BuJo Wankers 2 - declutter your mind!

[mercifulTehlu]

Woo hoo! It's the second Bullet Journal thread! For the benefit of newbies - Bullet Journal is a brilliant way to organise your whole life in a lovely notebook. Perfect for anyone who has tried every app and every scheduling system but just can't seem to get on top of things. Also perfect for lovers of beautiful stationery and especially for people who like lists!

Sooo - get out your fineliners and your washi tape! Stroke your Leuchtturms! And get all that stuff that's whizzing round in your head out onto paper instead!

website here

I think the fact that all the BuJos are bringing order into your lives MAKES them beautiful.

I had no real plans to make mine pretty, but I find that adding just a little splash of colour here and there makes it even more of a pleasure to use and takes no time at all.

I don't think I would even know how to make them pretty.

No honestly - on my daily journal pages I just do the first letter of the headings as a kind of block letter that I can colour in, then do little blobs or stars of the same colour as bullet points or whatever. It requires no skill but brightens up the page a bit without taking up time. On other, less frequently used pages I occasionally do a little icon or doodle of some kind. I did an acorn, a leaf and a paw print on my 'good dog walking routes I've found' page.

Oh good, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who doesn't do "pretty"! I use a pencil & everything is in list form with no doodles/embellishments. It's simple & practical & it's my saviour & I love it.

I've been at it for 2 weeks & already I'm so much more organised. It's helping me form good habits because I write a little list of them at the start of each day & the joy of ticking them off is enough motivation to actually get them done. One thing I need to remember to write on my daily to-do lists is "Go to sleep at sensible time." I'm already working on 3 small habits so that'll have to go on my "Habits to form" list. I shall write "Create "Habits to form" list" on my general to-do list before I go to sleep.

I do love lists...!

gnu you need a habit tracker :)

I've given up on habit trackers! Lots of people on the thread seemed to like the idea but I just can't seem to stick at it at all.

I'm working at home today. Just had a call from the other person in my team, to plan today's work. And I got out my work BuJo and there was my list all planned out at the end of last week. Felt so organised (and a bit smug )

I really AM going to make time to start my one today

Morning. I have only just discovered this world and to be honest, I'm a little bit scared as I don't really understand but I think it would suit me!

So I just need a blank notebook to start?
Write my name and phone number on first page (in case I lose it).
Number the pages.
Create an index.

I get all that but then it all gets a bit for me...

I am a devoted list writer and have many notebooks with lists on the go which is why I feel this should be my thing. But I'm genuinely lost as to what to do next, I get that it grows from my needs but I need a bit of structure to get going...

Whoknows, I don't carry mine round with me (though I'm ashamed to say that when I recently got a new bag I did check the Bujo would fit it in before I bought it . But then I don't use the Bujo for work, if I did I guess I'd probably take it everywhere with me. I carry a small pad of post-it notes round in my bag. If I make an arrangement/see something in a shop I'm interested in etc., I write it on one and just stick it to the relevant page in the Bujo when I get home.

Thorny, everyone is different but for me, after doing what you've done I started with the double page 6 month future log. Initially I started by putting birthdays etc on it but I've realised I don't need that (that's covered in individual months now) so that is just for things like dental appointments, renewal of memberships, renewal of insurance/car MOT etc (i.e. things that need doing every year/6months). Then I have the double page month list like on the Bujo website. This is like a diary really and this is where I put birthdays, things I need to do that month (maybe including some stuff from the 6 month log), events happening that month etc. Then I have a weekly log where I list everything I want to get done/things that are happening that week etc (again it may contain stuff from the 6 month future log). If I have a busy day/week I sometimes also do a daily log but because I don't have a regular job I can be quite flexible during my week.

Beyond that it's entirely up to you. I hate cooking so find a meal planner really useful - far less stressful to know exactly what you are cooking tonight and knowing you've got all the ingredients for it. I love gardening but end up (especially this time of year) overwhelmed with what needs to be done so a list helps me to prioritise. I'm trying to declutter so a list of stuff to go to tip etc. is helping.

