In the last decade or so, bullet journals have become quite popular. If you haven’t started your own bullet journal, you really are missing out on the versatility of this tool. One of the benefits of bullet journals is that their use can be tailored to the needs of each individual. How one person uses a bullet journal often looks entirely different from how others use theirs. If you want to start a bullet journal, but aren’t quite sure the best way to use it, keep reading. We’ll share some of the best journal ideas that you can tweak to match your exact needs.
What is a bullet journal?
Before we get into all the ideas and ways you can use a bullet journal, let’s take a small step back and briefly discuss what a bullet journal is. Bullet journals, also called BuJos, offer a unique way to reflect on your life and keep track of what is important. Compared to standard journals with lined pages, bullet journal pages feature a grid design.
This allows users to customize the use of each page—by writing, drawing, making tables, creating graphs, and more. Because of their layout, you can use your bullet journal for practically anything. If something is important to you, a bullet journal offers the ideal place to reflect on it, track your progress, and more. You can even use different pages of your bullet journal for different purposes. Create several collections within your bullet journal by choosing a handful of the ideas below that resonate with you.
Bullet Journal Page Ideas
OK, time to get into some of the best bullet journal ideas to get you started. If you’re looking for bullet journal ideas for beginners, remember that there is no right or wrong way to use your bullet journal. Choose one or several of the ideas below and get started making your bullet journal work for you.
1. To Do Lists
One easy and effective use for your bullet journal notebook is to create to do lists. Writing down what you want to accomplish can help you make sure you don’t forget anything important. It can also be motivating to get tasks done so you’ll be able to cross them off of your to do list.
2. Meal Planning
One of the best simple bullet journal ideas if you’re just getting started is to use your journal for meal planning. This will help you stay organized and get ready for the week. Planning out your meals in your journal can also help you avoid last-minute trips to the grocery stores or unplanned and expensive dinners out. You can find a bullet journal template to help you organize your meals as well as shopping lists.
3. Date Night Ideas
Do you and your significant other find it hard to decide what to do on a date night? If so, make use of your bullet journal by planning out some fun or romantic date nights. Then, when you have an opportunity to get out together, you can choose from one of the ideas in your journal planner, rather than spending too much time debating what to do.
4. Saving Goals
If you are looking to save money for a specific goal or just want to grow your savings account balance, use your bullet journal. Set weekly or monthly savings goals and reflect on your progress towards increasing your balance.
5. Habit Tracker
If you are trying to improve your daily habits, why not use your bullet journal to help. Simply track your progress towards creating better habits (such as exercising, focusing on work, or spending more time with loved ones).
6. Brain Dump
Sometimes it feels like there is just too much going on in our brains. Swirling thoughts can make it hard to focus on a specific task. You can use your bullet journal as a brain dump to record all the things that you’re thinking about. This way, you can focus on what you need to, but will be able to revisit the journal later to make sure you don’t forget about something important.
7. Food Log
Another one of the best journal ideas for beginners and experts alike is to use your leather journal as a food log. Track the foods you eat each day to help you meet your nutritional goals. Writing down the foods you eat can help you eat healthier and help you stay accountable for reaching your goals.
8. Mood and Sleep Tracker
Bullet journaling can also be great for mental health. Another one of the best journaling ideas is to use your journal to keep track of your mood, the amount of sleep you get each evening, and your energy levels. Compare these to your current thoughts and emotions to see if you notice any important relationships.
9. Step Tracker or Exercise Tracker
If you need more dot journal ideas, use it to help you stay motivated in your health journey. Set daily step or exercise goals and record your progress in your journal. Seeing how far you’ve come and how much work you’ve put in towards reaching your goals can be quite rewarding.
10. Ideal Morning Routine or Ideal Evening Routine
One of our other favorite creative journal ideas is to use your bullet journal to record your optimal morning or evening routine. Writing what you want your morning routine or evening routine to look like, under perfect circumstances, can help you make small changes to help bring these dreams to reality.
11. Daily Doodles
Finally, one of the very cute bullet journal ideas for beginners is to use your journal as a place to record daily doodles. Whether you are an artist or just like to doodle and scribble on the page, let your creative juices flow at least once each day in your journal.
Start Your Bullet Journal Today
Wow! There are a lot of ways to use your bullet journal. And, the ideas we shared above just represent the tip of the iceberg. You can customize the way you use your bullet leather journal to match your specific needs. As your needs and goals change, modify your journal to change with you. Which ideas for bullet journals that we shared are you excited to try?
FAQs
What should I put in my bullet journal?
There is no right or wrong answer for what you should put in your bullet journal. Your bullet journal should work for you by allowing you to focus and track what is most important to you. Some bullet journal ideas include tracking meals or exercise, planning out your daily routine, keeping track of the different books you’ve read, planning meals for the week, creating and tracking savings, goals, planning trips and vacations, or just doodling every day.
How do you start a bullet journal?
To start your bullet journal, just bite the bullet (pun intended) and start writing. Choose a few of the cool bullet journal ideas shared above and create page layouts for each of them. Then, take a few minutes each day to reflect on your progress and write new information in your journal.
