Minimalist 2019 Bullet Journal Setup

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We’re not all artsy and that’s just fine. If you’re looking for a minimalist 2019 bullet journal setup that will cover the basics without getting too hectic, you’ve found it! In this set up you’ll find all the initial elements like the future log and index along with some spreads that are simple but catered to the person it’s been designed for. 

I made this minimalist 2019 bullet journal set up for my partner to use
specifically for his work.  He’s a sales team leader and spends a lot of time on personal and professional development. He also needs to track team progress and incurred business expenses. 

What we’re working with

Over the last two years I’ve slowly been getting him accustomed to the idea of planning which he actively does now. He had a small simple agenda last year that I got him for Christmas but he felt like there wasn’t enough space for everything he wanted. He also wanted space for a bigger picture overview of certain time frames and he wasn’t able to get that in the agenda he had. 

In order to help with the problem, I made him this printable (it comes without the pokemon doodles) that he could add to his agenda and would introduce him to the basics of a bullet journal monthly spread. He got some use out of it too! 

But this year, I convinced him that bullet journaling was the way to go. He could write as much or as little as he wanted and there would be space for him to track his independent contractor expenses. There could even be collections for his reading and meeting planning. And he could keep it all in one place. 

• Related: 2019 Bullet Journal Set Up 
• Related: 7 Trackers You’ll Actually Use 
• Related: How to Start a Minimalist Bullet Journal

So to start it off, here is his minimalist 2019 bullet journal setup. 

The Journal 

The journal is an 8×10 soft cover journal by Zen Bullet. We wanted to have big pages so that there would be lots of room to write out things daily. 

The journal has numbered pages and three page index laid out but doesn’t include some of the more lux features like a bookmark or pocket. It is only a fraction of the price of a Leuchttrum so that’s just fine.  

The paper is also a bit thin so there was some ghosting. Given that this is his first journal and regular ballpoint pen is going to be the major tool used, I don’t think it will pose a major problem. 

Index

As mentioned there is a three page index included in this journal as well as a page designated for your key. I didn’t make a key since we didn’t think that it would get much use. If this changes, the page is still there to add to in the future. The index is a simple two column chart, one for page number and one for the description. 

Year at a Glance

On the page opposite the key is our opening spread. I drew out mini calendars for each month of the year on the bottom of the page and added in a large quote using my black Tombow Brush pen. Having a quote here just add a bit of personality to the set up without it being complicated. 

Future Log 

I set up four pages for the future log, three months per page. Using tall and think fonts to identify the month, I transferred the mini calendars to the proper page. I added in holidays and birthdays for our family here as well. 

As you can see there is plenty of space left for goals, tasks, projects and anything else that might come up through out the year. 

• Related: Our Favourite Ways to Use a Bullet Journal 
• Related: New Year’s Planning Challenge 

Work Spreads

Goals

You know me. A year means nothing without some great goals and my influence here is strong! I added in a double page spread for annual goals and a 30.60.90- an action plan for goal execution over the first three months of the year.  Join my planning challenge to get detailed instructions of setting your goals and action plan for next year. 

Development 

My partner does a lot of reading, specifically for work. So here is a spot for his to list the books he wants to read. He could also add in why he wants to read them or what they’re about. This way he can choose the most important or relevant one to read next. 

Financials

He’s also an independent contractor so does incur business expenses that he can write off during tax time. I made him a tracking page similar to mine for tracking his income, savings goal and the mileage he drives for work monthly. 

On the opposite page is a chart to write in expenses with the date, description, the category is falls under (ex. office supplies) and the amount spent. 

January 

After that he just gets to start his month. 

His monthly set up has a mini calendar and space for goals, tasks and events to keep track of what’s happening. I’ve added in a habit tracker on the left side as well for him. He has certain responsibilities and numeric goals to hit but they’re not necessarily daily. I thought that a habit tracker could be the ideal way to mark off what days he took on those goals or responsibilities in order to get a clearer picture at the end of the month.  

What to know 

When you’re putting together your new bullet journal setup make sure that you really think about what it is that you need and what’s important to you.

The best part about a bullet journal is the ability to customize it so it has everything you want and need. And nothing that stresses you out when you think of needed to keep up with it.

I recently did a guest post for Life is Messy and Brilliant and I encourage you to check itout. It deals with how to track the important things in your bullet journal. 

In that same vein, your spreads can be colourful and crazy like the ones in I did back in April 2017 or they can be simple and focused like they are here. Do it any way you please! Just make sure it’s true to you.