Anyone for a new Bullet Journal thread?

[lazylinguist]

I've just started the new academic year in a beautiful white, dotted Leuchtturm (after an eye-wateringly expensive and unsuccessful attempt at using a Hobonichi). It's my 5th journal and I'm still loving the system.

Anyone else still bujoing? Or any newbies or wannabes?

Following as I aim to start but have no idea where to begin.

Imposter - have you watched the video on the Bullet Journal website? It's a good place to start. My advice would be to set your notebook up like it says on there, and then adapt the layouts later as you discover what works for you.

Ooh this sounds like my kind of thing!! I love having a paper diary but end up with a to-do notebook too... this sounds like I could combine them both!?!!
Always feel more settled generally when I’ve spent a bit of time putting things in my diary- even if they’re in my outlook calendar- I like to see them on paper!

Oh I love an enthisiastic newbie on a Bujo thread !

I love having a paper diary but end up with a to-do notebook too... this sounds like I could combine them both!?!!

Yes yes yes! Sounds like Bullet Journal is just what you need. It's a diary, a calendar, ongoing to-do lists and anything else you want it to be. All in one place. Practical, satisfying and stress-relieving.

I'm quite arty and like to keep paper lists rather than on my phone etc but I'm just not organised enough to remember to keep using my journal!

I asked for a proper dotty book for Xmas last year but I think DP balked at the price of the posh ones and got me something (more expensive, but better value according to him!) instead. Now having tried to use my regular notebooks for diarising and journalling etc I'm glad he didn't get me an expensive one, as I just end up writing pretty headings and then forgetting to fill them in.

I thought it would be good to use one for work stuff, keeping track of projects, quotes, payments, purchases etc, but I just get too excited when an order comes in and forget to put it in my book

Any tips on how to keep up with regularly filling it in much appreciated.

Watching with interest. I've been using a regular leather journal for Todo lists for ages but have taken up freelance work again recently so need something more organised. I've gone back to my leather A5 filofax and have gotten an academic refill for it that has a little bullet section for each page, and I've also bought 50 pages of bullet refill. Never bujod before so interesting to see how I can use it.

Lazy tell me about your supermarket master list please! Is it just a list of stuff you regularly buy? Or have you prices etc too?

It's just a list of stuff I regularly buy - it makes it quicker to make my weekly shopping list, because I just look through the master list as I go along and then I know I haven't forgotten anything.

Any tips on how to keep up with regularly filling it in much appreciated.

Hmmm, well I find that if there's a thing I never fill in, that means I don't actually need it in my bujo. I have started, then ditched, many types of spread. For example I don't do trackers any more at all, because I find them a chore, and don't find they help me stick to habits!

When I started out, I had loads of different pages for all kinds of stuff, but I've don't really do that any more because I don't use it, and it would make my bujo feel like another task to feel guilty about, rather than a tool that helps me. The key is to find what you actually need to have in your journal, rather than thinking 'Ooh that would make a nice spread!".

Sorry for the mammoth post , but in my journal I have:

Year calendar
Future log
Weekly spreads

Annual work syllabus overview
New walks list
Mega list (stuff that needs doing to house)
Supermarket master list
Wish list
Presents received/given list
Ideas & quotes page
Journalling ideas page
Book ideas page (I'm writing a book)
Holiday plans page (for possible plans and also finalised details like flight bookings etc)

I think that's about it.

There are lots of spreads that I look at on Instagram and think "Ooh what a great idea", but that don't work for me, the most obvious examples being trackers and those lovely 'books I've read/want to read' ones that look like books in a bookcase. I read loads, but it turns out I have no actual inclination to fill in a list of what I read.

Ultimately if your journal pages aren't working for you, it's not you it's them!

My mum had a typed list of supermarket shopping, organised into departments, fridge, bakery, fruit & veg etc and then each week would print one out and just tick off what she needed. Obvs she could add things on too, but it meant she regularly checked the basics and didn't forget anything. I have one for camping but prefer a bit more spontaneity in my food shopping!

Mine doesn't stop me from being spontaneous - I happily buy things that aren't on my master list! It just stops me from forgetting regular stuff that I do need to buy. Jogs my memory about things I might have forgotten that I've run out of etc.

Examples of a weekly tracker and my master housework tracker.

Mine is purely functional, no prettyness but i've been doing it now for 5-6??? years...something like that. Since before there was a proper Bullet Journal available.

I love looking at those journal spreads esp. on youtube where I listen to people explaining them in different languages, though I'd never do them myself.
But whenever there is sth I need to remember, I know it will be in there - and that feeling is great and de-stressing.

But whenever there is sth I need to remember, I know it will be in there - and that feeling is great and de-stressing.

Exactly! I also find it particularly satisfying when we are trying to remember something from a while back (how long it is since someone came to stay with us... or somewhere we went while we were on holiday etc) and I can just check back in my journal!