The Simple Setup for Bullet Journaling | 1 of 4

Our minds run 100 mph / 160 kph all day, every day. We wear so many hats and change from one to the other or put several on at once. It’s hard to keep up sometimes!

So how can we make the most of our creative lives? Hold onto your seat ’cause this is going to be a doozy.

The best way to maximize your creative lifestyle is to . . .

Keep everything simple.

My volleyball coach drilled this into our minds, his mantra on and off the court. And that’s exactly how we performed at our optimum capacity. Even if we didn’t win the game, we felt like superstars.

There’s always space for details and attachments, of course. But keep it simple.

As creatives, the greatest tool in our arsenal is systems. And one of the best systems that have made my life 1000x simpler than before is . . . drum roll, please . . . the Bullet Journal!

What Makes the Bullet Journal Special?

If you’ve read some of my other posts, you know how I have this obsession with love for the Bullet Journal System (also fondly known as BuJo). And for good reason!

1. The Bullet Journal serves as a catch-all so you can write down all your thoughts and ideas as they occur instead of having to remember everything.
2. As an analog-based system, you won’t lose anything if your processor or device crashes. Woohoo! Plus, you can use any notebook of your choosing.
3. The setup is completely customizable and features flexibility to suit your lifestyle.
4. Your only search will be through your index, not into the fathomless depths of desk drawers and closets.
5. BuJo has a community of creatives with resources everywhere — blogs, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest to name a few.

Plans, intentions, random ideas, logs, notes. All in one space, everything in its place. BOOM.

And the good news is the way you use your BuJo can be changed when you want. And, in my opinion, nothing beats good ol’ pen and paper. 😉

I’m In! How Do I Get Started?

Sticking to our theme of simplicity, the only materials you’ll need is a notebook and a pen. If you want to spice it up, you can go a step further with decorations. But for today, let’s focus on the bare minimum.

For my BuJo’s, I’ve used composition notebooks with grid paper I found at the dollar store, and I stick to using my handy dandy blue-ink clicky pen. (<– Retractable pen, but ya knew what I meant. ;3)

Now for the Setup

The success of this system is in its simple setup. At the beginning, all you’ll need is an index, key, and monthly outlook. Everything else depends on what you’re planning to get out of BuJo. For me, my basic setup also includes a yearly outlook and a reading log.

Essentially, the index serves as your anchor. This way, when a new idea pops up and requires you to write it down on the next page out of sequence, you can still refer back to find where it is ’cause you’ve written its page number in the index.

The key speeds up processing in both note-taking and referencing. You can scan your notes later and know exactly what you meant by the double helix you drew instead of wracking your brain to remember what it signifies two days after you wrote it.

Remember, the purpose of the Bullet Journal is to serve as a catch-all, to empty your brain so you can focus on the things that matter.

The monthly outlook gives you a place to see your plans at a glance and as a reference when you need to figure out when you did what.

I add in a yearly outlook because I like to know how each month relates to the next at a glance rather than flipping through each section.

And, of course, as a bookworm, I keep a personal reading log of all the books I devour. Even though I have a Goodreads account, I like to have my own record so that if WiFi becomes spotty, I’ve got my log with me wherever I go. Backup, yo.

If you’re still on the edge, give BuJo a chance before pushing it aside. You’ll never know ’til you try. Above all, the point of testing any strategy is to find the ones that make you work at your prime. So what d’ya say, warrior?

This is the first article of a four-part Bullet Journal series. Read the others:

• What criteria make the Bullet Journal a quality system? | 2 of 4
• What makes my Bullet Journal’s key the epicenter of intention? | 3 of 4
• What unique ways can I use my Bullet Journal? | 4 of 4

---

Find a copy of the reading log template I use in my Bullet Journal inside the Hint of Jam Resource Library. Sign up for The Write Spread newsletter to gain access by clicking here or on the image below.