So, you keep telling yourself you need to get your life together, but every time you open a planner, you realize it’s either too rigid, too complicated, or already three months behind because you forgot it existed. Sound familiar?
That’s where bullet journaling comes in. Unlike those pre-printed planners that assume your life runs on a perfect schedule (LOL), a bullet journal is completely customizable. No wasted pages, no guilt-tripping from an untouched weekly spread—just a simple, flexible system that actually works.
Wait… What Even Is a Bullet Journal?
It’s part planner, part to-do list, part diary, and 100% whatever you want it to be. At its core, bullet journaling is about using simple symbols (aka bullets) to categorize your thoughts, tasks, and events in a way that makes sense to you.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the basics:
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Dot (•) = A task (ex: “Finally reply to emails”)
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Star (*) = An event (ex: “Dinner with the people I forgot I made plans with”)
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Dash (-) = A note (ex: “Remember to take breaks, you’re not a robot”)
- Exclamation (!) = Something important (ex: “Deadline: Stop procrastinating”)
- Greater Than (>) = Task moved to the next day/week
- Less Than (<) = Task migrated back to your monthly or yearly plans (ex: “Didn’t do this today? Move it to tomorrow, next week, or as a monthly task and pretend you’re on top of things”) So if you didn’t get around to “buy cat food” today, just mark it with > and roll it over to tomorrow. If “plan world domination” isn’t urgent this month, slap < on it and revisit it in your future log. Easy.
Why Bullet Journals Work (Even for the Chronically Disorganized)
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No wasted space – If you only need one page this week, great. If you need ten, do it.
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Total flexibility – Daily, weekly, monthly spreads? Pick what works, ditch the rest.
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All-in-one system – Your to-do list, notes, thoughts, and life plans live in one place.
- Customizable for real life – Whether you need a strict schedule, just a place to dump your brain, or even a spot to doodle, bullet journaling adjusts to you.
Why You Need to Start Bullet Journaling (Like, Yesterday)
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You’ll actually remember things – No more “Oh crap, that was due today?” moments.
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It’s flexible AF – Unlike traditional planners, you make the rules.
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Say goodbye to scattered sticky notes – Everything’s in one place.
- It keeps you accountable – Seeing that unchecked task follow you all week? You’ll want to get it done.
- No wasted pages – Skip a week? No problem. Just pick up where you left off.
Making It Your Own (Because You’re Not a Robot)
The beauty of a bullet journal? There are zero rules. Want to color-code? Go for it. Hate fancy layouts? Keep it minimal. Not into drawing, use stickers. Some optional additions:
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Index – So you can actually find things again
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Future log – A calendar for long-term events (because your memory is a joke)
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Habit tracker – Great for drinking more water or pretending you’ll wake up early
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Gratitude log – Because life’s not all bad
- Budget planner – If you want to know where your money mysteriously disappears to
Ready to Bite the Bullet?
Bullet journaling isn’t about making Pinterest-worthy pages (unless that’s your vibe). Your bullet journal isn’t supposed to be perfect. It’s supposed to work for you. Whether it’s messy, artistic, or just a brain dump of half-finished thoughts, it’s still better than relying on your memory alone. So grab a journal and start scribbling. Future you will thank you.
