly spread. It's one of my hobbies, so it's by definition not a waste of time, even if the spread doesn't keep me on task or make me more productive. Every few days I put in a nice sticker or tape in something interesting. My journal works for me as a productivity tool BECAUSE it exists in a liminal space between diary and planner.
The day to day is functional, but without the fun stuff I wouldn't bother coming back. Can't we just stop the judgment and let people journal how they want?
No, people aren't missing the point, they make their own point, I also bullet journal and to me it is something is use to draw because I like drawing but can't actually bring myself to draw a whole painting. I also use it to write down my tasks and figure out what exclusive task I needed to do for that day. Everyone has their own way of bullet journalling. No one is missing the point.
I see a lot of comments saying that making your bullet journal pretty isn't bad; let me yes, and that. I do it the other way around. My sketchbook also serves as my bujo. This is EXTREMELY helpful because I skip pages with sketches and art pieces I'm proud of and repurpose sketch pages that aren't particularly good, or that I used just to test swatches or do practice strokes or gestures drawings. Sometimes I completely remake an old sketch into something entirely different with new materials after I've bujo-ified the page. I am also a stationary JUNKIE and it's a great way to use a lot of my washi tapes, stickers, sticky notes and ephemera. This also serves an incredibly important value of mine, which is to actually USE all the different notebooks and sketchbooks I've only partially filled because I was just testing them or not happy sticking with them or felt limited by them. Whenever I combine the two, I have a reason to fully utilize a whole sketchbook.
This has been my first year doing this and I've finally, for the first time in my life, completely filled a sketchbook where I love just about every page and I'm planning out another for next year, which I imagine will be filled up before the year is out----which never happened with my old Bujos that I used to switch out for some new fun notebook with different/better paper or whatnot.
It's not a junk journal. It's not a smash journal. It's not a travel journal. it's not a bujo either. It's my sketchbook bujo and it's taken me five years to realize the minmaxing of a bujo is just not for me, so I've developed a system that works for me. I imagine a lot of bujo creatives absolutely feel the same love while decorating their bujos. :)
"Bullet Journal: Lessons & Corrections" Summary (My own words, not direct quote)
1. Form over function 3:45
1.1 Keep it simple. Flexible. Do what works for you
2. Writing for clarity >>> organization 4:48
2.1 Action step: Nothing fancy or complicated, create everyday evening routine & write flow based method journal entry
2.2 Pragmatic insight: Check calendar of events next day. Write tasks want to accomplish to mentally prepare beforeee waking up what to do everyday
2.3 Why journal write? Be aware how you spend your time & Reflect on your archived timeline of personal writing of thouhts, ideas, notes
3. More gratitude journaling 6:07
3.1 Most ROI habit to do every. single. day towards delayed gratification, not instant gratification
3.2 Simple exercise (The true impact on fulfillment and happiness): Gratitude as a resource to develop willingness, ability and skill to appreciate small things, even on bad days.
3.3 Write a word, sentence everyday for 21 days (How long it takes to form a habit)
4. Bonus Oversight Revision: Look back!!! 6:50
4.1 Assertion: It cancels your energy, time of the function and process of organizing and joting little insights to not refer back to your writings
4.2 Regularly re-read (Monthly, weekly, your own choice)
4.3 Implent review to take action as a tool to personal development/success- 1x/ per month look back at journal entries, try to ask 4 Qs
4.3.1 What worked?
4.3.2 What didnt?
4.3.3 What lessons did I learn?
4.3.4 How did my habits go?
4.3.5 Bonus Q: Where did my time go? (Time tracker)
4.4 Inspiration, Motivation to change after self-evaluation:
4.4.1 See your winnings, success, achievements big or small.
4.4.2 Have a strong inspired/driven/ determined mindset & consistent/focused action to be accountable/disciplined to manage & meet your micro/long term goals
4.4.3 My personal remark: Dont give up! Goal setting is a learned skill and practice. It's not created overnight.
This comment is actually so much better than the video itself
W
Wonderful, except the 21 day rule is a myth and it varies drastically for everyone.
Adjust it to your needs; you don’t have to follow any one else. I use mine with a weekly spread and a few extra sections: yearly plan/monthly sections with space to write upcoming commitments. I have a page with journaling entries, but never beat myself up if I don’t do it. I use pages for lists/personal projects randomly as things come up. If I could figure out how to post a picture I would! It includes 9 vertical rectangles (m-f plus this week and next week). I graph my sleep hours. With the 2 spare slots I (at the moment) have one for sewing projects and one area for work tasks. I use a circle for personal and a square for work tasks. I keep an eye on my ‘this week’ list and slot things in and adjust as I go. Works great for me. I also do gratitude, either on the main page or in notes section. I don’t beat myself up about any of it! It is a visual plan of my week and I love that! Appointments have alarms in my phone as well when important. Done!
I agree on the pretty spreads. I occasionally have free time and like to make fancy crafty spreads, but I usually spend about 10 minutes setting up monthly pages in a format that is functional. It matters more to me to be able to use and feel comfortable in my journal, and that means allowing mistakes and low effort pages to exist. I also have slowly started adding in a journaling aspect where I answer daily, weekly, and monthly questions so that I am more focused on my goals and my mental health. I like this a lot because before I didn't realize when my mental health was declining but now I'm forced to face my mental state on a regular basis
How's it going so far? Do you see any real benefits?
