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Starting a bullet journal is a really fun and exciting thing but it can be difficult to know where to start. I’m sure you’ve already done some research into them but even then it can be overwhelming to know where to begin, how to design your pages and so on. A bullet journal is basically a combination of all your to-do lists, calendars, goals, diary, trackers and whatever else you want to stick into it. It can seem confusing when you first start off because many bloggers will use terminology that might leave you even more in the dark if you’re unsure what the hell a bullet journal even is. I’ll be using this kind of terminology in future posts so here’s a small glossary for you to start:

Bullet Journal – A way of journalling that uses bullet points as its core system.

Index – A contents table for your journal that you can update at any time (make sure to put page numbers on all your pages and note them in your index!)

Daily Log – A diary for today with to-do lists for today and appointments etc.

Weekly Log – Calendar/Diary for the week – upcoming appointments, to-do items etc.

Monthly Log – Month Calendar plus anything that is being carried over from last month that you still need to do as well as any important upcoming dates.

Rapid Logging – Symbols that identify the kind of tasks that need to be done.

Future Log – the year ‘at a glance’. This is for all your long-term goals, your important dates for the year and New Year’s Resolutions!

It isn’t too hard to pick these up but they are used a lot in blogs and posts about the bullet journal.

When you look at bloggers’ posts of their bullet journals they are usually super artistic, neat af, and there isn’t a crossing out or ink blotch to be seen. But this isn’t reality. Don’t worry about wonky drawings, smudges or writing outside the lines – this is your bullet journal and you can do whatever you want with it. However, if you want it looking the best you can, I would recommend sketching out a plan on some paper before attempting it in your journal. If you don’t know how to design it – look on Tumblr or Pinterest for inspiration – there’s tons of bullet journal layouts and ideas you can use.

In terms of rapid logging, there are several symbols most bullet journalists use to record their daily tasks and to-do lists:

(or I use a box/square) Things you need to do

X     Place this over the bullet point / box once completed

<     This means the item has been scheduled

>     This means the item has migrated or moved to another/day/week

-      This is used for quick thoughts, notes or minor events

O     This is used for bigger events

Many people keep a key at the front of their bullet journal to help you remember what all your symbols mean. There are variations on the web and people often come up with their own. However, these are the core symbols that you’ll find most regularly.

As well as the diary/calendar/to-do list element of the bullet journal, people often add their own trackers and pages such as a monthly weight-loss or habit tracker, a list of books read this month or a grade tracker for school. You can add as many as you want or you don’t have to add any at all! That’s the beauty of the bullet journal – it’s entirely your design!