How to Use The Alastair Method of Future Planning

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When it comes to bullet journaling there are endless ways to do it- that’s what I love about it! The customization means you can really make it so that it’s the perfect productivity system for you. Over the years I’ve tried a lot of ways to bullet journal but I hadn’t done the Alastair method.

But there’s no time like the present!

The Story of the Alastair Method

The Alastair Method is incredibly simple in and of itself. And the creator of this method actually designed it to be a substitute for the future log.

Alastair was having trouble figuring out how to plan for future events. To solve this problem he came up with a way that would make it easier for him to do this. He also wanted to be able to update it quickly while also knowing exactly where to find things.

Future planning is a consistent criticism of the bullet journal system. Since you create your journal as you go, you can’t just flip to a day 4 months from the present and add in an event. So where do you put it and how do you find it later?

• Related: How to Future Plan in your Bullet Journal
• Related: Bullet Journal Setup 2020

Alastair’s Solution

Alastair’s Solution to this common problem was simple.

Create a running list of events in conjunction with a set of columns signifying each month of the year. Then as you add events to your list place a dot in the column for the month that it’s occurring in.

Then when you’re creating your monthly setup you can go down the column for that month and find all the events that need to migrate over.

How to Use the Alastair Method

Using the method is as easy as it sounds.

Start a spread by writing in the first letter of each month along the top right.

Draw a line down the page after the last monthly column.

After the line add your events.

Add dots in the month column where appropriate.

That’s it!

If you run out of space on this spread just make another one in your bullet journal where you are now and only add the months left in the year.

Just make sure to add this second spread to your index so that you know where it is.

You can check out Alastair’s Tutorial on Bulletjournal.com

What I like about it

Honestly, the Alastair method is super straightforward.

It’s compact and easy to set up, saving you time and space in your bullet journal. And I like being efficient with my space. Those pages are precious!

This method also makes it so simple to plan and there are so many ways to adapt it as well. An example is to add a page number to the event entry. You might not have room to write in all the details for an event in this spread so just jot down the page number for where that info is.

I’ve also seen this method adapted for monthly tasks or even weekly spreads. Stay tuned I’ll be posting about this very soon.

The thing that I like most about this method is that it really embodies what the bullet journal system is about. Creative problem-solving in order to get organized.

Alastair didn’t think that Ryder Carroll’s method of future planning worked for him so he decided to create a method that did. His ingenuity has helped tons of people find a way to get organized and keep track of their tasks in a way that works.

• Related: A Guide to Bullet Journaling for Beginners
• Related: Bujo Basics: Rapid Logging

Who’s it for?

The Alastair Method of future planning is for the bullet journaler who wants something that’s absolutely no frills but super effective.

If you want to be able to easily locate and migrate events or tasks from this spread to its corresponding month then this is a great one for you.

This method is also awesome for those of us that have some super busy months and other months that are pretty low-key.

For this second type of person, it might not always make sense to have the same size boxes for each month since they might be strapped for space one month and have too much space in another. With the Alistair Method, there are no boxes so you just fill in events as they come.

There is no need for keeping things ‘separate’ or even in chronological order since you’re just going to be moving them later anyway. This is the events catch-all page so to speak.

You can also use this method for planning your week! Check that out here

Looking for a different way to future plan?

If you’ve tried Ryder Carrol’s future planning method and found that it’s not for you, I would definitely say to test out the Alistair method. It’s a great place to start, especially if lists are your thing.

But don’t limit yourself there!

As I said, bullet journaling is meant to be a medium that you adapt to your needs. There are lots of different ways to future plan and if this doesn’t work or it works better but not best, keep making small changes.

As you adapt the system and change it to better fit your needs you’ll come up with a way to organize yourself that is totally unique and perfect for you. Who doesn’t want something that was made just for them?