I’ve gotten over my fears of starting a bullet journal. Wanna know how I did it? Wanna know how successful I am at using it? Wanna get sucked into a rabbit hole of ideas, and creative thoughts, and how it’s the best thing in the whole wide world for getting your life organized?
Too bad, not gonna happen, I’m NOT there yet.
But I’ve started a bullet journal, and…I can tell you that I’m not scared of it anymore.
Seriously, I’m not scared.
Why? Because I’ve started the perfect Imperfect BuJo – yeah, that’s the cute little nickname people call a Bullet Journal. I’m so hip, now that I know that, too!
How did I find my way to the Imperfect BuJo?
Well, it was sort of easy. Here’s how:
First step: I read the book.
Second step: I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and a Ted Talk on how to start a bullet journal. In the process of going down that rabbit hole, I discovered, it’s a free for all. The options are from super basic to super creative with all sorts of bells and whistles in between.
Yikes – Some of the versions looked like artwork one should frame for eternal admiration. I thought it was supposed to be a time-saving device, not a time-consuming device?! I didn’t want to give up after that discovery, as I had already invested a considerable amount of time and the book wasn’t free, I bought it. I wanted to get started right away, but I didn’t have a cute little notebook to use.
Third Step: I researched to find the cheapest version of a bullet journal on Amazon.com. The actual version you can buy from the author of the book is $24.95. Nope, too expensive. I found three different versions and added them to my save for later wish list. The cheapest I could find was $8.49 – what the hell?…it’s just paper (dotted to perfection).
The alternate version everyone seems to rave about is $19.99…
On average, a person can go through a minimum of 1 per year, most go through 3? My previous lack of organization due to keeping everything in my head method costs me nearly nothing to accomplish. I use scraps of paper, back of envelopes, free mini-notebooks arriving weekly in the mail from charities who want my money, and a calendar I buy from Wal-Mart for $8.99/year.
I’m not so keen on spending a fortune to keep track of stuff on paper.
But…despite that costly research, I remained intrigued by the BuJo process. I was ready to dive in and drink the Kool-aid.
After all, I had spent a few days reading and researching about it – I was committed. I had to give it a try.
Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect. – Alan Cohen
Fourth Step: Research trial and error to avoid further waste. I headed back down the rabbit hole and found a few videos about what didn’t work for other people when they started their BuJo. I paid extra attention to the variety of formats. Again, it was a free for all.
So I stopped comparing myself to them. All I had to do was find a free notebook and experiment with what I ascertained from the book as the ‘process’ of how to use one.
Imperfection was looking better and better to me.
I dug through my storage closet (remnants from the kids’ high school supplies) and found a Mead 3 subject notebook in a lovely teal color. The best part of BuJo process is that it isn’t black and white, it is a method that you can tweak to fit your own lifestyle.
My proto-type Imperfect Bujo won’t actually ever fit in my purse, it is kinda bulky, really, but it’s smaller and weighs less than Dessy. It’ll do for me to learn what works and doesn’t work for me before I move my saved items to the actual shopping cart on Amazon.com.
After I played around with it yesterday, it’s the perfect Imperfect BuJo for me. I’m excited to see if all the *Tasks I added for my today’s to-do list get completed or not, or if I have to migrate and rewrite those items for tomorrow?
Post Inspiration – Trying something new before the new year starts!
PS – Happy Monday – Do tell, do you #BuJo or not? Do you like it? Did you try it and it didn’t work – what happened? What can you teach me about it?
Never heard of Bujo until now. I will check youtube for these videos, It sounds very interesting. I think I do this already ins different places, documenting different things; beudgeting, writing accomplishments, etc.
Thanks for sharing this
You’re welcome, hope you enjoy the rabbit hole too ;-). You must be doing something right, your blog is very successful.
Haha . I don’t know what I am doing. Thank you very much. Have a great week,.
Well I have a small book I write stuff in………..when I remember. I like it because it’s made from Elephant dung.
LOL – your sense of humor makes me smile every time!