@@bartekmalinowski i think so! I'm still trying to get to a point where i consciously think about my goals more often but now I'm starting to see my progress in a measureable way as well as collecting data to be able to look at why certain things didn't work. I think the biggest benefit is i feel like i'm actually making progress because i have data to see what had changed/worked and what hasn't, whereas in the past i just had to rely on my memory and a vague sense of how i felt about my goal progress. But even though I am not more mindful all the time, it's comforting to slow down every week and write down my specific emotions instead of continuing to distract myself from them. I feel like i am taking care of myself more by journaling and giving my future self a record to look back on.
I love to look at the pretty designs, tried to replicate some and I realised that I'm not using them at all. So I decided to have a monthly, some lists each month and the rest is simply journaling/creating. It works so well and if I want to draw or scrapbook I just use the next free page. People are too focused on other people's opinions because of social media creators. Just do what fits you and it will be perfect for you.
I think this video went straight to the point.
I love my journal pretty BUT
- I threw away three journals in the first year
- I finally bought me a Scrapbook journal in addition as I realised it stressed me that every month looks SO different It was like my brain could not focus on what was written there because it was busy sorting out the designs and months and finding the information
- so my monthly setting is basically the same layout every month but I make it pretty with Washi tape (mostly) because it is a quick and easy way if you are not an artist
- I skipped my daily spreads because I realised they stress me (I do not have that many appointments and stuff to write down)
I sign the "never sacrifice function for form" line. I found my way after a year. I still love how Bullet Journaling works for everyone differnt.
The old scrapbooking community has faded away and scrapbooking is now seen as old fashioned. The scrapbook energy lives on, though, and has spread into the planner community now. It’s kind of it’s own thing, separate from pure productivity/planning.
Actually, I discovered "scrapbooking" through my attempts at planning. My friend is an OG scrapbooker and has over a decade of memories in these neat books going back to high school. They are pretty awesome, but not quite my thing. Now, filling in things I did in a planner and "memory keeping", that clicks for me. I still don't have the same level of detail or frequency of events recorded as she does, but if I'm going to record at all, its going to be in a planner.
Scrapbook was useful, it build a record of memories. this is useless, people acting busy rather than being busy
@@yossarincatch6051 ??? Making a pretty scrapbook page is very similar to someone making pretty planner pages. I see a lot of people doing Baby/travel planners/journals. They put pictures/details/itinerary/packing/etc. Sounds like youre gatekeeping because you arent a creative person. Thats okay. Let other people be creative.
@@yossarincatch6051No, they ARE busy!!-Busy acting busy! 🤣
@@persephone3892 if you are a high schooler or a bored grandma sure, but this is purposed as a “productivity” tool, not a “creative” tool. If u really are that creative, sell your art, don't waste time that you don't have
Have a rough note book/ bullet journal.
And a separate art journal.
For me, the more I enjoy creating spreads and looking at them, the more I want to use them. I've consistently tracked and planned stuff in my bullet journals for half a decade and I have been more consistent than with any other system, because on top of being functional, I enjoy it. I enjoy looking at it, I enjoy making the pages, I enjoy filling it in, I enjoy the doodles and the lettering and the scrapbooking and the painting and it makes it a lot more functional for me, personally, than having a bare-bones function only planner.
And in the times where I've been stressed with a lot going on, those have been times I use my bullet journal more.
Going all out on spreads doesn't put pressure on me to go all out with every speed. I have spreads that are nothing but bare functional lists and checkboxes. But overall, if I enjoy my planning system, I use it more, I use it more reliably, and I use it more consistently, which makes it more functional, not less.
it is exactly the video I was looking for!
thank you a lot for being clear and concise.
especially for showing examples of how you actually write it down.
I found out about bullet journaling years ago but never actually got to do it (probably fancy videos set my expectations too high)
very grateful for you bringing it down to earth.
Happy it helped. Lowering the bar is a great tactic for whenever you’re not feeling ready or good enough for something.
Excellent video!
This is the best I have seen on the bullet JOURNAL.
Thank you.
I am so glad that I didn't bother to make it pretty but instead presentable to my future self and to convenience for my present self. I just started one week ago.... And I'm glad i found this video
it comes with time, when you want to make it pretty you will. Just a sticker here and there, is also functional. The key is to balance both worlds and does come with time.
@@Weissklangi I switched to notion instead. I feel bullet journaling is for me
This video is so under appreciated!! Doable, resonable advice given in a short amount of time. Brilliant!
I really love that getting super creative with bullet journaling is fun and useful for some people, but for me it just made the process too overwhelming to keep up with. but it clearly works for some people
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?!
@@ELENAOttawa wtf
I remember the first time I got into bullet journaling and while I did a lot of pretty spreads it immediately worked for me but after I finished the first (and school for that matter and went straight to university) I had a bit of a bullet journaling crisis. I didn't have much time anymore to create spreads and tbh I had pretty bad friends who even looked in my journal where I wrote personal stuff too. Since then I was pretty afraid to take it with me. I just recently decided to go back to the basics and I've watched the "original" bullet journal video again. I keep the journaling part and the planning part separated now but I still kept the habit tracker and sometimes time tracker in my bujo.
