It’s been a few months since I started using a bullet journal so I thought it might be a good time to share how I’m getting on with it. Again, sorry for the lack of photos below, but I don’t use my journal pages in a photogenic way, plus some of the information is personal. I’ll blog about some of these page subjects more generally in future.
My journal has definitely been getting cuter as I found a lot of useful stuff while decluttering my studio. I find clips really helpful for quick access to my most-used pages. I shared my favourite journalling supplies over at SCK with the rest of the team, if you’re interested.
Pages I use regularly
- In The Post – things I’ve ordered online
- Surprise Mail – to keep track of my surprise mail swap so I don’t forget to reply
- Go Outside – highlighting every date I go out for a walk
- Blog Posts – every blog post I write here and at SCK
- TV Shows – complete seasons I’ve finished watching
- Films – complete films I’ve watched (with a rating out of 5)
- New Recipes – what I’ve tried and whether I should make it again
My favourite page is In The Post. I’m just listing the date and item (with separate colours for personal and business purchases). I draw a box when it ships and a cross inside when it arrives. This is so helpful for seeing at a glance what I’m waiting for, things I pre-ordered ages ago and spotting items that are late and need chasing. Plus it’s a good shopping deterrent seeing it all written down.
Recipes is a new favourite too – I printed out all the recipes I’ve been saving online and have vowed to try at least one a week. I’m keeping a list of what I tried with an open box if I need to give it another go (if I messed up or changed too much), a cross if it’s a total dud or a star if it should go into regular rotation.
Pages I’m not using
I’m not really using any of the date-based pages – I just don’t look at my journal often enough for it to be useful so I add things to my phone calendar instead. Maybe if I did all my work at a desk, it would be handy to check each morning, but I work all around the house so my journal stays by the sofa to update when I have a few moments.
Pages I’m still thinking about
- Japan Planning – it’s still a bit early for this
- Local Events – things I often miss because the date changes each year
- Blog Post/Product/List ideas – I’m more likely to have my phone to hand when I think of something but it might be helpful to look at a real list sometimes.
Overall, I’m really glad I started a journal as it’s been both useful and fun. I’m learning a lot about how I use it and expect things to keep changing and evolving. I expect I’ll use it a lot more over the summer when I usually spend more time in my studio instead of huddled on the sofa under my comforter!
