Getting ready to try Ryder Carroll's bullet journal method.
I first learned about the bullet journal from a professor I consulted in my previous job. A customized, personalized organizer and planner was intriguing to me. I thought I'd give Ryder Carroll's method a try for a few months to better organize my priorities.
New Journal
Last year, I got a pack of two RETTACY dotted bullet grid journals from Amazon. They consist of 120gsm thick pages, but an ink test showed shadows of pen and marker inks on the back side of the page. Watercolor bled through the page. I shelved these journals until I decided on another use for them.
For my journal/diary, I use My New Tumbitri Meri Dotted Notebook for adding colorful artwork without page shadowing or bleeding. It consists of 160gsm thick pages that work well with a variety of pens, markers, and paints.
Now that I'm going to try the bullet journal method, I pulled one of the journals off the shelf. I'm creating a bullet journal for organizing my priorities and managing productivity. I don't have any intention of adding artwork to the pages, so page shadowing and bleeding wasn't a concern for me.
Setup
I started by creating a key of symbols Ryder Carroll suggested as identifiers for tasks, events, notes, thoughts, and statuses. It seems straightforward and easy to remember, but I wanted to note them in my journal in case I needed a reminder.
I'll use the following symbols for the monthly and daily logs:
tasks = single solid dot (•)
events = circle (○)
notes = dash/hyphen (-)
important tasks or notes = asterisk (*)
completed task = X
cancelled task = strikeout
migrated task (moved to another day/month) = greater than sign (>)
task due another month = less than sign (<) to indicate it's noted in the future log
I devoted the next page for an index I filled-in as I setup the other pages. This journal doesn't have page numbers printed, so I wrote page numbers myself and added it along with a page title or short description on the index page.
I setup a future log on a couple adjacent pages. I initially only planned to setup a single page for only six months in the future log. I didn't know how long it'd be before I fill the journal and move on to a new one.
I later decided to setup a second page to log a total of twelve months. Unfortunately, the layout confuses me at times since I'm used to reading across from left to right on a full two-page spread.
In the future log, I noted annual holidays, birthdays, and other events. I'll note tasks specific to each month within the more detailed monthly log.
The following few pages are blank for the time being. I intend to use these pages to document a few ongoing collections, or big tasks/projects consisting of several subtasks.
For example, I'm trying to convince myself to open a Redbubble shop to sell some original artwork. There are many tasks I'd have to complete to open and update a Redbubble shop. This could serve as one ongoing collection in my bullet journal.
I setup a month log like the monthly overview pages I created in my other journal. Ryder Carroll didn't suggest drawing a boxed calendar as I did, but I like seeing a traditional calendar laid out in rows and columns. I'm also the type of person who always sees the week as starting on a Sunday, but it'd be easy enough to have it setup to start on a Monday if I wanted to in the future.
Below the calendar is where I'll note tasks that don't need to be completed on a specific day. On the page adjacent, I listed the days and events or tasks to be completed on the respective days as suggested by Ryder Carroll.
I created a few collection pages for documenting uploads and changes made to this blog website, my Simply Jelly Jam YouTube channel, and my resume/CV website. Unlike how I've set these up in my other journals, I devoted a separate page for each site.
I'll continue to note the date of uploads and changes made to these sites. Now I have additional space for writing tasks and notes for each site. I believe this'll be helpful with brainstorming ideas and what I'd need to do to turn those ideas into reality.
I devoted one more page to a first coloring book collection. One of My 2021 Resolutions is to self-publish my first coloring book. After losing my initial coloring page files a couple months ago, I thought May is a great time to start all over from scratch. I'll document tasks and notes in my bullet journal.
The next page is where I'll start my daily log for the month. I don't have dividers and days already drawn or written out. Instead, I'll start each morning by writing that day's date and list the tasks I want to complete that day.
Am I Quitting My Other Journal?
Heck no! My other journal serves as a memory keeper that I'll keep forever... unless a natural disaster destroys all my old physical journals.
I'll continue to create a theme and share those journal designs with you. The only difference is I won't include the websites and stuff page as a part of that journal. However, I won't share my monthly setup for this new bullet journal unless there's a request for me to do so.
I don't believe maintaining two separate journals would be a hassle for me. When I was employed, I regularly maintained a physical planner I also used as a note journal and a separate personal journal/diary. I don't think this would be any different for me.
My Thoughts
I'm excited to try Ryder Carroll's bullet journal method to better organize my priorities. Setup seemed quick, easy, and straightforward. There's a possibility I could've misunderstood some aspect of the bullet journal method, but at least my setup is ready for me to start working with.
Otherwise, I can't share any other thoughts about this method until I try it out for a month or two. I may share an update on my thoughts and experience in a few months. The best part about the bullet journal method is the flexibility to customize the setup to fit my personal needs.
What's Next?
Next week, I'll share my May journal design for my other journal/diary. Be sure to check back to see what the theme is.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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