One big mistake I made in the past was that I set up all the pages for a months in advance and taking away the flexibility that way.
Also for anyone who might read this that has the feeling that gratitude journaling just doesn't work for them: It helped me a lot to write a little paragraph why I'm grateful for that certain thing. I often see people writing gratitude with just a few words but for me that never worked because I didn't feel grateful until I actually thought about why I'm grateful for that thing. Maybe that could help you too!
On a side note: That's a pretty professional video for a channel this small and it was very interesting. Great video and keep up the good work :)!
Wow, thanks for this super insightful comment! I'm very grateful you watched the whole thing. Love the gratitude practice you're talking about. I always do that 'in my head' when I'm writing a thing down, but for those just getting started that's an awesome idea. Happy to have you on the team ;)
I feel for ya. I had anxiety when I read what your friends did.
My mother read mine as a teen. And didn’t hide it. She wrote back. She also did it again when I was 24!!
Anyways. I’m sorry you were betrayed like that. That never should have happened. And quitting journaling was just a human reaction. Don’t ever feel bad for shutting down
💜💜
Hi Yatshie and Lola. Sorry to hear that your journals have been peeked at 😢...... maybe you might like to try creating some codes which only you yourself could understand. That way, you could enjoy the benefits of journaling without much fear of anyone violating your privacy , and also engage in a sense of mystery when you re-read it later in life where somehow you'll have to make a guess of your own notes. 😂
@@4061earthabcdesong haha. I like how you’ve made this into something fun. For sure we’d have to guess at what the heck were saying. We’re we drunk ? We’re we pretending to be posh? 😂😂
@@LolaRyckyour mom sounds awesome ... moms ❤️
This was an excellent reminder! I might strip mine down to the bones.
One suggestion: You might try starting your day with gratitude. It can have a positive effect on your whole day. Also being grateful before any event of importance is a good habit. Amazing how gratitude can improve your health, emotions, and even brain wiring. Science is catching up with what the Haudenosaunee have known for years.
Thank you very much to bring everything back to simplicity , it's a kind of decluttering what you are doing
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?!
Great video it helped me alot❤. I'm now convinced that internet will make you buying things and spend money where you don't need at all. I'm a student and I don't have enough money to buy an expensive journal and stickers and myriad of stationary stuff, but i was so anxious i really want to start journaling my thoughts and routine but I had all these things in mind that my journal notebook will not look pretty. But your video helped me getting rid of this useless anxiety. Now I'll pick up a simple school notebook and will turn it into my personal journal. The idea is to write down whatever you are feeling. Thanks so much❤
It depends on what season you are in. I enjoy making mine pretty, it's an artistic outlet for me. There are some months I do VERY minimal spreads. I think where people get caught is comparing to other people's bujos. Comparing can be toxic in life generally speaking. I don't journal in mine because I don't want to. I do a gratitude log, it's (yes, very corny...but true) life changing.
OMG YES. I needed this validation that I can be free from the pretty pressure. The actual writing/journaling part is missing from every planner video I watch because self-reflection is messy. So you see people switching their journals to buy a new one. But it’s the process that matters, not the planner! Thank you!
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?! 🙄
@@ELENAOttawa missing the point. Appearance has a place in the “finished” product, not the original act of creating or becoming. A diamond starts rough. Writing begins with a rough draft. A beautiful home begins with a rough idea, trees, wood, nails, it’s a very messy process. Everything is in a state of becoming and unbecoming. Ignoring the rough, unfinished, unbecoming, dying, broken, or natural states of imperfection of our minds and bodies is denying life itself. Good luck being perfect all the time. That’s a recipe for suffering. I applaud those willing to share journaling and art that is about a process. Beauty in the imperfection. Wabi sabi and all that.
I agree with this. The reason I failed to do bullet journaling is the consistency I wanted when decorating my journal. I spent time designing my spread and got tired when it came to making the schedules or important parts that I actually needed. I tried using a simple notebook to write all my tasks and accomplishments for the day and surprise, it worked for me. From then on, I've been focusing on the functionality of the journal that I need. I just decorate my bujo for fun during my free time and I don't overdo it. In fact, I bought stickers so I didn't have to do some letterings or banners and so on. The good thing about this is I discovered something about myself: simplicity works for me.
that's so nice to hear. Keep going:) For me the weekly and daily spreads didn't work. I was so stressed to keep up with the pretty stuff. But I already have a note book where I can write as messy as I want. I'm an artist so I wanted to use the bullet journal for my creative time and space. that's why I moved away from the daily thing and just did a pretty page with lots of space to write my thoughts down whenever I need to clear my head. I write down every quote or thought I want to keep and look back at. So that's my way to deal with that, I'm glad you did find your own:)
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?!
I use my bullet journal (for me more planner than journal) in a similar way, but at the beginning of every week (I set that up usually on a Sunday) I write down a simple list of tasks that I want to do the next week. Just a simple to do list, with estimated time for each task, and an arrow on which day I plan to do it.
