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What is the bullet journal future log?
An incredibly important part of the bullet journal system is the future log. Unlike most other planners or agendas the bullet journal doesn’t have the whole year laid out right from the get go. This means that there needs to be somewhere to plan for the future without all the spreads already being there.
Luckily this is exactly what this is for! A space to put tasks, trips, events, deadlines, reminders and everything else you’ll need in the months ahead.
Bullet journal future log basics
The future log typically goes at the front of your journal. It serves as a place to write down anything that will be happening at a later date so that you don’t forget it. As the months and weeks go by you’ll add to the future log any time you’re invited to an event or a task comes up that will be happening later. Depending on the size of your journal, the future log will usually be 6 or 12 months long.
Putting it together
Creating a bullet journal future log is simple. And there are many styles to choose from. I would encourage you to think about what sort of things you want to include in your future log before deciding on how big you want it to be.
- Related: How to Start a Bullet Journal for Beginners
- Related: Creating a Bullet Journal Key
Sizing
As an example, if you want to include birthdays and holidays but only take a trip once a year and don’t have a deadline driven job, having 3 months to a page might work perfectly for you.
If you want to include those things but travel for work or are super active in the community maybe you need more space to write things in. I did a 3 month per page set up last year and it was a perfect fit. I did it again this year but added in work tasks and I don’t have near enough room. So this is definitely something to consider!
Format
There are two basic formats for laying out your future log. The first is horizontal like the simple spread that Ryder Carroll developed. You can add in a mini calendar if inclined and then just separate the months with a line. This is what I chose to do with my 2019 bullet journal spread since I wanted to have a column for personal and a column for business in my future log.
You can also do a vertical version of a future log. If you mostly have short items to be included the vertical layout can give you a ton of room for these. In my 2018 bullet journal I chose a vertical layout and I added a monthly goals section at the bottom of each column so that I could keep myself accountable through the year.
Bullet Journal Future Log Extras
In order to customize your future log there are a number of things you can do. The simplest of which is to decorate it! But there are some additional things you can include to enhance the functionality of your journal.
Colour Coding
Since the future log is so broad, it’s a great idea to colour code events, trips, holidays or deadlines. With this you’ll be able to see, at a glance, what your month is full of. If you have 2 trips in one month, maybe it’s best not to host an event then. If you have a ton of deadlines in April, that’s probably not a good time to book that trip. Being able to get a jist of what sort of “busy” you are can be really helpful.
Goals
If you’re new to the blog, you might not be familiar with this but I am goals obsessed. I like to have a scope of goals that I can narrow in on as dates get closer. So having a yearly goal then breaking it up into monthly goals helps me stay on track. I add them to my bullet journal future log and then migrate then to my monthly spreads when I create them.
- Related: 2019 Bullet Journal Set Up
- Related: February Plan with Me
Icons
You created that key for a reason!
The future log is a great place to start getting familiar with your bullet journal key. Put those icons in your future log beside a short description so you can see what’s going on. This is helpful in a very similar way to colour coding.
The Year at a Glance
The year at a glance is a condensed future log. It’s very high level. It’s definitely not a necessity but it can be nice to have if you just need to see what date a certain weekend falls on of what day of the week your mom’s birthday is this year. I highly recommend colour coding things that you add to your year at a glance in order to make it as functional as possible.
The Purpose
The bullet journal future log is an essential part of a bullet journal since it acts as a holding place for all the things you need to keep track of. It’ll be a spread that you continuously add to through the year and one that you use frequently as well.
Every time you’re planning your month go back to your future log and migrate over your tasks, events, holidays, trips and whatever else is there for you so you have a clear picture of the month. Doing this helps keep you incredibly organized and makes sure that nothing ever slips through the cracks.
