How I started my first bullet journal

I’ve started my bullet journal and I must admit, I’m getting a little addicted!

I still haven’t fully moved away from my diary and notebooks, so it has become an extra thing to do.

bullet 6But I’m sure once I’ve found my groove it will be my go-to organisational accessory.

I really enjoyed meeting up with the Journaling North East group last month (read my blog here) to gather some tips and advice on bullet journaling and what it’s all about.

But it still me a while to build up the courage to put pen to my lovely new Leuchtterm 1917.

I joked to Gail Armstrong, from Start with a Doodle, who introduced me to bullet journaling, that I’d need a bullet journal for my bullet journal – and I wasn’t wrong!

I was planning pages and making lists in one of my notebooks that Gail pointed out would have been the perfect way to start my bullet journal.

bullet 1So, after finding a rather fitting quote from author Jodi Picoult to put on my cover page, I got started and since then, I’ve found it hard to stop!

As I was aiming to start using my bullet journal in April, I decided to start with a calendar broken up into seasons, starting with Spring.

I’ve laid it out over four pages, width ways, with three months per page where I can add events.

I then added a page for the kids’ school holiday dates and a school holiday bucket list, followed by a two-page spread for birthdays and other events.

I also decided to add two lists – a goal tracker and a reading log in the style of a bookshelf – before my first weekly spread, covering the end of March to April 2.

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A weekly spread – in green tones to match my notebook!

That gave me the opportunity to add a page on which to write the highlights of the month, followed by a gratitude list on the facing page.

I then added another weekly spread for April 3 to 9, which I have kept quite simple with a block for each day plus a notes section. I may add more to it further down the line.

We’re going to London in the Easter holidays, so I added a page outlining our plans for that, complete with sketches of some of the places we are hoping to visit.

I have also dedicated a page to a tracking list of responses to the letters I sent out for International Correspondence Writing Month and my replies.

Then I have two more weekly spreads taking me to the end of April, along with another highlights page and gratitude page.

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A picture of Spongebob Squarepants for my April gratitude page – just because!

I added a picture of Spongebob Squarepants singing his “attitude of gratitude song” from the Sponge-Cano episode purely for my own amusement!

I’ve mainly used my Pentel Arts colour pencils and Staedtler Fineliners to add colour to my bullet journal and I’m writing with a uni-ball eye micro pen in black.

I also bought a Faber and Castell grip 2001 pencil and a Helix Nano Curves maths set for the compass, ruler, protractor, eraser and pencil sharpener.

I told you a bullet journal would feed my stationery addiction!

I’ve also tried not to get too hung up on making mistakes, as I’m a bit of a perfectionist.

1 Comment

  1. Gail Armstrong on April 14, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    Woohoo, you’re on a roll! I did warn you didn’t I? Thrilled you’re enjoying your new journal.

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