I also have a list for the overarching projects and dates / appointments that I write as an even more simplified to do list at the beginning of the month. In the week list I make tasks, not goals or projects, but these broken down into easy tasks.
The notebook that I use has two bookmarks, but I don't really like the fabric strings. I put them at the end so they don't get in my way and use sticky notes to mark the monthly and weekly overview and the day.
The fancy bullet journaling rabbit hole was something I fell into, and sometimes I do 5 minute pretty weekly setups when I feel like it, but only then. There is nothing wrong with decorating it, but it doesn't work for me personally.
For things like birthdays I have a list printed where all birthdays are listed separated in months (so I don't have to write them down every year new) with a few rows in each month to write in when I add a new one.
For things that are not in the following week or the current month I also have a cheat sheet that I put into the little pocket of the notebook. I don't want to go through the planner every time I look for a birthday or other important dates that are not now or don't have to be started now. The small pocket at the end of the Leuchtturm notebook is ideal for keeping these separate sheets that I only use once every month to put into my monthly to do list.
For me it is a pure productive / organisational tool. I journal in a separate small book that I keep at the end of the planner. In my mind it makes more sense to journal in a separate space and not in between my weekly to do pages. But the book is small enough so I can easily carry it around in the planner and not have a separate big notebook that I have to carry around with me.
I finished my first full year last year literally just highlighting the dates each week and getting started. I’d add the month page every month with some “focus points” and a braindump section next to it and that’s it. I write birthdays and important dates at the beginning front. I allow myself to use pages behind the week pages for notes with no format, when I’m done doing that, I just start the new week.
As someone with ocd, letting go of that structure was an amazing accomplishment for me to finish a whole year consistently - without worrying about how it looks - and I’m so proud of it.
Well done on letting function prevail over form :)
Thank you! This is great insight. I was trying to set up a BuJo and getting frustrated. This is so helpful!
Bullet Journal has worked brilliantly for me, for the last 10+ years, but not the art gallery stuff you see on loads of video. Would not be without it.
I was amused to see that your primary reference point for appointments remains the calendar app on your phone. This makes sense to me as it's efficient and quick. What you are descibing really is simply keeping a diary and making notes of things that interest you or you want to remember. nothing revolutionary really, Charles Darwin was good at it and his simple diaries stood the test of time. People waste too much time on this stuff instead of just getting thisngs done. I was like that at school at exam time, I spent ages producing revision timetables and the time would have been better spent revising 🤣
Journaling has expanded beyond traditional notebooks and pens. There is now a greater demand for vibrant scrapbooking supplies such as washi tape, stamps, punches, and tombow markers. Nevertheless, the importance of using top-notch journals and fountain pens persists. Being a supporter of dot grid patterns, I truly relate to this passion.
Agreed! I didn't stick to the bullet journal the first time around, but what stuck with me was that minimalistic dotted grid. Perfect for organized chaos. Having recently fell into the neverending pit of fountain pens, my creative mind is screaming for a round 2.
make it just pretty enough to keep you motivated and to draw your eyes around the page. no more, no less - adjust it to you. this keeps you at the right level of decoration to keep the system functional and useful, everyone from list and a line to full creative outlet
Nobody wants to write in an aesthetically ugly and messy journal, unless a person is mentally defective.
as someone who's obsessed with keeping everything "aesthetic" this really spoke to me. I was planning to start bullet journalling and this helped!
Thank you for making this!
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?!
@@ELENAOttawa oh no that's not at all what I meant. It's really fun and cathartic putting in effort to make your journal pleasing to the eye, but sometimes perfectionism paralyses you and keeps you from actually starting a journal. That's something I struggle with a lot, and this video was helpful, that's all. If you wanna keep a journal whose sole purpose is to look pretty then by all means do that! I'm right behind that idea.
Spot on!! I'm just jumping back into using my buju (with lots of wite out to change the months, etc so it's current) and everything you mentioned about spending so much time prettifying it and then not being productive is why I had stopped using it.
Great tips. I see the "making it pretty" is kind of a controversial point for some people in the comments but I totally agree with you. I better leave the pretty bujos to designers and illustrators who love that and can make some time to spend on that. If that works for them, it's cool but for all we who doesn't, just don't get disappointed, it's still a great tool for anyone.
I actually was one of those „aesthetic“ bullet journal girlies. I’m telling you, it was so f-ing stressful to keep up with a beautiful well designed theme or whatever. I spend HOURS making the spreads as neat and pretty as possible.
