More people have been journal writing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to relieve stress and anxiety, according to Mithila Phadke, a writer for Vox. A new type of journal, bullet journals, has taken journaling to the next level. The bullet journal was founded by Ryder Carrol, a designer who lives in New York City, and it can be used for multiple tasks including writing to-do lists, making plans, goal setting, scrapbooking, and more. Bullet journaling has its advantages and disadvantages which make it more suitable for some people than others.
The first positive thing about bullet journals is that it helps you stay organized. The first two parts of a bullet journal are the index and collections. The index indicates what is on each page of the bullet journal; collections can be anything from future and daily events to shopping lists, meeting notes, mind maps, and passwords. A bullet journal is formatted using bullet points, and different bullet symbols indicate different things. For example, a circle bullet might indicate that a task has been completed, while a square bullet might indicate that a task is only halfway finished. Moreover, bullet journals are an all-in-one tool. Not only do they include calendars, but they also serve as a diary, an organizer for one’s daily tasks, and as a reminder for one’s goals.
The second advantage of using bullet journals is that it is customizable and easy to set up. All you need for a bullet journal is a pen or a pencil and a notebook. You do not need to buy an expensive journal for bullet journaling; you can use whatever journal you want. After the index and collections, the next part of a bullet journal is rapid-logging. Rapid-logging consists of two parts: bullets and signifiers. Bullets are then divided into three parts: task bullet, event bullet, and note bullet. Task bullets use different symbols that represent whether the task has been completed, scheduled for a certain date or time, or has not been completed and will be moved to another collection in the future. Signifiers are used to simplify what a bullet means. For example, an exclamation mark might mean that something is urgent. Since a bullet journal is meant to help you, you decide what symbols to use to indicate the status of your tasks, events, reminders, and show the importance of that bullet. Moreover, you can also customize the front cover of your journal, use different colored pens and highlighters, and choose what each collection will be about.
The final advantage of using a bullet journal is that it promotes productivity. According to Kendra Cherry, a writer for Very Well Mind, people tend to forget things if they do not write them down. Bullet journals solve this problem by not only serving as a diary where you can write personal emotions and thoughts but also as a checklist that helps you know what tasks to complete, what events to attend, and what goals to accomplish. Additionally, according to Kathryn Harper, a writer for Life Hack, when people see an incomplete task in their bullet journal they are more likely to complete it. Furthermore, keeping track of completed tasks and progress in goals serve as achievements to people, which makes them more motivated to complete tasks and fulfill their goals in the future.
While bullet journaling has some advantages, it does have its drawbacks.
First, bullet journals can be very time-consuming. Successfully making a bullet journal requires you to be creative, which can lead you to spend hours drawing the cover of your journal or spend more time trying to find what color to use for each symbol instead of actually writing goals and tasks in your journal. According to Mariah Moon, a writer for The Petite Planner, she spent over three hours drawing in her bullet journal instead of writing her goals. Moreover, when writing a bullet journal you have to set up monthly, weekly, and daily logs. You also have to set up your calendar and create a key for your symbols. Doing all of this work can be very time consuming and can cause you to procrastinate on writing in your journal. This causes bullet journals to sometimes be counterproductive.
The second disadvantage is the impact of social media on bullet journals. A lot of people who write bullet journals tend to start an Instagram account to show their work. However, this social media presence is bad because people feel obligated to write in their bullet journal and post everyday. Doing so makes bullet journaling less enjoyable and more chore-like. Furthermore, social media has become a medium for people to compare their own bullet journals to other creative and unique ones online, creating expectations for people, which can dishearten people and make them feel inadequate. Moreover, social media encourages people to spend unnecessary amounts of money on expensive journals, high-quality pens, and markers to keep up with bullet journaling trends.
The third disadvantage of bullet journals is that they can be very intimidating. Diaries, calendars, and planners are very straightforward because all one has to do is write their tasks, events, reminders, etc. However, for bullet journals, you have to use future logs, monthly logs, bullets with symbols, and symbols that indicate the importance of that task. There is also the pressure to update your journal every day and to choose crafty symbols because of social media trends. Monthly and yearly themes make people feel the need to invent a new aesthetic every so often. You also have to learn how to structure a journal in a new way. The creative aspect of bullet journaling is especially difficult for people who are not naturally inventive. What may be a fun creative outlet for some may be mentally exhausting for others.
Overall, not everyone is likely to enjoy bullet journaling because it requires an amount of inventiveness that not everyone has. Still, it is really easy to see the benefits of bullet journaling, especially for creative people who love to structure their thoughts and their days.