Research says you are more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down. But success requires more than just documentation. Bullet journals are a trend making its rounds on Instagram to help you break down your goals into lists and steps. The magic of the bullet journal is it's flexible. instead of traditional calendar planners or school notebooks, you design your bullet journal.
You are the expert of you! Who knows better how to inspire you to review your goals regularly? If you've never heard of it, the bullet journal is ideal for nontraditional business professionals, multi-taskers, or anyone who wants to make the most of their time. It combines strategy with a focus on execution and tracking your progress. I'm still a digital girl, but this is an excellent tool if you are motivated by feeling a hard copy of your goals to check off.
What is a Bullet Journal?
A bullet journal is essentially a journal that you use to organize your to-do lists and keep other notes and a log of things that you've already done. You do this by using bulleted items, which is the origin of the name (makes sense, right?). My favorite part of the bullet journal is it only requires a blank book so you can pick a size, color, and style that will help you remember to keep your goals in front of you.
Hold on, Meredith, is this just a book of lists?
Well, kind of, but it's also more organized and useful than a book of lists. You don't need to get a specially formatted notebook; any journal can become a bullet journal. I've personally found lined, or graph paper works best. To decide the best book to start, consider the components of a typical bullet journal and how you might set one up for yourself.
How To Organize Your Bullet Journal
+ Daily Log and Key. The bulk of your bullet journal will consist of a daily log. Each day, you'll create a list of items, which will act as a to-do list as well as a place to keep your general notes and ideas you want to jot down.
You might wonder how you make sense of your lists when you keep everything in one place. You use a key to distinguish different types of notes.
+ Instead of only bullets, you use crosses, circles, dots, and other elements that you define. You also create a key for reference that will explain each of these things. This allows you to customize down to the details of how many bullets, where, and what will inspire you.
While it's up to you precisely what kinds of items you want to include, you'll typically have a way to indicate: To-do tasks, Tasks already completed, Tasks that are deferred for later, and Notes to yourself. You might also include quotes and other items.