Now, I still use a Bullet Journal. But the way it’s indented. Quick, easy, sometimes messy, just one pen, no stickers, washi tape or colouring. And I‘m telling you, it’s amazing
muchas gracias por este video; estaba teniendo muchos problemas de ansiedad por no lograr que mi bullet estuviera perfecto y me ayudaste a recuperar el foco! 💡 💓
So many different types of journals these days! I don't really do bullet journaling, per se, because it seems counter productive to me. As you laid out, it can be more if a distraction to try to have pretty layouts for the purpose of organizing your day, week, month, etc. I have a planner for planning life, keeping track of appointments, deadlines at work, etc, and a notebook that I suppose could be considered a "bullet journal" minus the journaling. It's my detailed to-do list for myself and my team, on a daily basis, to accomplish and track goals throughout the day and week, and I make sure I keep space for taking notes throughout the day, from phone conversations, meetings, etc. My actual journal is much more of a private diary to write down my thoughts, feelings, happenings in my life, etc. It stays at home, because well... it's personal. I carry a small notebook in my purse for jotting down quick notes when I'm on the go, if I need to remember something I'll forget later, if it's not written down, but again that one is more personal in nature as it really just pertains to my personal life... not necessarily private. To me, bullet journaling seemed kind of neat at first, and I life the idea of it, but it's really just overrated, and not something I find works for me the same way it apparently does for others.
I suffer with bad anxiety and fear I’m going to miss something. Although I also use my google calendar I find having an actual diary I can write things down in really helps. You do not have to make it this perfect work of art. Yes add colour if ya want but it doesn’t have to be a competition or a master piece that’s not the point of the system
Yup! I also use google calendar, it’s just more convenient for keeping track of appointments. The BuJo is home for my tasks, long-term planning and reflection. And I’d say: add as much colour as you want to, as long as you get stuff done ;)
This video is so good and so necessary!! Great insights and ideas (and I gotta say that the video itself is pretty dope also, great editing!). It certainly helped a lot!! Thanks a million!
You nailed it in your video: a beautiful, "pretty" BUJO isn't about productivity. When recreating a calendar and filling in the dates and coloring and drawing is involved, caring around a dozen colorful markers, devising an index, , this isn't being productive but all about fulfilling a creative activity. Spending the time re-drawing a calendar could have been spent running an errand, doing laundry, or making phone calls. I used to teach business skills and being efficient is a key component of getting things done as is the KISS method: Keep It Simple Stupid. Yes, I get it, the "personalization" of one's "planner" can be one's idea of a BUJO, but it sure isn't about productivity and being efficient when wanting to get tasks done. If I had time to color and draw, then I must not be very busy or overwhelmed with tasks and trying to move forward. People are offended when these differences are pointed out, even personalizing their comments toward others, and in a negative manner.. Simply these are two different processes is all. A BUJO's purpose "was" originally about getting things done and organizing events, needed tasks.
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?! Yes, beautiful AND functional jounal is the best option!
This is definitely a good starting point for people who get their first graph lined or bullet page journal and I wish I figured this out on my own 2 years ago.
When I attempted to bullet journal , I pretty much gave up as soon as I started because I couldn't find a format that worked for me. I felt that I wasted a journal or two attempting to draw out something I could use, but would quickly throw it across the room because it wasn't neat or pretty.
I understand that a majority of bujo doers out there use it as a creative outlet. I already deal with clutter and mess and all the supplies I thought I needed or design ideas I thought I wanted to try out just didn't work for me personally. It's both good and bad that users want to share their design ideas but I think it also oversaturated social media with what a "perfect" spread could look like. It would benefit some people like me to have brainstorming or examples of starting displayed as well.
after "forgetting" to update my even quite simple bullet journal, I'm in a rut. But after listening to what u said about this made me realize it was simple but not simple enough to help me achieve my goal to be productive and mentally free. You showed me the pathways now ill walk on it. ThankYou!
It's nice to hear your opinion on this. I love Bullet Journaling although I'm just doing it since 2023 started. However, in the beginning, I was so stressed to write everyday and to keep it pretty. I'm an artist and this is where I live. I found a place for all that creativity. I didn't need to write something down for every day, I just needed a space where I could write down so that my thoughts would get more clearly. So I cut the bullshit, I kept the designs pretty but I quit doing an "every day" or "weekly spread". That just didn't work for me. So: I love bullet journaling for everyone who struggles just like I did - you can cut all the bullshit you don't need and just do whatever the hell you want. :)
Yea I agree, sometimes one can get lost in details. It takes anyone some time to figure out their style and system. I found that using simple blue pen, basic spreads, not even doing daily, but sticking to weekly spreads. Cause my tasks are spread around the week, I can all I want set up a task for a Monday, but then my toddler gets a stomach bug, my husband runs late from work and my preschooler has a emotional meltdown, so all my plans goes out of the window lol. So yeas keep it real, for me set up tasks to do during a week and visit every day and do the best I can. 😅😂😂😂
😧This is the best way to explain why i quit bullet journaling because i couldnt myself!!! All i was focused on was the designs and i couldnt keep up with it! It wasnt helpful and became tedious so i stopped. Thank you for opening my eyes, i will try again with a diffrent approach.
Great summary of what to not get off track on, if using your journaling to identify issues, improve productivity and stop bad habits to overall improve yourself and your self awareness; as your goal.
Then these issues can derail your efforts .
I had noted these issues as well-and it too took me a few years as well.
I suppose it is because we watch others and emulate the artistic beauty they show- instead of keeping to the goal we wanted from our journaling. Then we wonder why it seems to consumes more of our time and productivity, without actually doing what we wanted it to.
This succinctly summarized the pitfalls well. Appreciate it.
