If you can make a list, you can do Bullet Journaling! Bullet journaling was developed by Ryder Carroll, in response to his own Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). He describes the method in his book, “The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future.” For a quick explanation of all the how-to’s of bullet journaling, you can also check out the very short book, Bullet Journaling: A Beginners Guide by Erik Smith.
Smith tells us that “the bullet journal system will allow you to look ahead by planning your future events, look back by tracking past events, and stay organized without using a sophisticated app or program.”
Each Bullet, according to Smith, is a short sentence matched with symbols that identify the type of entry:
- A dot • is used to identify a task to be completed
- An empty circle O identifies an event
- A dash ─ identifies notes, which include your thoughts, ideas, and facts you want to remember
Bullet Signifiers, as described by Smith, are special symbols that provide your entries with extra content in one look. You can place the signifiers to the left of the bullets so they will also stand out:
- Inspiration ! is represented by the exclamation mark to signify creative insights, personal slogan, and great ideas
- Priority * is represented by the asterisk sign to note important things on your list. Take note that if everything on your list is a priority, nothing is
Four more things:
- Begin each page with a descriptive Topic, or title, so you are clear regarding your purpose
- Number each page to help you locate your content
- Create Collections, so you can organize information that is related to each other
- Add an Index that includes Topics and Collections, so you won’t need to flip around looking for that one entry you made a few weeks ago
Within your Bullet Journal, you can include various Collections: Gratitudes, Affirmations, Habits, Goals/Rewards, Finances…
Speaking of Gratitudes, let’s talk, next, about a Gratitude Journal!