Since I started my Bullet Journal last September I’ve been following a number of Facebook groups and scanning Pinterest as well. There seem to be a few common themes, which have irritated me enough to put (virtual) pen to paper in this post. So here are Tailfish’s 7 Rules of Bullet Journaling.
Watch the official video on the Bullet Journal site FIRST!
Definitely my top point. Believe me, once you start delving into Facebook and Pinterest you’ll get freaked out by the complexity and artiness that some journalists put into their journals. At least if you watch Ryder’s video you can see the Bullet Journal in its purest form and then develop yours from there.
You will make mistakes, it doesn’t matter!
Some people get really freaked out about this. I’m too scared to open my notebook and get started, what if I make a mistake?, I made this error and I can’t bear to look at it, I may have to start an entirely new journal……
It’s paper, you can rip it out (the horror!), paper over it, glue the pages together or even (heaven forbid) turn the page and start again, (or label it like my bacon spill). Just like life, you make mistakes, learn from them and move on.
No one cares if your writing is crap!
It’s a journal, it’s a rapid logging, get things down to make sure you can function day to day book. The only person caring if your writing is crap is you, and that only matters if you can’t read, understand and action what you have written down.
If it bothers you that much, practice! Put in the effort and you will soon see an improvement.
Not everyone can draw, and not everyone wants to…and that’s OK!
It’s OK just to have plain text. You don’t have to draw out double-spread intro pages to each month, or detailed pictures of what today’s weather was. If you want to, that’s great…but don’t stress it if you are artistically disfunctional or just can’t see the point.
If you don’t use it it’s not useful, if it’s not useful you won’t use it!
Don’t feel that you have to use everything that’s detailed on the official Bullet Journal site, Facebook or Pinterest. If it is useful to you and your life then include it. If it isn’t don’t. There’s no need to draw out 8 water droplets a day if you don’t actually want to drink 8 glasses of water a day.
The same goes for indexing. I started doing an index, but actually it is simpler for me to flick through till I find what I am looking for. I use page flags to find my monthly page and current logging list and use coloured Washi tape on some pages so I can hop to relevant collections spread through the journal as I need to.
It’s OK to use calendars and digital diaries alongside your Bullet Journal!
Just because the Bullet Journal CAN BE all encompassing doesn’t mean it has to be. If it is easier for you to log dates and appointments in your Google Calendar then do it. If you want to log in both, do it. If you want to carry a small notebook with you for quick logs that you transfer when you get home…do it.
You make the rules!
It’s your Bullet Journal, make it work for you. Let it evolve as you do….just remember, it is there to help your productivity not hinder it!
So there you have it….Tailfsh’s 7 Rules of Bullet Journaling!
