Bullet Journaling

Bullet journaling has become a huge source of creativity and productivity for creatives across the world. Originally created by Ryder Carroll, this style of record keeping can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be.

In this day and age, it can be hard to keep track of everything in one place. Even with technology, it can be hard to get everything down. Pen and paper can be the way to go. A bullet journal provides a way for you to be organized in a creative way. From tracking your water intake, keeping up with tasks to dreaming big with a bucket list, your bullet journal can hold as much information as you like.

Bullet journals can be a gamechanger in the workplace. Take a break from your technology and use your bullet journal to plan strategically, organize your thoughts and keep track of your calendar. Bullet journals can provide a full visual and creative freedom that computer screens would limit. This style of note taking can also liven up meetings as well. Repetitive operational meetings can get boring, but by adding notes to your bullet journal it can boosts creativity during those long days in the boardroom.

Getting started with your bullet journal:

Find your journal – Decide if you want lined or blank paper, dotted versus gridded, etc. You can get a large journal or start smaller. The key to bullet journaling is customizing it to your needs.
Figure out your topics – What do you want to include in your bullet journal? Consider creating a brain dump page before you get started. *Important note – make sure to skip a few pages at the beginning of your journal to leave room for your index.
Create your index – Consider your index your “table of contents” for your bullet journal. This will serve as your guide for finding specific information in the future. This portion will be extremely helpful once your bullet journal becomes full of your notes. Also, make sure to number your pages to keep with completing your index.
Design your key – Your key will have various indicators for your task lists. A simple dash “-” can serve as a general indicator of a task, while other symbols should be designed for different categories for your tasks. Design markings for tasks once you have completed them, moved to a different date or canceled altogether. This can evolve over time, but having a general guide is helpful.
Make it your own – Having an initial setup of pages and topics is great to get you started, but the main purpose of bullet journaling is making it your own. Search online for inspiration. Get ideas for layouts, content and more. Be sure to add some fun icons to your bullet journal with our visual note taking sheet!

Need some more inspiration? See photos of my journal below. Can’t wait to see what you create!

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Lisa

Visual Thinker | Graphic Recorder | Sketchnote Artist at See In Colors

Lisa Nelson loves combining art with life. She is the Founder and Chief Visual Strategist of See In Colors where she leads a team that designs, facilitates, and captures conversations with hand-drawn pictures. By blending the power of visuals, communication and project management, Lisa helps organization have impact for social change. See In Colors is based in the Washington, D.C. area and serves clients world-wide.