First video I've seen from you and I LOVE the vibes. Keep it going :)
Great to have you here :)
How do you have so few subs? Your production quality is insane. You’ll be up to 100k in a year. Good luck, mate! Keep at it. Stellar work!
Thank you so much Kas! This really keeps me motivated to keep going hahahh. Don't know if in a year, but 100k is happening one day, I feel it ;) Happy to have you here!
@@bartekmalinowski it is indeed! I can feel it, too. Happy to be here!
Someone needed to say this. I've watched a few BUJO videos and my thought was you put all the effort into making cute designs and you have no energy left to actually do anything.
So true! Are you following an alternative journalling method?
@@thefulcrum I carry a unruled pocket size notebook to jot down quick reminders to myself and a second one that I take to the gym to log my workouts. Every few days at home I write my thoughts on how things are going, big plans for my future, new habits I want to establish, etc. I do that on a plain piece of paper and keep it in a looseleaf notebook.
😂😂😂
Really good summary 🎉 one of the best / clearest i’ve seen
thank you.
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?!
Some bullet journals really stress me out. I like to keep things simple. I make my diary pretty though, plan on getting stickers, washi tape, and printing out retro photos for that.
I think it can be confusing because 'bullet journaling' has morphed into something more complex than the OG bullet journals. If you're just starting out and interested in the productivity aspect more, then definitely go OG Ryder Caroll style. Bullet journals don't HAVE to be complex & artistic. If you're a creative at heart who wants to be more productive, then keep it simple until you nail down the core principles, then try adding fancier elements if you want. But if you find yourself getting worn out from all the fancy setups, scale it back. Ultimately, it should be what works for you, and Ryder Caroll's process is just a guide - a starting point - and a great one at that. I do both, but if I'm extra busy and short on time, my layouts get simplified. I often plan the time to do artistic setups and break it down like I would a goal. And sometimes I say eff it and go simple because I feel like it. Just find what works for you, and don't focus on what others think you 'should' be doing, but on what YOU should be doing to accomplish your goals. Easy peasy. 😊
Nobody talks about how much the supplies for those pretty spreads costs. Mines functional but I do use highlighters, color coding pens, & doodles to jazz it up. Occasionally a sprinkling of washi tape & stickers. Just using what I already had on hand up. That’s just for initial set up. For actually using it. I only use a basic black pen. I just started getting back into it. And my Word. It is driving me nuts. I was looking for inspiration & dang near everything is “planner style”. I have a planner. This is my *journal*. It’s really hard to find just journal spreads. Let alone ones that are simple & functional. 😒
oh the costs add up, but it will also last a lifetime. I have mildliner that are 10 years old, still going strong most of them. I can't for the life of me, use all my sticker collections. They're just not enough spreads for it. Before I "saved" the pretty stickers for my personal Bujo. But now I have so much and need to use it every change I can. Journal, gardening, games, entertainment and work. There will always be new pretty ones, but I have a ton at home now and need to use them up. Otherwise the money wasn't spend wisely.
Wow, I have been doing this for years & I didn't know it was a whole thing! But I did learn something here... How to make it more productive & helpful. However this is also a sketchbook/mixed media art book and book I use to take notes when studying all sorts of topics... It is also a personal research book into my parapsychology experiments, social experiments, thought experiments, meditation experiments health, experiments and anything else I may happen to dive into. It is definitely helpful to look back on. And also, in case it ever gets wet, use permanent markers, if it is truly very important then always use permanent markers so that it's safe from water... However, that does mean it won't be safe from alcohol and anything containing it like hairspray or also nail polish remover... So I guess this all really depends on the person and what they are surrounded by. And how clumsy they are. Anyway, thanks for making this video, Bartek. Dziękuję. Maliny są dobre. Ja mam nazwisko po słowa: Strój - Stroje - Stroju - Strojowi - Stroić - Stroiki - Strojeniu - i terz może po słowie: Nastroić - Nastrojów - Nastroje - Nastrojem ---- może zgadniesz moje nazwisko...
Masz jakiś pomysł?
Strojecki
Anyway, have a good one, brother! 😊
The title must contain "for me" at the end. Because I love bullet journaling, I can manage the notebook the way I want. That's the idea of BuJo, you can do wherever you want
Yeah, but that would reduce the clickbait impact. This guy didn't stop journaling. He needed a catchy title for his list of bujo "sins" that boil down to the bujo version of hike your own hike.
Exactly! Plus, nobody wants to write in an aesthetically ugly journal. Ewww…
I liked your video after 35 seconds because I like you filmed this despite having an injured lip. 😁🙏❤ Important!
Man this is a very solid filmmaking here! Great video, keep it up!
Thank you so much dude! This means the world. I’m really trying to become a better filmmaker, and I’ve been feeling a little stuck recently… So reading this makes my day :D Cheers!
While I agree that making it pretty is a "waste of time" for me it's also an outlet to be creative. And I don't just make pretty pages. Some of them are, some of them aren't, depends on my motivation, and what I want to record, and I don't really care about the mistakes, I don't care that it looks chaotic. I just wanted one organizer to regroup all my to-do lists that I could also vent in and make it pretty if the fancy struck. My journal doesn't serve only one purpose.
