We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
If you’ve been looking into how to start a bullet journal then you’ve probably seen all the intricate, beautiful, complex setups and spreads. I remember feeling super intimidated by that. But starting a minimalist bullet journal is completely possible!
Remember to Pin!⬇
What makes a bullet journal minimalist?
The major difference between a minimalist bullet journal and a more stylistic one is twofold.
First
It’s important to note that you don’t have to adopt a specific style in your bullet journal. You don’t have to put yourself in a box. Feel free to play around.
But minimalist styles are amazing if the purpose of your journal is to exclusively be a way to organize yourself.
Bullet journaling does NOT mean
- You need to draw anything
- You need to become incredible at hand lettering
- That you need any fancy tools
Bullet journaling is a productivity method.
At the same time, many minimalist bullet journals do incorporate some artist notes. It’s more of a scale than a set style.
Minimalist Decorating
If you’re just starting a minimalist bullet journal then you have lots of options for decorating. And not to worry, not decorating is definitely one of them.
Sometimes the only thing you need is a header and that can just be in your own handwriting at the top of the page. Underline it if you want.
To some minimalist means a lack of colour. So you can do a more elaborate font but keep your spreads black and white.
This is also the feel with minimalist journals that have some art in them. They are often black and white.
- Related: 2019 Minimalist Bullet Journal Set Up
- Related: How to Use the Alastair Method of Future Planning
Minimalist Spreads
To me, minimalism is about decluttering. Bullet journaling helps me declutter my mind.
I am more of a minimalist in my day to day life so I take that mindset into my journaling. Making sure that I don’t waste paper is big for me.
Shout out to being environmentally conscious.
Because of this, I only want to create spreads that I’m going to use, enjoy and that help me in some way. It drives me bonkers when a page gets left blank.
To that effect, I really think about how I can maximize the space in my journal and try to keep things simple.
There are a gazillion and one trackers, logs, and collections out there. But that doesn’t mean you need to include them all in your journal.
Pick the spreads that track the things that are important to you.
Musts for Starting a Minimalist Bullet Journal
Here are the elements or basic collections that you should include when you’re starting a minimalist bullet journal.
Index
Every bullet journal needs an index.
An index is where you write in what’s in your journal and where to find it. You can include your monthly logs, brain storming pages, goals, contact information, or notes from a meeting.
Anything that you might need to find later you should jot into your index.
Some journals have an index when you buy them, but if yours doesn’t, just leave 2-4 pages at the front to serve this purpose.
Future Log
A future log is a MUST.
This is where you will write anything that’s going to be happening in the future.
Since you don’t have a set up for 4 months down the line but you might know something is going down then, you need to be able to see it creeping up.
A future log is typically 4-6 pages depending on what you want to include or how busy your life is.
Split each page into 2-3 monthly sections and write in any reminders, goals, holidays, birthdays etc. that you want to remember.
You can keep it super minimal by just writing the name of the month than writing the day and the note in a list format.
You can also add in a mini calendar if you want to see where the dates fall. I find that helpful for planning purposes but it does take a little effort to set up.
Check out this post that goes in-depth into how to create a Future Log.
You can also check out the Alastair Method which is probably the simplest method of future planning ever.
Key
A Key is an easy way to tell what your notes are at a glance.
Having a few key symbols so that you can tell your tasks from your events from your reminders can be incredibly helpful.
Don’t get too complicated with it because you want these symbols to be easy to add in and easy to remember. I suggest making them pretty intuitive to keep it as simple as possible.
Here is another post about how to create the perfect key for you.
Monthly Log
A monthly log is where you will flesh out your future log and turn it more into a plan.
It usually includes a calendar (you can use a traditional calendar, but I’m partial to a Ryder Calendar) and a task list.
Transfer items from your future log to your monthly log so that they’re easier to access and add any details as they become known.
Having a running task list is also helpful in your monthly log.
Rapid Logging
Rapid logging is akin to brain dumping in my experience.
As things come up, write them down so that you can organize them. The practice of writing it down and not doing it right away is a great way to help you prioritize.
If we think of something or get asked to do something and go to it right away sometimes we forget to ask ourselves if it’s important. Or if it’s something that really deserves our time.
We also run the risk of forgetting what it was that we were doing before the thought popped up.
Rapid logging is a great organizational tool and if you have a good key using this as your primary method of bullet journaling is about as minimalist as you can get.
Can dos when starting your minimalist bullet journal
Weekly Spreads
You also have the option of setting up weekly spreads.
Weekly spreads give you a little structure for your rapid logging. If you have an idea of how much space you need daily then designing a weekly spread is something that can add a bit of personality.
Trackers
As mentioned, minimalist bullet journaling can relate to the way you choose to decorate, not only in the types of spreads you create.
So go ahead and pick some trackers and collections that highlight things you care about or goals that you set. Including a few is a great way to explore the bullet journal method.
So what is minimalism?
Minimalism is a concept that emphasizes simplicity and sticking to the things that really matter to you and make a difference.
This is different for everyone.
Just like the bullet journal system is.
Exploring your style is so important and you can keep it as simple and basic as you want.
You can also do colourful minimalist spreads or have a ton of collections and still be minimal. The choices are all yours. So do what makes you happy when starting your minimalist bullet journal! If you’re looking for some more information you can read the complete guide to starting a bullet journal for beginners.
Pin me if you liked the article!⬇