I had a boss who wanted to see me better organised. He gave me a planner note book. The first task I put in the planner was to lose the planner. Task achieved 😉
The Elephant dung note book is real. I collect elephants – the figurines not real ones – so I get given all manner of things elephant
LOL – Task Achieved! 😉 Oh, my, I thought dung was a bad thing or stinky? Nice, you have a ‘collection’ that people can contribute to for you! I collect spoons and limited the slots – no more openings, no more gifts of spoons. The dusting of them still remains a task though.
When a large fibrous lump of crap is dried it makes good paper
Oh, my, thanks for the visual!
I’ve seen the bullet journal but have never tried using one. Seems like too much work for me. I’ll be interested to hear how you do with it.
It’s easier than I thought, but it’s only day 2! ;-)!!!
Trying something new. How about forgetting to cook on Thanksgiving. Can I try that? But, really, I think a simple BuJo might be key to a more productive 2019 for me. Looking forward to seeing how it suits you!
LOL – the boys might not appreciate you skipping Thanksgiving, but you can try it – more power to ya if it works – Pizza always sounds good to me. I’m hoping the BuJo does help with 2019 productivity or at least some order to all the things I’m supposed to be doing to indicate productivity!
Oh my. This looks like a good idea, but what would I do with all the post-it notes? Seriously though, I am curious to see if you like this. I do have a number of brand new very nice journals that I’ve gotten as gifts, but are still empty. Good luck!
On my adventure down the rabbit hole, I found one lady that incorporated her post-it note habit into her BuJo – there’s hope for you finding a use for those journals! 😉
Thanks!!
Sounds fun, but complicated.
I don’t think it would work for me, as I don’t go any where or do anything much to keep track of. I like the idea of it, because I like all kinds of office supplies.
Good luck! 🙂
Thank you for the encouragement. 🙂
I think you found the key to it: start. Some of the Bullet Journal folks have been using it for years. They’re the ones where the thing is like an art gallery. Well, because many of them are artists. Like with any project like this, you start, and when you think of better ways to do things with it, you make adjustments. Then as you get more used to it, you can add the pretty stuff. Or not. Remember, it’s *yours*. There’s no Bullet Journal Police that will come and drag you off to the gallows because you didn’t do yours the way someone else does it. Remember, it’s a freeform Day-Timer or Filofax. They give you forms to fill out; Bullet Journal requires you come up with your own.
I think the idea of the Bullet Journal is a great one. I wish I knew of it 40 years ago. Now, out of necessity, everything is typed into Evernote (another thing I wish I had 40 years ago). There are people who are finding ways to adapt Bullet Journaling to Evernote, and vice versa. Being retired, I don’t feel that I need it.
You’ve summed it up extremely well, John! I don’t use Evernote (yet). I’ve tried One Note – and that worked fairly well. I’m going to give this a month or two to see if it works for me or not. I most definitely won’t have a ‘pretty’ version for the art gallery! LOL!
Wow! didn’t know it went by BuJo! I did entertain that idea but felt lost… but I’m eager to read more about your BuJo journey! Keep us posted.
Yeah…new and improved, a bulleted name for the long name. Thank you, I need the encouragement and I will update as I figure out tricks that work for the skeptical folks like me!!
😊👍
I admire your push to be organized. I have never been good at any form of journaling. Being an adult with ADD, spontaneity rules and sometimes can troublesome. I loved the pictures of your kitty trying to drink from a glass. My cat use to do the same, it was so funny to me. Good luck on getting where you want to be.
Thanks, Anita. Apparently, the guy who came up with the idea of BuJo has ADD! Our cats love to drink water out of glasses like the Hoomans do 🙂
I never heard of a bullet journal or BuJo until I read it here in your recent posts. I am going to learn it all from you.
Welcome to the BuJo learning club – it’s a roller coaster so far!
I will learn much for you I am sure!
I don’t follow how to do a Bujo exactly with its key and planning ahead at times (although I do plan ahead if I have concrete plans like doctor appointments) but it’s certainly been useful to help me capture what I do in a day, week, or month. That part was just as important to me as using my Bujo for planning.
Thank you for sharing how your BuJo works best for you. Like you, I do appreciate the flexibility of it. Happy Bujo-ing to you!