I loved doing the pretty journal spreads for a long time, but I’m an artist so it was my little daily art journal or I’d paint a theme for the month or something. Then after I graduated high school there was way less time for that so I made it simple and the promptly lost all passion for it, and just had a regular planner. I think it for some people the decorating is the fun part! I rekindled my love for Bujo recently but I went with a digital app called Paper and I can use images and stickers from all over as well my drawings, so yk, people just gotta find their own way to make journaling fun and not just practical.
Thanks for this video! I'm one of the people this applies to and have been bullet journaling for two years, on and off. It wouldn't have been that way if I hadn't (and still do) focus on the aesthetics of it all.
I remember getting stuck because of all the detailed and themed bullet journals on the market and thought i had to have all this extra stuff to start journaling correctly, but when i finally researched the methodology behind all the fluff i realized the style i use in my pocket notebook IS the bullet journal method, just without a key. Adding the key helped me tremendously and now that’s my daily log, i didn’t need to buy a dot journal or use anything but a regular pen, and the journal already being beat up makes me less intimidated by it. I enjoy watching other people set up a journal, but I’ve accepted that isn’t the way i operate and that made me much better at journaling
I really like your idea for highlighting the day. I’m going to try that for my own BuJo and see how it like it.
Best video on bujo. I am totally new to this, and really wasn't seeing the point of doing it if it was going to make me waste time, decorating and making it beautiful. I agree, it has to be simple.
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?!
Thank you, i didn't do journaling because i was put off by the high standards I have seen in videos. Your video gave me the courage to try it with my lower standards.
So, let’s lower all of your expectations in life, out of being too lazy to improve. Right?!
Somehow you showed up on my feed and fell over laughing..a good thing. I had just watched a bujo and she had decorated it beautifully. I fell into the rabbit hole awhile back and quickly realized I don't have a life and decorating one sucks. Then I realized I just had a different way of doing things. Now it just has lists of paint supplies so I don't buy duplicates, people I watch on UA-cam and the tutorials I've finished. I need to make a page for the quilt projects I'm working on and what kits I still have to complete. I need to make another page of all the miniature dollhouse kits I have to work on as well. I guess I do have a life, just not one that needs goals, daily habits, a calendar and mood trackers.
I did the original bujo for years during university and it was perfect for me because I am a mess. The only thing I did consistently was numbering the pages so my summary worked. It was ugly, messy, full of doodles and it worked so well. The moment I reached Pinterest and saw how people were doing bujo, I wanted to do it like that as well. So I gave up on analysis paralysis. I just couldn't decide what to do next.
Super brilliant and helpful! I immediately picked up an old notebook and fell in love with bullet journaling, but the more I saw all these fancy/perfect layouts online, the more envious and inadequate I felt...totally defeated the purpose and it was hard to balance the joy of being creative without tipping into the perfectionism trap. Your advice is right on and so helpful!
Side note, I initially clicked on this while researching how to overcome my planner guilt/overwhelm, but watched it immediately because your surname happens to be the Polish version of my maiden name, Malinouskas (original Lithuanian spelling Malinauskas). My father/family often used the spelling Malinowski over the years. I learned recently that "malin" means "raspberry" in Lithuanian. Apparently, our people had something to do with raspberries. And we may or may not be related! Cheers! ☺️
Thank you for your video, I will start asap. I think this will help me to organize myself better
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I haven't tried the "proper" method of Bullet Journaling, but instead, an augmented way. Each day, I write a sentence or two on what I did that day, and track three habits. Basically, I put down an X or two and write a sentence. That's it. I did make another column, eventually, writing down some big monthly accomplishments.
People forget that it's not about making it pretty, but making it work for you. I personally don't want to write down all my tasks on paper. I think it's a waste of time. I have a digital outliner I use to keep track of all the things I have to do. It's constantly changing/shifting, so taking the time to write it down, only for me to re-edit it a bunch of times is precious time wasted. Instead, I write down only the most most important goals in my journal, and they're macro, spanning across months. Again - what works for you?
I love this. I did the same thing, bought special pens, stickers, but it wasn't me. My process is much simpler now. I like how you are using the highlighter. I'm going to try that. Thanks for this video.
I just looked back through my old bujo I had from 2 years ago because I wanted to start it again. I was proud of the pretty spreads. It was nice to look back on the art as well as the words. I think bullet journaling got overwhelming for me because I felt it was making me too busy and re-inforcing the idea that I had to feel productive to feel healthy. I do need a balance of structure and relaxing. What's cool is you can completely tailor it to yourself and even make plans to relax! I think I'm going to start it again with emphasis on the habits and journaling part. It really helped clear my mind at the end of the day. I think as humans, we are naturally competitive and get worked up on being the best and perfect. We become obsessed instead of gradually introducing a new thing. If we don't do it perfectly, we give up. That was the hardest thing about developing this particular habit. Anyway, maybe I should have journaled this stream of consciousness....😅
I've been doing bare bone bujo for about five years now. Still managed to pick new ideas from the clip. Thanks!
Wow! That’s incredible to hear! Glad I could be of help :) Cheers from Poland!
I loved your english! For me is so clear! The tips also good!! Thank you!
