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Bullet journaling is my secret weapon to staying organised. If you don’t know what a Bullet journal is read this post ‘Why you NEED a bullet journal’
It can seem daunting and hard to figure out where to start when you are setting up a new bullet journal. In this post I will guide you on what to do when it comes to bullet journal setup. I recommend that you look at Pinterest for everyone of the pages I mention to get ideas of how to lay them out the way you like.
Every bullet journal setup needs a number of pages. These are:
- The index/contents page
- The key
- Future log
- Monthly cover page (optional)
- Monthly spread
- Weekly spread (optional)
- Daily spread (optional)
- Collections (optional)
The Index.
This is usually the first page and is where you write down what is on every page of your notebook, so save a few pages. This page will become very important to you once your journal starts to fill up.
The Key.
This is your guide to what items written in your journal mean. For instance you will have a signifier that means appointment and another for tasks. Make your key up so it means something to you.
Future Log.
Your future log is for forward planning months that you haven’t set up in your bullet journal yet. Things such as birthdays and easter go in here. You will refer to this when you’re creating your monthly spread.
Monthly Cover Page
This page is purely for you to decorate as you like. Some people put a little calendar for the month on this page but I don’t feel the need. You don’t have to have a cover page at all it’s just for beautifying your bullet journal.
Monthly Spread
Design this any way you like. I list the dates down the left side of the page and then add any events from the future log into it for the current month.
Other’s create a calendar page like the image below. It’s all up to your personal preference.
Weekly Spread
The weekly spread is useful to be able to flick to and see how your week is looking. I create this on a friday before the next week and add any events in from the monthly spread. I don’t go into any detail on this page as I do this on the daily page after this spread.
Daily Log
This can be a page per day or smaller/bigger depending on your schedule. I use a half page to a day in an A5 size journal but its entirely up to you how fancy you get with this page. The daily log is where you will find the most use for your bullet journal key to identify entries at a glance. As you can see I set my daily logs out once a week and add my trackers in to remind me to track.
Collections
Essentially these are thematic lists that aren’t date related. I have a collection for each person in my family that lists present ideas. Another example is a list of books you want to read or have read. The ideas for collections is endless.
There are many styles for each one of these spreads, its just up to your imagination really. Use them to help you stay organised, get on track, or even just to improve your daily life.
Do you have bullet journal spreads you would like to share? Email them to [email protected] and you may be featured on the blog.
You might also be interested in how to migrate to a new bullet journal once yours is full. “How to migrate to a new bullet journal“.
Other Relevant Posts
Bullet journal weekly vs daily logs
Two easy but powerful ways to start journaling.
How to organised with an ADHD friendly bullet journal
Recommended Products
Bullet Journal Notebooks:
- Rhodia Goalbook comes set up for bullet journaling and is fountain pen friendly
- Official Bullet Journal Leuchtturm1917 built for bullet journaling by the creator
- Leuchtturm1917
- Nuuna I love the funky covers on these books
- Mumsy and Bub – This company makes beautiful vegan travelers notebooks. I have 3 of them 2 A5 and 1 B6 sized.
Pens:
- Staedtler triplus fineliners I have these in the 36 pack and love them
- Zebra Mildliner Brush Pens
- Tombow Dual Brush Pens
- Pilot Metropolitan (MR3) fountain pen A great beginners fountain pen
- Lamy Safari fountain pen I’m a little obsessed with these pens, they are great and write amazingly
- Diamine Shimmer inks I love these inks shimmer and non shimmer alike
- Faber-Castell pitt artist pens
- Crayola supertips Great for highlighting, colouring and faux calligraphy
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