How to Bullet Journal | A Guide for Beginners

Chances are, if you’re spending time  on the Internet in 2021, you’ve seen someone reference a bullet journal. You may have some sense of what it is, but today I want to share a basic guide explaining how to bullet journal, as well as inspiration if you choose to take the plunge.

The truth is, a bullet journal can be whatever you want it to be. I use mine primarily as a weekly planner and goal tracker. I also keep track of the books I want to read and the books I have read. Aside from that, I have sections with favorite recipes, things I’d eventually like to get for our home, and a financial planning page. The possibilities are endless.

There is an official site, Bullet Journal, where the original idea came from. This video will give you a quick guide and see what the basic premise is, but I’m going to show you how I use my bullet journal and give you some other resources for different ways you can use it.

How to Bullet Journal | A Guide for Beginners

Why Bullet Journal?

If you are a type-A personality and already use a digital or paper planner, you may be wondering what benefit would come from switching to using a bullet journal. Or maybe you’re not a planner, and the thought of using anything resembling one gives you the heebie jeebies.

No matter your personality, I’m betting you could find use for a bullet journal. First, they are more flexible than a planner. I know that I have bought planners from the store that include sections I never use or don’t have sections I wish they did have. With a bullet journal, you can make it whatever you want.

A bullet journal can range from minimalist to complex. If you’re more spontaneous, then you could just use it to track a running list of things you need to do. Or you could list what you did each day, instead of planning ahead.

Another thing I love about bullet journaling is that you can start one anytime. I started my first one at the beginning of January one year, but since then I’ve started one in April and another one in August.

You can also have the pages in any order that you want. Below is a picture of the index of my bullet journal, where I keep track of what is on what page. This is an easy reference for me to go back and see what page I put my running plan on, for example.

Parts of a Bullet Journal

As I said above, every bullet journal is different, but most users have some of the same parts in their bullet journals. At the beginning you should have an index so you can write down what’s on certain pages and find them easily.

Past that, it’s up to you, but here are some other things many people include:

• Future log
• Goals
• Monthly calendar
• Weekly calendar
• Daily list or journal
• Brain dump (literally writing down everything you’re thinking about!)
• Habit tracker

The main components of my bullet journal now are the monthly calendar, the weekly calendar spread, and goals. I also do a brain dump periodically when I need to.

I hadn’t made a monthly spread in my bullet journal until this year, but I found these calendar stickers for my monthly calendar and am really enjoying them. I still use Google Calendar as my ultimate family calendar (and my husband and I both add things), but I transfer important things into my bullet journal so I can reference them when I’m not near my phone or computer.

The weekly spread is another part of most bullet journals. This is the spread I’ve been using, but yours doesn’t have to be this involved. I keep track of things to do, my goals for the week, books I want to make headway on, and the meals I’m planning for the week.

Below are some other spreads I’ve experimented with in the past.

For me, one of the most important parts of my bullet journal is my monthly goals page.

I also set yearly goals, but the monthly goals break those down into smaller chunks. So, for example, if I wanted to lose 12 pounds in 2021, my monthly goal would be to lose 1 pound. I enjoy reading and set a yearly reading goal, so I also break that number down. In my bullet journal, I put my goals on the left and the books I hope to read on the right. I never get to all of them, and sometimes I abandon a book I’m not enjoying, but this keeps me from wondering what to read next when I finish a book. (For more on goals, see my post on how to set yearly goals!)

Bullet Journal Materials

As I said before, a bullet journal can be as much or as little as you want it to be. It could just be a journal and a black pen, like in the official video. But if you’re curious in exploring your options, I thought I would share what I’ve used.

First up is the journal.

Leuchtturm 1917 A5 Dotted Journal

I’m on my third Leuchtturm journal now, and I can’t imagine using anything else. They come in a variety of colors and usually cost about $20. Since one journal lasts me at least a year, that’s totally worth it to me.

Pilot G2 Rectractable Gel Pens

These are my favorite pens for general writing. You could totally get by with just these pens and the journal and have a lot to work with.

Some other writing utensils I have used and enjoyed are:

• Pilot FriXion Fineliner Eraseable Marker Pens
• Tombow Dual Brush Pens
• Zebra Midliner Double Ended Highlighters
• Sakura Pigma Micron Black Pens

Washi tape is another fun material to use in bullet journaling. You can use it to border a page or highlight a certain area. I got this set at Hobby Lobby, but Amazon sells similar Washi tape.

I also love this metal stencil ruler. It’s great for making your own monthly spreads and adding other little embellishments.

Stickers are huge for many bullet journalers, too, and there are so many options. I like these monthly stickers that let you add some decoration to your weekly spreads.

Bullet Journal Design Ideas

Googling just about anything + bullet journal will give you a lot of results, but it might be overwhelming. When I’m looking for inspiration, I like to do an image search so I can see if anything catches my eye. But here are some design ideas to get you started.

• Weekly Spreads Roundup from Habits Buzz
• Weekly Spread Ideas from Diary of a Journal Planner
• Hand Lettered Fonts from Little Miss Rose

A bullet journal is meant to serve you. I hope these ideas help you decide if it’s something you’d like to try!