Excelente video! Necesitaba oír alguna disidencia. Gracias por aquello!
THANK YOU! I fell into the same 'don't make it pretty' trap and gave up. I'm watching this because I'm going to try to go back to 'basics' for my bujo, now that I've taken a few years off and have become too physically disabled TO make it pretty. Fingers crossed!
I understood that i needed an outlet to make it pretty and another functional and flexible to be organised. That’s it
Amazing content! I was fully expecting to see a million plus subs! Keep posting!
I kept a journal diary and using it for 2 years almost, It worked for me. I can keep a track of my progress in different areas. There are times, I could not progress at all and there are times I made a great progress, well that's all about consistency right. Consistency doesn’t mean it need to be a straight line, but a not giving up attitude. I had a great progress in some of my habits including maintaining my sleep cycle. Well, I kept my journal very very minimal and boring xD like I have just only use a black color pen, my normal hand writing and not that much drawing. That works for me ✨
And I personally think, if you use a bullet journal to showcase your creativity, that is great, a source of your happiness and creative mind. But by doing this, if you expect progress in what you're journaling, that will mostly fail you.
My suggestion, you can keep two separate journal, one to use it as a scrapbook where you can showcase your creative mind
not bujo but my handwritten notes from studying. I like to have a small travel book with me to scribble my notes while im in class and when I get home, I transfer them into my main notebook where I know exactly what I need to write down and can plan accordingly. The presentation of my notes has immensely improved and I don't feel the need to make my scribble notes look pretty. As long as I get the information, I'm good :D
This video truly helped me ! Thank you
Finally someone from Poland. Love it. You have my Abo
There are TONS of Polish creators, but do you actually search for them in POLISH language?
I decided to get into bujo specifically for the flashy and creative layouts. Productivity stays in my regular planner.
I mostly agree that prettying it up lowers the functional productivity of it.
Thanks for clarifying this! Long time I thought I didn't understand it (BuJo), because I did and do not like any washi tapes, stickers, etc., even colorful highlighting is not my thing. The only thing I found and like is writing with brown ink/gel ink. And also using dot grid is not mine, straight lines are enough. And yes, it is the content that counts, not its presentation :c)
Exactly! This comment truly made my day. This is just what I wanted to get across. So happy to see someone figure out THEIR way of bujoing ;) Cheers!
i love writing and journaling simply about what happened in my day and my feelings but all of these pretty doodles and lettering make me really anxious about doing it. Thanks to remind us journaling is just about a pen and a notebook and that's all
I think the style of bujo you’re describing as working well for you is a minimalistic bujo, which is great for some people especially people who like getting straight to the point.
Some people like to be more creative with it because that’s what draws their attention. Or keeps them happy looking at their bullet journal and can also keep them focused on their specific goals. That’s is fine too if that is what that type of person needs.
I think the only thing that drives me a bit crazy is when people do junk journaling and call it bullet journaling, those journals have nothing to do with productivity that is just someone ripping paper glueing it in their journal and adding stickers.
Your absolutely right. Any productivity process that wastes your time maintaining it with excessive structure and design is not productive. Digital productivity /notes software also suffer from the same issues.
Honestly this was very helpful. I want to journal since a long time, but always start over because it never felt right. I never know how to start, because it feels like every person writes down such deep thoughts. I'll try to make it more simple. The rest will come by time and practice.
I kept a bujo for a few years but then decided to switch to digital planning on my iPad. Much neater, I can move things around, copy/cut/paste at will, available on all my devices, no need to keep buying notebooks. It works for me but ymmv.
I think that for some people BuJo is simply a hobby/ way to express themselves. I use a binder system (not BuJo) and previously had a lot of decorations in it. Tbh, even now it makes me happy to look at some of those pages. But as the amount of tasks increased, now I have a very minimalist and not beautiful at all GTD system in my ring binder.
The core point is to not stress yourself with the decorations if now you are not in the mood or don’t have time for it. That’s why I adore ring planners. When I have my very simplistic planning, I just throw away the pages after I used them. And if I feel like investing some time for the decoration (usually not tho), I can keep the pages I like.
You're exactly right👍
Personally something I prefer to keep it simple and minimal but other times when I have enough time I try to make it a little fancy
Lovely video
I truly needed these tips
Thank you so much 🌿
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?!
Gratitude IS in fact a major factor for happiness. Nice job.
I wish everyone could see this video, it was incredible.
Yes, let’s be lazy and not care about appearance of our notes, our physical body, our home or anything. Right?!
@@ELENAOttawa It's not about laziness; it's about avoiding obsession. You can keep a clear and neat version in your Google Calendar and Keep notes.
I completely agree with you. In the past, I spent a lot of time making my bullet journal beautiful, but I ran into problems when running it. But now I just want to plan. A bullet journal should make life easier, not harder. Of course, it is not possible for me to carry a notebook all the time and everywhere... Sometimes it happens that I leave the house without any bag. Therefore, I use planning and bullet journal applications because I always have my mobile phone with me.Although one progresses in the path of life and maybe one's opinion about something or the method one has chosen will change, but now this is good for me, I don't know about tomorrow.