Getting Started

What is a bullet journal?

The idea of bullet journaling came from Ryder Carroll of bulletjournal.com. The basic premise is that you should be able to customize your planner in the way that works best for you - no pre-made layouts that don’t fit with how you plan your life. Instead, you can customize your journal to help track any and all aspects of your life. Click the inspiration tab to see examples of bullet journals from the community.

How can a bullet journal help me?

My bullet journal has helped me organize my hectic life. It is great for students, parents, teachers, and anyone with a busy schedule - I even use it at work. It helps me set short and long term goals, and the bullet journal has helped me I’ve accomplished more with the bullet journal in the year that I’ve used than I have with any other organizational system.

I’m not artistic. Is the bullet journal right for me?

Many of the examples you’ll see on the site are quite artistic, but fear not, there are journals out there that favor function over form. However, many people like taking the time to decorate their journals. A whole community awaits you!

What kind of things do people track in their journals?

The bullet journal is not just for keeping track of daily/weekly/monthly tasks - though many people use it for this reason. I use it to keep track of projects I’m working on, ideas I have, things I find inspirational, books I want to read, keeping my finances in order, vacations and events I’m planning, keeping a log of things I’m grateful for, and all my goals, dreams, and aspirations. You can use it for everything - literally.

What do I need to start one?

All you need is a notebook and a pen! If you want to get fancy, I’d suggest a dotted notebook. If you want to get even fancier, there are a ton of different customizations you can make to your journal - adding color, stickers, brush lettering, anything! Here is a list of some of the items I use/recommend:

Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted Notebook (multiple colors available)		A great notebook that has held up for me through a lot of beating, without the spine falling out (as I’ve seen some cheaper notebooks do.) Other great options include the classic Moleskine notebook or the original Bullet Journal line. The dotted layout acts as a guide for a lot of the layouts and lettering that I do.
Sakura Pigma Micron Ink Pen Set (black, 6 different stroke widths)		Some nice pens for writing. The different line widths of this pen set help me emphasize different words when I’m journaling. I’m not a pen expert, but one highly recommended everyday pen I’ve used is the Pilot G2 line of pens.
Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens (pack of 20)		Great for jazzing up layouts with color. I especially like these pens because they don’t bleed through. Other alternatives include these from MUJI or this artist’s set.
Mini Ruler		Easier than free-handing all your lines - and tiny enough to carry around in your journal.
Dotted Circle Stickers		I love these for organizing pages - I use them to color-code and easily flip through the pages of my journal.
Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers (pens for brush lettering)		Great if you want to start doing fancy headers, beautiful cursive, or even just for thicker lines / coloring things in.
Wite-Out		Everyone makes mistakes! These are great because they are much less messy than traditional wite-out.
Washi Tape		I use washi tape to cover mistakes, make dividers, and add a little color to a spread. If you don’t find a pattern you like online, another place to look is your local craft store.
Stickers		Also good for covering mistakes (can you tell I make a lot of mistakes?) Stickers add a little festivity to any page. These stickers are planner themed, but I’ve been known to use children’s stickers to add some cute imagery to a page.
Stencils		Because sometimes you just don’t feel like free-handing all your boxes and banners.