Continuing the Bullet Journal

As you might know, I started a bullet journal last month! As I said in this post, I wanted something to feel organised and where everything could be in one place as I adjusted to full-time work and needed to plan and think ahead more.

The good news is, I am still loving it! It is so fun. I love the flexibility of being able to keep it minimal and simple when I am busy or tired, but also being able to decorate with stickers and coloured pens when I am feeling more creative and energised. While beginning a Bullet Journal can seem intimidating, I am finding it so convenient being able to make it exactly what I need.

It was fun to see how my spreads worked last month, and what I have decided to keep or change for September. I changed my daily logs to take up less pages, and my habit tracker for September is much prettier. I have learnt from August! And will continue to learn as I figure what is easiest to use and what suits my needs, as well as what I like the look of. The fun part is you redo it every month. You aren’t locked into one style and format for the whole year. I am still finding this incredible even though it’s not a new concept.

I wanted to talk about some new spreads I have added as well. Now that my daily log and habit tracker for September are set up, I enjoyed making some new spreads that I will last me several months, or even all year.

I designed a simple double spread to draw all the books I read, and colour coded the spines depending on the genre. While I have this information in a spreadsheet on my laptop, I love finishing a book and being able to draw it into my Bullet Journal. It’s such a small and simple way of enjoying colour and creativity despite not being the best at drawing, as well as lingering on what I read instead of quickly moving onto the next one. I also like to look through my journal and see a vibrant page that isn’t just full of words.

I also added a mood tracker for the entire year, which only takes up one page. It’s obviously not the most accurate representation, as throughout one day I can have ups and downs, but it is interesting to see my “overall” mood for a day, and how it corresponds to my cycle. (Sorry lads, but it is very interesting information to have!)

I’ve also included a home to-buy list, a blogging ideas double spread, a writing tracker for my current novel, and a list of rental applications. While these things take up a fair amount of space, they are once off pages that I shouldn’t need to redo for a long time.

I know that my love of organisation and planning isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (good for you!) but I have found it immensely helpful. When information is in my mind it feels stressful and overwhelming, but as soon as it’s on a page I can feel more relaxed because I don’t have to “remember” it or “make time” for it, because it has a place. Even though it may seem like a strict plan, I actually feel more creative and am writing and reading more than ever. A surprise bonus!

I look forward to continuing with my bullet journal, and adding more fun and helpful spreads that focus on my interests and priorities.

Sarah xx