“All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” ? Brian Tracy

I have always led a pretty busy life, whether juggling multiple jobs and obligations at home or managing my remote work as I travel. It is absolutely vital that I have a system in place for staying organized! I know there are a ton of fancy apps for that, but I’m a pen and paper kind of gal. I used to be so excited about picking out my new planner each year. Gel pens and highlighters were my jam! However, I never liked how inflexible they seemed to be for my planning needs. Then, my planning soulmate entered my life…

Can I get a big “hell yes!” for bullet journals? For those who don’t know what bullet journaling is (you don’t Pinterest?), here is a short and awesome video that perfectly sums it up. Please note: I clearly did not make this fancy video. It is from Nifty.

The best part about bullet journals, also known as bujos, is the ability to customize everything to your needs and style. I really enjoy having structure on my pages with bold lines and boxes. My sister loves to have more of an open layout with less structure. My mother has used her bullet journal as an art journal/calendar blend. There are those who preach minimalism with a simple black pen. Other bujo fans love colorful washi tape, stickers, and beautiful sketch work.

I absolutely love that I get to share this hobby with my family. We enjoy seeing each other’s layouts and creativity. It is a great way to stay inspired and accountable!

The most important thing to remember is, there is NO right or wrong. It is whatever you want it to be. For me, that changes each week. Freedom is what it is all about!

Monthly Layout Ideas

Monthly layouts are perfect for your overview of the month. This is where you can see important dates and events. I also like to include a place for setting goals. While there are a million different layout ideas on the web, here are some of mine and ones I enjoy.

Here is one of my mom’s beautiful watercolor calendars:

Check out this beautiful layout on insta:

This one is my sister’s simpler, more classical approach to the monthly layout:

Weekly or Daily Layout Ideas

This part of the bujo is best for planning your day to day activities and to-do lists. You can write out your scheduled work calls, yoga classes, events, etc. This is also a great place to keep track of tasks that impact your monthly or yearly goals. I used to do monthly habit tracking, but now I found that I like it better on the weekly layouts (see below).

Here are a bunch of my own designs that I enjoy:

My sister has the most beautiful handwriting for this simple layout:

My mom’s festive weekly schedule for the holidays:

And you know I have to add this cool Harry Potter themed layout I found on Instagram:

Other List & Layout Ideas

In the front of my bullet journal, I have my yearly calendars, my goals for 2017, and my lists. My lists vary a lot. I have a list for things I needed to buy for this trip. I have lists for blog post ideas, self care ideas, and productivity hacks. Lists are totally up to you and they can pop up throughout the bujo. (Pssttt.. this is what makes the key so handy!)

My favorite affirmations page gives me great reminders when I cannot think of one:

Lists for books I want to read or movies I want to watch:

Habit trackers are another popular way to track goals:

My sister is planning some upcoming vacations and left herself some open pages for plans and inspiration:

Bullet Journals Rock!

The reason they are so damn cool is because they get to be unique. Therefore, I really want to remind you that your journal is going to look different than mine, just like mine varies from my family members’. The goal is not to be perfect! It is to have more fun with your planning and use your creativity!

What else do you want to know about bullet journaling? I am here to help! Comment below 🙂

Namaste, Taryn <3

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