Everything You Need to Know About the Bullet Journaling Trend

Doctor’s appointments, upcoming deadlines, your grocery list. It can be difficult to keep track of everything when you have so much going on. And no matter how many apps you download or reminders you set on your phone, important tasks can still get lost in the day-to-day shuffle.

If you struggle to get organized, you may want to try your hand at bullet journaling, a popular trend that promises to help you master your schedule once and for all.

Bullet journaling (or #bujo, as it’s known on social media) was developed by Ryder Carroll, a Brooklyn-based art director. Bullet journals are notebooks customized with daily and monthly to-do lists that are structured in short, bulleted sentences (hence the name).

To get started, all you need is a notebook and a pen. According to Carroll’s website, any blank notebook will work. But many #bujo fans swear by the Behance Dot Grid Book ($33; amazon.com) or the Moleskine Classic Notebook ($18, amazon.com).

Bullet journals are built around four “modules” that you create when setting up your notebook:

• The index: The first few pages of your bullet journal where you add the topics of your collections (such as shopping lists or reading lists) as well as page numbers for easy reference.

• Future log: A list of items that need to be scheduled months in advance and don’t require your immediate attention.

• Monthly log: A reference page that includes a calendar and a list of tasks to be completed that month.

• Daily log: This is for day-to-day use, where you simply “rapid log” your to-dos for the day—meaning you jot down tasks in quick sentences.

Unlike other productivity apps or paper planners, bullet journals are flexible enough that you can customize them to your schedule or organizational style. The handy index at the front of the journal makes it easy to find what you’re looking for (say, that upcoming fundraiser, or meeting with your boss), and rapid logging makes you more likely to actually use your journal, since shorter entries require less effort.

Intrigued? Check out Carroll’s helpful video above for more instructions. Then get inspired by these beautiful journals we’ve spotted on Instagram.

Instagram Photo