A Beginner's Guide to Bullet Journaling

These days, it seems like bullet journaling is all the rage… but what exactly is it? At its core, a personal bullet journal is a quick and flexible system that offers tons of organizational benefits to your everyday life. With daily-, monthly-, and future-focused logs, you can use your journal to concentrate on what’s most important in both the present and future. Your bujo doesn’t have to stop there, though—with just a little prep work, your bullet journal can be anything and everything you want it to be. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know, so you can embark on your very own bujo journey.

Things You Should Know

Choose any kind of notebook to serve as your bullet journal. It doesn’t need to be fancy or divided into sections, since you’ll be organizing the journal on your own.
Start off your journal with an index section, followed by a future log, monthly log, and daily log.
Keep your journal organized with signifiers—these are specialized bullet points that help you keep your thoughts categorized.
Customize your journal with collections, like a list of books you want to read or recipes that you want to try out.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Core Journal Setup

Download Article

1
Pick the right notebook. Believe it or not, you don’t need a fancy notebook to bullet journal—all you actually need is a notebook that you can easily transport from place to place. Any type of notebook can get the job done, like a notebook with an elastic , or even a Moleskine notebook . A decorative notebook, or one with existing sections, is not necessary for bullet journaling since you'll be doing all the organizing on your own.
- You can personalize the notebook a bit if you’d like, though! If you love the color blue, for instance, you could invest in a blue notebook.
- You don't have to stick to lined notebooks, either. You could work with dotted notebooks, grid notebooks, and blank notebooks. It's all up to you!
- The official Bullet Journal brand sells a great bullet journal made with the LEUCHTTURM1917 notebook .
2
Create an index. Bullet journal pages are designed to be numbered and tracked in an index. This index helps you track which sections fall on which pages. The first blank spread (the first two blank pages that fall side by side) will be your index. To get started, simply write "Index" on the top of both pages.
- You can write in pen or pencil using whatever color you’d like. A pen may show up better, however, and darker colors are typically easier to read.
Advertisement
3
Make your future log. Flip to the next blank spread in your journal—this will be your future log. Your future log is a way of getting a bird's eye view of tasks you need to complete within the next six months. It will include a month-by-month breakdown of events, tasks, and goals. To start, divide each page into 3 even vertical sections. Use a ruler to draw three straight lines down the spread, dividing it into three equal sections on each page. ^{[1]
X
Research source}
- For example, if each page has 24 lines make three sections on each page of 8 lines each.
4
Write the name of the next six months in each section. Let’s say you're starting your bullet journal for the new year. You would write, "January" in the first box, then "February," and so on. If you were starting your bullet journal in May, you’d write “May” in your first box, followed by “June,” “July,” and so on. ^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Be sure to write page numbers on the corners of each page. As your future log in your first section, the page numbers should be one and two. Flip back to your index and write something like, "Future Log . . . 1-2."
5
Add a monthly log. Flip to the next blank spread in your journal—this will be your monthly log, which gives you an overview of the upcoming month. Start with the current month and write the name of this month on the top of both pages. On the left page, write down every date of the month. After you finish, write down the abbreviation of the day of the week next to the number. On the right page, jot down your task list for the month, using bullet points to make a list of all the goals you hope to complete, any bills you have to pay, and any deadlines you need to meet. ^{[3]
X
Trustworthy Source
National Education Association
Union of professional teachers devoted to promoting the success of the public education system by advocating on behalf of teachers and students.
Go to source}
- For example, on the left page you would write "January 1st, Sun."
- On the right page, you would write things like "Pay the cable bill," and "Complete draft of term paper."
6
Add a daily log. Flip to the next blank spread and write today's date on the top of the page. Use small bullet points to write down things you need to do that day, tasks you completed, and anything else interesting that’s going on. Use as many lines as you need to log your daily activities. When the day ends, make a new entry in the line below for the next day. ^{[4]
X
Research source}
- A bullet journal is meant to be brief, so try to use short, simple sentences. For example, something simple like do not say, "Called vet to ask about cat's vaccinations. Rabies due." would be better than "Today, I called the vet to discuss the cat's vaccinations, including the rabies vaccines that is due."
When you're done, write page numbers on the corner of each page. Flip back to your index and add your monthly log to your index. For example, you could write "January Monthly Log... 3-4." ^{[5]
X
Research source}

