How I Came to BuJo
What’s the Bullet Journal Method?
Originally published by Ryder Carroll in 2013, the Bullet Journal (or Bujo) Method is “a mindfulness practice that works like a productivity system.” In its most robust form, the method relies on rapid logging, signifiers, collections for tracking information, and monthly, daily, and/or weekly spreads to help us continually document, reflect on, and refine the events and tasks that fill up our days.
Why Do I Use It?
Before I came to bullet journaling, I created virtual planning sheets that I printed out, filled in each day, and then recycled as note paper. You can access them here. When I was still in my PhD program and working on campus and in coffee shops, I used the app Todoist to track my to-do list, which I liked because it synced between my phone, watch, and laptop, as well as allowed me to employ the Must-Do approach by limiting my to-do list to specific days.
After I’d been working from home for a while, I shifted to bullet journaling when my friend Siloh (who writes an amazing newsletter about writing) recommended Rachael Stephen’s videos about bullet journaling and the Constellation System. Stephen’s Constellation System approach of assigning particular tasks to six “domains” in our lives has been instrumental in how I frame my to-do lists and categorize my files and projects. For example, using Stephen’s model, events or tasks that pertain to my physical body (exercise, medical appointments, getting my hair done) are coded with green and labeled “Corporalis”; things that relate to the upkeep of my home are coded with red and labeled “Domum.” Stephen’s other domains include Spiritus (mental health and spirituality), Divitiae (money and work), Genero (creativity), and Socialis (relationships). I interviewed Stephen about the Constellation System, which I encourage you to read or listen to for more details. She also has a Patreon with access to a private Discord, which includes a whole section devoted to bullet journaling.
My Bujo Method
I keep my bullet journal relatively simple, writing weekly and daily spreads to track my calendar and to-do lists. I also track and color code meetings and appointments in my Google Calendar to align with the Constellation System domains, and I have a huge yearly calendar that hangs on the wall beside my desk.
Every Friday afternoon, I pull out my pens and ruler and plan out next week. Using the Must-Do approach, I write a brain dump of what’s on my docket and then schedule activities for each day’s to-do list based on what I will have time and capacity to complete, and what is necessary to complete that day so I can hit my upcoming deadlines. I’m sure to include non-work and behind-the-scenes tasks, too, like clipping the cats’ claws, grocery shopping, or going to the post office. During each day, when I complete a task, I write an X over the bullet before the task. If I can’t complete a task, I draw an arrow over the bullet and migrate it to a future day.
Like most productivity tools, I’ve hacked bullet journaling to make it fit my own needs. Could I use all of the suggested icons and layouts recommended in the official Bullet Journal Method book? Sure, but I don’t currently have a reason to. Just because a productivity approach works for other people or promises to maximize efficiency doesn’t mean that it’s the most helpful tool for everyone.
Where Bullet Journaling Doesn’t Work For Me
Since I work from home, I limit doing work to my home office and try hard to hold that boundary. I see my bullet journal as a tool to help me find success with my work, so it lives in my office and rarely ventures into the rooms where I rest and relax. For that reason, I don’t check off boxes in my to-do list on the weekends, so my bujo really is a Monday through Friday tool for me. If I have something I need to remember to do on the weekend, I usually write it on a post-it and stick it to my phone the night before so I’ll see it in the morning.
I also struggle to keep up with fancy spreads that I write in the front of my bullet journal, even if I spend hours setting them up. When I started my current journal in February 2024, I created spreads to track yoga classes and new recipes I tried (my two goals for the year are yoga and cooking). I have been able to keep up with my yoga class tracker because I can do it after the fact by skimming through my Google Calendar and updating it, but I’ve only written one recipe in my Recipe Tracker, even though I’ve tried multiple new recipes (whoops). Because my bullet journal (a work tool) stays in my office upstairs, and I’m generally cooking after work hours and downstairs, I haven’t yet hit the habit. When I make my journal for the second part of 2024, I likely won’t include a recipe tracker.
What About You?
I’m curious as to whether you’ve used the Bullet Journal Method or another system to track your calendar and to-do list. How have you “hacked” other people’s methods to fit your brain and lifestyle? I’d love to hear more about the methods that make your life more manageable in the comments!
Take care and talk soon,
Dr. Kate