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When you’re ready to set up your bullet journal there are few things to do. If you’re looking for what to put at the beginning of a new journal check out this post if you’re looking for a how to journal on a monthly level read on!
Where to Start
The first thing to do when you set up your bullet journal is to think about what you want to include. Take a look around the net for inspiration, just don’t look so much that you get overwhelmed!
Obviously Pinterest is a great place to start! You can check out my Monthly Inspiration Boards for some ideas. Remember to follow me while you’re there!
Another great idea is to check out The Bullet Journal Method by the creator of the system if you want to get all the information right from the horse’s mouth as they say. There is a ton of great ideas, explanations and amazing-ness in here. You should 100% check it out.
Then, do some quick soul-searching. Just black pen or do you want some colour? Do you need visuals or just somewhere to write stuff down? Do you write a lot or a little? Big font or small? These questions are important to consider for spacing purposes when putting together each of your layouts. Take a look at the 2 posts listed below to get some ideas about themes and styles for your set up.
- Related: How to Choose a Monthly Theme
- Related: Are you a Minimalist or a Maximalist?
For Your Monthly Set Up:
Your monthly set up included the first few pages of your layout which is usually pretty consistent month over month. There are a lot of things you can add to this part of your journal, it all depends on your style and what you think is important. Here are a couple of things to consider when you’re planning it out.
- Do you want/need one? I would recommend it.
- Do you want a traditional calendar or will you be trying the “ryder”? (Ryder – numbers down the page so you have a line a day to write things in, see below for an example)
- Do you want a spot for goals or tasks that don’t have a set date yet like “Clean Closet” or “renew license plate sticker”?
- Will you be picking a theme?
- Are there any other spreads or trackers you want to add? Popular choices are mood and habit trackers. You could also consider having a quote page or doodle page to go with your theme. I’m currently incorporating a gratitude log and a chores checklist in after my monthly set up.
Tip: If it’s your first time drawing out the layout you’ve chosen, draw it out in pencil first. I draw might in pencil first every time. This is to make sure you have all the room you need for what you want to include.
After you’ve mapped it out you can make it more permanent with pen, markers or anything else you choose.
For your weekly/daily Spreads:
For your weekly spreads, decide how much space you think you’re going to be using. Personally, I use 2 pages a week but some people like to use a page a day. It all depends on what you want on your page, how big you write and how busy you’re going to be.
If having space for major events and a to do list is all you need, 2 pages a week can be sufficient. If you’re planning on having an hourly breakdown of your day, meal plan, to do’s, grocery lists or a journal entry you may want some more space.
Feel free to experiment over your first few months to find out what you like, what you need and what makes sense for you. Being able to adjust is essential in molding the system to fit your needs.
Section off your page(s) so that you know where each day is going to be listed then personalize to your heart’s content. Add in to-do lists, daily goals, reminders, appointments, events, quotes, doodles, whatever you like/need. Extend your theme into your weekly spread if you chose one and remember that you can do anything you want!
You’re not that busy Monday/Tuesday? Put them both on the same page. Is Wednesday going to be crazy? Give it a whole 2 pages if you need it! Bullet Journaling is so flexible! Just make sure you leave space every day to write down things that come up.
Daily:
Take 5 minutes after breakfast to write anything in that you need to for the day. Reviewing your priorities for the day at the beginning of it will make you more focused on the tasks at hand. I find this incredibly helpful in making my product in the morning which leads to that wonderful feeling of accomplishment that happens around lunchtime when I’ve finished all my major tasks.
Remember to keep your journal somewhere you’ll see it so you can refer or add to it if needed. My journal is always open to the right page and pretty much in my line of sight at home 90% of the time. I love this because my themes and spreads usually make me happy and if also makes it very hard to forget what I’m supposed to be doing.
Before bed, fill out any tracker you have and make sure you check off all the things you did. If you didn’t get to something you can move it to another day. Taking this time at night as well as in the morning allows your planning to be more succinct and fluid.
Congrats! You’re bullet journaling! Not that hard right?
For more information on the system make sure to check out Ryder Carroll’s book The Bullet Journal Method. This could also be a great gift for the planner in your life!
To check out the evolution of my bullet journal click here
Want to see if the monthly set up of a bullet journal could be helpful for you? Get my printable below! You can test out habit tracking, planning, and goal setting without having to set up anything, just add it to your current planner.