Why I BuJo

Happy Spring, Wabbits!

Today I wanted to bring up a new topic of interest to me that I haven't made any previous posts about. I want to talk about BULLET JOURNALING. (Also known as BuJo, if you're lazy. Which I sometimes am.)

Now, some may not think that this is really a wellness-related topic. But for me, it is. And here is why.

For me, bullet journaling is one of my forms of stress management. It is a way for me to unwind at the end of the day, which is INCREDIBLY important to my overall health and mindset. Bullet journaling is ALSO a great technique for time management, and as a health coach I fully believe that developing effective time management skills can majorly affect all other aspects of your life - including your wellbeing. Bullet journaling can also be applied directly to wellness based on what pages you choose to include in your journal. You can keep track of your exercise, meals, water intake, sleep habits, self-care, and pretty much anything else that your mind can think of!

Now, I'll be honest. Bullet journaling is not for everyone. And that's okay! Some people think of it as a waste of time, too much work, or they just simply aren't into it. But, for some people, it's a major game changer. If bullet journaling sounds like something you are interested in by the end of this post, I encourage you to try it out and see for yourself if it's for you! In the future I plan on making another post with suggestions on how to get started if you're a bullet-journal-newbie. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about how I got involved with bullet journaling in the first place.

I have always been one of those people that writes everything down. I keep track of every appointment on my schedule, every penny I spend, every homework assignment I need to work on, and the list goes on and on. I used to buy a different daily or weekly planner at the beginning of each school year, but they were never quite what I wanted. They would have too much space dedicated to things I didn't want, and not enough space dedicated to things I did want. I admit, I was picky. But, it wasn't working for my brain.

Aside from that, I was always into some form of art journaling. Throughout my high school years I tried out many different styles, but I always had some sort of book filled with some sort of art. I went through phases with them though - I loved doing them, but sometimes I simply didn't have the time to dedicate to them. It felt like a big time commitment to sit down, find a nice big space to work, get out all of my supplies, brain storm ideas, make some pages, and then put it all away again. I would have random weeks of down time where I created like crazy, and then a month and a half where I couldn't seem to find the time to do any creating.

Then, I discovered BULLET JOURNALING.

Well, actually, my mother discovered bullet journaling. But she and I are basically the same person, and we both do whatever the other one does. So, by default, I also discovered bullet journaling.

For me (and my mom), bullet journaling was this magical combination of a daily planner AND an art journal. It satisfied my need to write everything down and helped me to manage my time in a way my brain understood, but it also gave me a creative outlet that I could do daily if I wanted to. It didn't require tons of supplies like some of my other art projects, so it was easy to sit down and work for as little as 10-15 minutes per night if that was all the time I had.

Now, that being said, this is MY version of bullet journaling. You definitely don't have to put in as many "artsy" embellishments as I do. In fact, the guy who created bullet journaling didn't intend for the artsy side of things at all. His name is Ryder Carroll, and you can check out his site with the original bullet journal concept here. His version is very simple and to-the-point. There's nothing at all wrong with this version. If you search "bullet journal" (or "bujo" for short) on Pinterest, you'll see all sorts of versions out there. Bullet journaling is great because you can make it whatever YOU want it to be. You could even make it more artsy than I do if you want - throw some watercolors into it if you want! Have entire pages dedicated to your favorite inspirational quotes! THROW GLITTER AT IT. You get to create a planner that works for you, whatever that may be.

It's been interesting for me to see the transition in my journals since I graduated school. Now I'm not keeping track of homework assignments, but instead I'm focusing on more "adulty" things like bills and grocery lists. But luckily, my bullet journal is MY creation, so each and every month (or even week or day), I can alter my pages to reflect whatever I need in that moment.

Bullet journaling has also been a great way for me to become more confident in my art abilities. For the first year or so most of my pages were essentially my own free-handed copies of the pages I found on pinterest. As I've continued to create pages though, more and more of my design elements are coming straight from me and my own brain. I still definitely turn to pinterest for inspiration - but I don't depend on it the way I used to.

Well, that's enough jibber jabber. I'll get to it. Here is a small sample of some of the pages I've done over the last few years.

Does bullet journaling sound like something for you? If so, stay tuned to see more bullet journal posts from me in the future! Until then, have a hoppy day!