I started my bullet journal in February of 2019, and going into the new year, there’s no way I would ever switch back to any other planner. My bullet journal is, by far, the best planning method that I’ve ever come across! If you’ve ever thought about starting your own bullet journal, this post will show you exactly why you need to start a bullet journal ASAP.
When it comes to planners, I am the Queen of picking one and instantly becoming tired of it. Either it doesn’t work for what I need, I come across one that is prettier, or, quite simply, I just don’t find myself using it.
If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar position, I can’t say enough good things about the bullet journal method. Not only is this one of the only planners that I’ve ever struck with for a full year, but it’s also one of the only planners that I’ve ever found helped me in other areas of my life beyond just planning.
In this post, I’m not going to go into detail about how the bullet journal method works, or how to actually do it (I have a full post on bullet journaling for beginners here).
This post is simply meant to show you how a bullet journal can help you with your productivity, your mental health, your organization, and just your general outlook on life (yup, a bullet journal can do all that!).
So sit back, relax, and let the bullet journal method amaze you:
1. Bullet journals can fit your individual needs.
This is probably the biggest benefit of using a bullet journal. Or, at least it is for me.
I absolutely love that my bullet journal can be adapted to suit my individual needs.
No preset pages telling me exactly how I should plan my life. Instead, one day my planner might work on an hourly-by-hourly basis if I have a lot going on that day, while on a different day, I might find myself only using it to write down one reminder and that’s it.
I can pick and chose how I use my bullet journal, and honestly, this has been a game changer for me (more on this in the upcoming points).
2. Bullet journals double as both a planner, AND a journal
I know most people think of a bullet journal as a planner, but I am constantly using my bullet journal as an actual journal (go figure based on the name).
I mean, I’m not writing huge long journal entries, by any means, but let’s say I’m trying to work through a problem, or I want to remember a cool event that happened, I love using my bullet journal to write about my thoughts and feelings for the day.
Even just writing myself little notes and reminders at the start of each day has been hugely impactful for me.
3. Bullet journals can improve your mental health
Speaking of writing those little notes to myself…
I’m pretty confident in saying that using my bullet journal has improved my mental health this year.
If you read Day 3 of My Daily Blogging Challenge, you’ll know that I started to really struggle with anxiety this past year.
And, while I’m still working on it, being able to track how I’m feeling in my bullet journal has really helped me get in touch with myself.
I actually wrote a whole post about how I’ve been using my bullet journal for personal growth this year. I highly recommend checking it out if you want to use your bullet journal beyond just planning. It’s honestly made a huge difference for me.
And again, let me reiterate: You can use your bullet journal to track anything that you want. It doesn’t have to be just mental health. You can track how many times per week you’re working out. You can track your water intake. You can even create dedicated pages to keep track of important dates to remember like birthdays.
My recommendation here would be to limit how much you’re doing with your bullet journal, or it could end up getting overwhelming. Pick and choose what you want to track.
4. Bullet journals have no space restrictions
Write as much, or as little as you want in your bullet journal.
You can even skip whole months without feeling guilt about the wasted space.
For example, I was in Europe this summer and didn’t use my bullet journal while I was away.
If I was using a traditional planner, there would have been a ton of empty pages that I would never get any use out of.
With a bullet journal, you never run into this problem.
5. Bullet journals can work for just general note taking
Not only does my bullet journal work as a journal and a planner, I also often use it for just general note taking.
For example, let’s say I have a new idea for a blog post. For this, I have a dedicated page in the back of my bullet journal that I consistently add to.
In addition, if I buy a new ebook, and I want to take notes about the content, I’ll write everything in the back of my bullet journal as a note.
6. Bullet journal eliminate other planners/notebooks/apps
Piggy backing off that last point, because I use my bullet journal for planning, general note taking, and journaling, I no longer have multiple notebooks to carry around with me.
I don’t need them.
My bullet journal is all I need, which is great for keeping everything neat, organized, and all in one spot.
7. Bullet journals are generally small
You can use whatever you want for a bullet journal (any blank notebook will do), but generally speaking, bullet journal are small.
Last summer, when I went to Europe, I brought a bulky planner that took up so much space.
This year, I simply took my bullet journal, and it took up barely any space.
8. Bullet journals can be any journal
You’re not limited to colors, patterns, or designs with your bullet journal. You can use any blank notebook to set it up!
Ideally, I would suggest one that uses the dot grid. It’s also nice to have one that opens flat, has a pen hook, and has thick paper (I use the Scribbles That Matter Notebook, and I absolutely love it). But really, at the end of the day, a bullet journal can be any notebook! (please note: the previous link is an affiliate link, meaning I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through my link. I only recommend what I believe in).
9. Bullet journals are not expensive
Oh my goodness, I have bought some expensive planners in the past.
Like really, for what they were, so not worth the money.
But, with my bullet journal, I think I spent maybe $30, and I get so much more use out of it than a regular notebook. Plus I don’t think I’ve bought any other planners or notebook all year long, which never happens for me!
And hey, even if you decide that bullet journaling isn’t for you, you can still use the bullet journal as a notebook. It doesn’t become completely obsolete just because you decided to stop using it (a traditional planner with filled in dates become useless if you don’t use it that particular year).
10. You can start and stop a bullet journal whenever you want
Most planners out there are either set to an academic year, or you get one at the start of the new year.
But hey, what if you want to start getting organized in October?
With the bullet journal, that’s possible.
I didn’t start my bullet journal for 2019 until halfway through February, and I didn’t miss out on anything!
Start and stop your bullet journal whenever you want. No questions asked.
11. Bullet journals allow for artistic freedom (or not)
When most people think of bullet journaling, they think of really elaborate bullet journal spreads full of color.
I love that the bullet journal gives you this option to put your own personal touch on how your planner looks. That’s a huge bonus!
BUT
It’s also important to recognize that it’s fully possible to bullet journal without elaborate spreads or artistic talent. In fact, I have a whole post on how you can create really simple bullet journal spreads that don’t take any artistic talent at all.
However, keep in mind, when I wrote this post, I was still trying to keep up with colors and themes for my bullet journal. In the last 4 months or so, my bullet journal has become completely black and white with no doodles or sketches. For me, this just works better, and my bullet journal still functions the exact same (it just takes less time to set up each month, which is always nice).
12. Bullet journals are amazing for keeping track of things
Yeah, sure, you can keep track of things with a traditional planner, but what I love about the way I use my bullet journal is I keep track of things beyond my work.
If something important/cool/interesting happens in my life, I write it in my bullet journal. This way, if I need to, it’s easy to refer back to it and know exactly what day it happened.
Not to mention, with a traditional planner, you’re often limited by space, and there’s a good chance you’ll prioritize what you use that space for. This might mean you keep track of less. As mentioned, with a bullet journal you don’t have any of these restrictions,
I feel like I could probably keep going on and on about why I love my bullet journal, but I think you get the point.
It’s undoubtedly the best planner system that I’ve ever used.
If you’d like to try bullet journaling, I really don’t think you’ll regret it.
Feel free to read any of my posts on bullet journaling if you need some more inspiration or motivation:
10 Ways To Use Your Bullet Journal For Personal Growth
How To Start a Bullet Journal: Essential Tips For Beginners
Simple Bullet Journal Spreads Anyone Can Do + How
And, if you’re interested, here are the first 4 posts from my Daily Blogging Challenge:
Day 1 chats about why I decided to start up this little writing challenge for myself
Day 2 is all about what happens when you start breaking promises to yourself.
Day 3 discusses my experience with anxiety, and what caused it.
And Day 4 is about overcoming resistance when you’re working in the creative space.
Happy reading, friends!
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