Bullet Journal - in english
Bullet journal – Bujo system
Diesen Blogpost gibt es auch auf Deutsch.
Nearly two months ago i found the Bullet journal system. I have been researching different organizational systems lately and have been looking for tips and tricks to increase efficiency or to optimize Task list.
The bullet journal system seems to me to be a good system to incorporate many of these tips and tricks.
Since I have several friends interested in that system I thought I should finally compile a reference list for the tips and tricks that helped me most.
Unfortunately I have not found a lot of information in German, most of it was in English. However I decided to write this blog post both in English and German.
I originally found the idea of the bullet journal via Pinterest, the Coffee table book of the “all-knowing, all-seeing Trash Heap” internet (the fraggles, anybody?!?) and via Pinterest stumbled upon several well made blogs and communities about the bullet journal system.
Links to some of these great webpages and infos
Bullettjournal homepage, facebook
Bohoberry
Pretty prints and paper
Tiny ray of sunshine
Bullettjournaljunkies facebook group
BuJo Junkies auf Pinterest
Despite this long list, i would definitely start with the homepage of the original Bullet journal, the system developed by Ryder Caroll, since he developed/ dreamed up the system and all.
After watching the video and reading through the first infos on that page I was slightly confused, and overwhelmed. To be honest, I wasn’t really sure how to use that system. There were so many options and decisions to make. So I just let it simmer for a while, slept on it, kept reading more blogs and info and started small.
For years I have been using a Moleskine diary (the pocket size 12 month weekly notebook) and just began changing my task lists in that diary into the BuJo style task lists. Also I used an extra notebook, also pocket sized to try a weekly BuJo layout that very first week.
BuJo Setup and Key
The pocket notebook was great to test some of the BuJo ideas; the weekly spreads, collections and lists, and decide what to keep and what to develop further.
the very first week
Especially the idea of the collections drew me in. there are examples in the net of people having collections of movies to watch or watched, their meal planning for the next week or when to clean what etc. this seems to be a bit much for my lifestyle, but why not.
After just a short time I had to accept the fact, that the pocket sized notebook is just too small for me, page wise. And I switched up to a “big” A5 notebook (dot grid…), which seems to be a favorite for many BuJo Fans, and for a reason (or many).
The key to the BuJo system in my opinion is the duality of a diary with appointments and tasks and the idea of a log. To make it more precise, the duality of planning and reality, a comparison that fascinates me. I think that that is something that cannot be easily achieved with digital tools, but is sort of built into the analog system, especially using pen and paper and not erasing old outdated info. It starts to be a kind of historical record (albeit a very short and recent history).
Mai fun and organization
Kat’s tips to a good start with the BuJo system:
- Just do it, give it a try
give it a try for a couple of weeks, try out different layouts, weekly or dayly, tryout different ideas using it as a personal log, try out some collections and lists.
- Look at tips and tricks/ hacks
there are so many people out there fascinated with this system, hence there seem to be a million tips and hacks to try, find them via the blog on bulletjournal.com or pinterest or via some blogs or even youtube. Some of the example pages online are extremely intricate and artistic, very impressive and not what could work for me in my daily life, but still full of ideas that could be used in some way or other in my own journal, maybe a detail or a way of recordkeeping or that funny font etc.
- Review or get an overview
after a few weeks of using the BuJo system (in my case ca.6weeks) I tried to review how I used the system and evaluate what worked for me or what I missed and wanted different in my private BuJo (and also my Work BuJo)
I am estimating that I will do something similar in another 4 or 6 weeks, and will be able to compare how the adjustments held up to daily use.
I am also planning to use some aspects of the BuJo system for my work, I especially love the idea of the Brain dump, and I see a lot of promise for that one in a line of work where new info’s and request can come in at any time throughout the day.
This is all fine for my work, but working in a team with colleagues has slightly different demands which will never be realized in today’s world with an analogue system in my opinion, hence I see the great advantages in the BuJo system for me as a work log and brainstorming and note organizing tool, for cooperation at work I still am a fan of the classic Outlook diary or tasklist tools such as Wunderlist, although we switched to Asana some months back and that has become an extremely valuable tool for me at work.
strategizing on how to use my BuJo
What I love in my BuJo:
- Half year/ Quarter year overview
First time I see a realistic chance to schedule my doctors appointments or vacations better.
- Waiting on / open orders
Kickstarter is my downfall, especially because I tend to forget what I supported and when they promised delivery, but not anymore!
- Monthly spread
No matter how the layout is exactly, as long as I have the big picture of monthly goals and task as well as waiting on (information or deliveries promised to me that might need reminding) it offers a big advantage for me.
- Habit tracker
I love it. Great idea, of course there are apps (habit rpg fun but not really traceable) for tracking habits or new years resolutions etc. but with this in my BuJo I actually can look back and see how I have been doing so far.
- Gratitude
Writing down three things I am grateful for is an idea I have been stumbling upon for some time now, and I think it’s a great idea, and especially suited to be included in my BuJo.
everything is possible...
Well, that’s it for now. I might pick this topic up again in the future, but then again there are so many great blogs for Bullet journaling, I might just go with links…
Cheers, hugs and have fun with your BuJo!
kat
more Pics on my flickr page
