Five Bullet Journal Tips for Beginners
We all become mesmerized by the beauty and clean lines of a good bullet journal spread. But how do they do it? I can tell you, it ain’t magic.
I’m Rachael and I’ve been bullet journaling since 2018. When I first started as a baby bujoer my spreads resembled a child’s art project, you know, color outside the lines, handprints. Now, you’ll still find color outside the lines, but at least those lines are straighter. I’d say thats progress. Over my 5 years of bullet journaling I’ve picked up a few tricks to elevate my bullet journaling.
Practice and consistency
This probably sounds like horrible advice because it’s so obvious, but its true! With practice comes consistency and it’s scientifically proven (Idk, is it?) that the more you do something the more comfortable you will get, and the easier it will become. Bullet journaling by nature is repetitive because it’s a planning and organization tool, so to get the most use out of it, you have to use it often. By creating spreads daily, weekly, or even monthly, you are routinely getting practice that will help you become a ‘pro.’
You will notice a huge difference from your first journal to your second, or third, when looking back on it. No one starts out with a masterpiece. It takes revisions and erasers and starting over.
Draft your spreads out first
Speaking of erasing, don’t be afraid to do it! If you are aiming for perfection you can make it happen by drafting your spreads out first and using other tools like a dot grid journal and a ruler. Drawing a straight line or eyeballing equal space between boxes in your weekly spread is harder than you’d think. Take your time measuring and outlining in pencil so by the time you’re ready for the final draft all you have to do is outline and you’re done.
Find your style
There are so many different styles of bullet journaling. You have minimalism, collage, art journals, etc and so many different methods and materials to use. With that being said, you are an adult with free will and can design your journal any way you want. When you first start you may want to try out a bunch of different styles to see what you like and what comes naturally to you.
My first bullet journal was a huge mess, but who says a mess can’t be art? Now that I’ve acquired a few journals, there are a bunch of different styles within each and some even have themes featuring majority one style. For example, my 2019 journal was very crafty with different markets, stickers, and collages while my 2020 journal was very minimal with a thin tipped black pen.
Gather inspiration + educate
Where are my visual learners at? Bullet journaling is a visual activity, it makes sense that to get better at it you need to look at inspiration online. Also, it’s satisfying to watch plan with me videos or bullet journal time lapses so its quite an enjoyable way to pass the time.
There is a bullet journal course by the bullet journal method creator, Ryder Carroll that can give you a new understanding of the original purpose of bullet journaling and tips and tricks. I have not personally taken this course but am on the newsletter and frequent the blog and social channels.
Batch create your spreads
Save yourself time and energy by batch creating spreads each month. I wouldn’t recommend doing more than that solely because life happens. In my 2022 journal I tried to map out my entire journal for the year, which was a great idea in theory. But ended up falling behind and not following along with the plan, having to move things around and it messed things up and I was sad.
If you like the idea of planning your entire journal out, do it in pencil before any marker or pen hits the page. You can also have an idea of themes for each month so you aren’t scrambling for ideas on the 30th. There is not much better than opening your bullet journal on a Monday and having the spread ready to go for the week.
Hope this helps! And happy bullet journaling!