This thread is great for ideas (thank you everyone). That freezer list idea is brilliant - I've nicked adapted it for myself. The only idea I've resisted so far is the habit tracker just because I'm not sure that even a Bujo will help with that....

Oh and I have a notebook with squares (cheapo Lidl job) but other people swear by dots. I think (and I have no idea why really) that dots or squares work better than plain or lines for Bujos - maybe it's because it's based on a dots/crosses system? (I am waaay overthinking this .)

Thornybird fundamentally, it will be all your lists on one place. You can find them in the book because of the index. Then you can add in planning pages, like a diary but designed to suit you and your needs.

The first page of my book is an appointment list. Dates and times are written in pencil so I can update them when I make a new one. The first 10 page or so are reserved for "permanent" information so it's quick to find.

I have ignored the website completely and done my own thing!

Thank you for your replies

TheCat I love your post it note idea

TeaPlease I looked late yesterday and found it overwhelming but I think perhaps I was tired and had lost the ability to think straight

SoupDragon that is what appeals - all the lists in one place. But the 'do your own thing' aspect is making me recoil in terror. I am not generally creative so find it comforting to have rules to stick to. But I can overcome that

Thanks Thecat - the post-it notes are a good idea. I tend to take snaps of anything I need to remember with my phone, but it is then easy to forget I have done so.

I have just set up my first journal and I'm so excited!

I'm one of those people who constantly has lists in my head and tasks that need doing but not necessarily on a particular date, I just might have a vague deadline of "at some point over the next week or so". I keep buying traditional planners and diaries but giving up on them as I end up with huge blank spaces in each day but the 'notes' pages get filled really quickly with lists and ideas, that then get post-its stuck over the top until I get frustrated and just give up trying to track anything. Then I get overwhelmed by all the stuff in my head that I have to do and wind up doing none of it!

Hopefully BuJo is the answer! I first read about the concept a little while back but it seemed really confusing to me, then I stumbled across another post about it recently and realised its really just a more structured version of how I already organise myself at work.

I have a cheap pretty journal I was given for Christmas but my nice rollerball bleeds through the cheap paper, plus it's lined and having seen other people's journals and thought about how I'd like to do mine I think I'd prefer dotted, so I'm going to carry on with the cheap book for a month or two to see how I get on then treat myself to something nicer. And some pretty pens. And stickers. And washi tape

Hope it works for you NoPowerInTheVerse. Love your username btw! Firefly 💜

Well I have started. Not sure I need everything I've set up but I guess that's the idea. I think my notebook is too small but it was the only squares one in my drawer of goodies.

This is going to cost me a fortune in pens - I am not satisfied with the selection I used tonight

Hi everyone - I've just ordered myself an azure blue leuchtturm, pen loop and coloured fine liners and I can barely contain my excitement! I have spent the last couple of days obsessively watching You Tube videos on layout etc and have slightly got my head in a spin over it all. I think I am going to copy the basic bullet journal layout to begin with, but I was wondering what people considered to be their essential monthly information/layout? For example how many of you use the 6 month overview? I am not sure if that is going to be useful to me. I am pretty sure I need a spending spread and a meal planner - and a habit checker.

Any useful tips on getting started? Thanks

Hmm - how many times can I cram the word 'layout' into one post?

I didn't go for the 6 month layout - I have a year planner thing (that starts in April) I saw somewhere. I thought that would suit me better.

Thanks ThornyBird - I don't think I'll bother doing the 6 month thing. We have a family (paper) calender that everything goes into, and I think I am in danger of duplicating a lot of info. The monthly spread may be useful for quick referencing to the monthly/daily lists.

I don't use a 6 monthly or year planner either. At the moment, my Book is for day to day stuff. On the blank page next to my weekly planner, I write future dates that I need to remember and I also have a calendar on the fridge.