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Journal Customizations

Download Article

1
Choose signifiers that work for you. Signifiers are the types of bullet points you use in your journal to help categorize your content. There are no set rules about establishing signifiers—it heavily depends on the types of events you choose to journal. Feel free to break down events into categories, such as work, school, bills, personal, creative projects, etc. Each type of event should have a different bullet point signifying its type, but it's best to only use a few categories to keep things from getting confusing. ^{[6]
X
Research source}
- For example, creative goals could be signified with a star, work could be signified by a simple bullet point, hobbies could be signified by an arrow, bills could be signified by a small dollar sign, and personal topics could be signified by a heart.
- As you track your goals on your daily calendar, use your signifiers to keep things organized! For example, an entry may look something like, "$ Paid Cable Bill today."
2
Organize your monthly goals into categories. It can also help to categorize monthly goals in your monthly log. Instead of having a random list of bullet points lumping everything you need to do together, organize further. It helps to separate your tasks by type.
- For example, you could write headings like "Weight and Fitness Goals," "Deadlines and Due Dates," "Work Goals," and "Creative Goals."
- From there, write down tasks under their corresponding categories. Under "Weight and Fitness Goals," for example, you could write something like, "Visit the gym 12 times this month."
3
Store collections in the back of the journal. Collections are broad to-do lists that you want to accomplish for a year. It includes anything that is not a log—for example, collections can include books you want to read, movies and TV shows you want to watch, recipes you want to try, and so on. It's good to fill out your collections page as ideas strike you, and you can refer to it later on when you need inspiration. ^{[7]
X
Trustworthy Source
Greater Good Magazine
Journal published by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living
Go to source} Here are a few collection ideas to get you started
- Books to read
- Habit tracker
- Places you want to visit
- Food diary
- Meal prep log
- Inspiring quotes
- Daily affirmations
- Budget
4
Fill out daily events that matter to you. As you track your daily log, fill out events according to your preference. This depends heavily on why you're keeping the bullet journal. If it's primarily to organize work goals, for example, you can track what occurred at work each day. However, the journal does not have to be super professional—feel free to record personal moments that made you smile. For instance, "Boyfriend brought me coffee during my lunch break."
- Remember to make use of your signifiers as you fill out your journal.
5
Jazz up your journal with fun decorations. Want to give your bujo a little more personality? Stickers, washi tape , and markers are just a few ways to add plenty of creativity and life to your journal. Here are a few other ideas to help you get started: ^{[8]
X
Trustworthy Source
University of Rochester Medical Center
Leading academic medical center in the U.S. focused on clinical care and research
Go to source}
- Write out your spreads using cool fonts
- Apply fun patterns to your journal with rubber stamps
- Adorn your journal pages with doodles
- Add a touch of watercolor paint to your pages

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Using and Updating Your Journal

Download Article

Each time you complete a task, flip back to your monthly log. Cross off the task on your broad to-do lists. This can help you track what you have accomplished and what you still need to accomplish for a given month. ^{[9]
X
Research source}
2
Transfer important uncompleted tasks to the next month. At the end of each month, review your monthly log and daily log. See which tasks you have completed and which still need to be done. Set up a new monthly and daily log, the same way you did before, transferring the uncompleted tasks to the next log as you go. ^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Keep in mind that you do not need to transfer all your tasks to the next month. If you see a task that's no longer worth your time or that is too late to complete, cross it out. This will help you stay organized by trimming down unnecessary information.
3
Add long-term goals to your future log. With a bujo, it’s a good idea to continue building on your future log over time. As you glance through your daily and monthly logs for the past month, see what long-term tasks are included. For example, if you're working on a graduate thesis, it will likely pop up in your logs over time. Feel free to add things to your future log as necessary. ^{[11]
X
Research source}
- For example, break down your thesis into small goals and jot them down in your future log. In February, you would write "Complete draft" and in March write "Revise draft."
4
Make notes on projects specific to you. It helps to eventually make a project log or list in the back of your bullet journal—this can help you track long-term projects. You can make a list that says something like "Yearly Projects." When reviewing each monthly log, flip back to this list. This will remind you of any short-term goals regarding longstanding projects you should add to each month.
- For example, if a long-term goal is to be able to run 30 minutes without stopping for one month, you could write, "Increase running time to 15 minutes."

Bullet Journal Help

Annotated Bullet Journal Entries

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How do I decorate a bullet journal?

Claire Donovan-Blackwood
Arts & Crafts Specialist
Claire Donovan-Blackwood is an Arts & Crafts Specialist and CEO of Heart Handmade UK, a site dedicated to helping people live a happy, creative life. With over 13 years of experience, Claire uses art as a form of therapy and focuses on mindfulness in the making of art. She makes crafting easy and accessible for those she works with. Claire received her B.A. in Photography & Visual Imagery from The University of Huddersfield.

Claire Donovan-Blackwood

Arts & Crafts Specialist

Expert Answer

There are many different things you can do. For example, search online for a "magic reflector" that reflects photos from your phone onto your bullet journal so you can draw them perfectly. You can also use Rebel Soul embellishments, which are like tattoos for paper — you just rub them on and end up with a cute illustration.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 10 Helpful 14
Question

How do you make a study tracker?

Janice Tieperman

Community Answer

Some people like to make a calendar-style style tracker where they note how much they studied per day each month. Others prefer to take a more in-depth approach by color-coding their classes and tracking their study time for each class per week. For inspiration, look up different study trackers on image searching sites like Pinterest and see if any of them catch your eye.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 6
Question

Do handmade bullet journal work best? Because I have already made one.

Janice Tieperman

Community Answer

A handmade bullet journal works just fine! Any notebook can realistically work for a bujo, as long as there's enough space for you to create and write in your trackers and collections.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 5

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Read Video Transcript

Reader Videos

Submit a Video Tip!

Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

Submit a Video

Tips

Writing should ideally be short and to the point. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of being quick and easy.

Thanks
Helpful 3 Not Helpful 5

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

[1]

[2]

[3]

Trustworthy Source

Go to source

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

Log in

A Beginner's Guide to Bullet Journaling

Things You Should Know

Steps

Core Journal Setup

Journal Customizations

Using and Updating Your Journal

Bullet Journal Help

Expert Q&A

Video

Reader Videos

Tips

You Might Also Like

References

About This Article

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Quizzes

You Might Also Like

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Trending Articles

Quizzes

Explore Categories