Why you might fail at using a bullet journal
Here are 5 main reasons your bullet journal journey may fail you! And a couple of suggestions on how to help prevent that from happening!
Bullet journals are amazing! They help with creativity, they help you organize your life, and they are so unique to you and your needs! While there are many articles out there praising bullet journals – “How to’s” etc, there aren’t enough that focus on why people struggle with bullet journals.
REASON #1: I dont know what I want to put in my bullet journal
Yes – yes it can. You are so excited to receive your new BuJo. The fresh pages of opportunity – but – shit – what are you going to put on it? What do you want your pages to look like? Why do they not look like the ones on Instagram?
What I do to overcome this is i grab a scrap bit of paper. I have a look at some inspirational posts I love and kinda sketch out some plans on what I want it to look like.
REASON #2: Don’t over complicate your first bullet journal
Stop staring at the blank page. Don’t make it so complicated that you are never going to use it. Starting simple and seeing if this is something that can work for you is key. If you aren’t creative – don’t go making some elaborate page that you end up looking at and thinking “well that wasted my afternoon” (trust me – I’ve done that many times) Keep it simple to start and build up your pages as you go. Making mistakes can also be easily fixed – so dont feel as though, once you have a spread it can never be changed. It can, and it will. It is a living document, much like you.
REASON #3: Plan out what you want in your bullet journal
Thats ok. Its not critical to have a plan – but it is also somewhat critical to have an idea about why you are using your BuJo. If you want one because everyone else is using one – dont do it. You might find that using an old school diary that you can get creative in works just as well. If you are wanting to get into BuJo seriously and are excited by it, then make sure you have some sort of basic idea around what you want to use it for. Incorporate your core values, your to do lists and anything else into one place.
REASON #4: you aren’t sure how to transition to a bullet journal from a calendar or planner
But I use my work calendar for xyz and my school diary for abc….
Ummmmmm……you obviously aren’t yet ready to embark! Thats ok! Bullet journaling is combining all those facets of your life into one manageable place. Remember, being organised is actually a gift of time to other people. So by having one place to manage all your activities you are creating space for yourself to be more mindful, and realistically that is the end game of a BuJo – mindful journaling, activities and introspection. So – blunt here – you might not be quite there yet – and that is totally ok! Don’t be sad or despondent about it – own it and be happy to use what you are using until you are in the right mind space.
REASON #5: I dont know how to make time to bullet journal
Working on a planner doesn’t have to be an all time consuming task.
But I believe that everybody is capable of finding five minutes of their time to review the day ahead. Whether it’s jotting down a few notes about your day, or writing out a to do list, you can find a little time to do something.
If you are only working on it once a week, it may explain why you struggle with bullet journals. So simplify if you’re doing too much. Start small, and work from there. I work on the SAVERS/AVID programme, where I scribe in the morning and reflect at night.
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