How to Start a Bullet Journal for Beginners

Welcome to my guide on how to start a bullet journal! If you’re wondering how to make a bullet journal or looking at how to start a bullet journal in 2021 then look no further! I’ll be taking you through what you need to include in your bullet journal as well as what you need to start a bullet journal throughout this article. Worried that you’re a little late to the game since January is already halfway over? Don’t fear! When to start a bullet journal is completely up to you!

Why should you start a bullet journal? A few years ago I was tired of having a million different notebooks cluttering up my life and never being able to find a paper planner that suited me. I could never find a planner that had the potential to hold everything I needed it to! So in the midst of working full time, starting a blog, and planning a wedding, I jumped into bullet journaling. If this sounds like you then keep reading through how to start a bullet journal for beginners!

What is a bullet journal?

The Bullet Journal method was originally created by Ryder Carroll. Carroll was looking for a way to streamline both his focus and productivity. It essentially is the logging of various tasks, notes, events, etc. all in one place. The Bullet Journal has evolved over the years to incorporate a mindfulness methodology helping us all to live our lives more intentionally (isn’t that we’re always saying we want in our Instagram captions these days?). If you want to learn more about The Bullet Journal from the source, I highly recommend checking out the official website. There is so much good information there on the history and original method for bullet journaling. The great thing about using a bullet journal vs. a planner and why I chose to go back to bullet journaling after a year-long hiatus is because of how personal and completely customizable they are. 

At their core, a bullet journal is made up of different bullet journal spreads that are unique to its creator and help to create a more cohesive and productive life. The foundation of a bullet journal is the spreads. The following bullet journal spreads should be included in your bullet journal if you’re a beginner: 

A key 

The key is designed to help the user keep track of which symbols stand for which items. For example, in my bullet journals, I use an empty circle for each task. Once a task is completed, that circle gets filled in. As you move through your bullet journal, you may come to find that you don’t require a key or that your symbols change and grow over time. A good example of this is when I stopped using squares for tasks because I hate drawing tiny squares in my bullet journal. I recommend that every bullet journal for beginners includes a key but as you get more comfortable with the system, it’s okay to ditch it. The original bullet journal method does include a pre-established bullet journal key if you’re looking for a place to start.

An Index

I’ve found through my years in the bullet journal community that the use of an Index is really polarizing. Most dotted notebooks that I’ve used have come with an index already included which makes setting one up pretty simple. If you’re doing any sort of memory keeping or lots of brain dump spreads in your bullet journal, I suggest having an index and keeping it up-to-date as you move through your bullet journal. Honestly, I’ve never successfully kept one up as long as I’ve been bullet journaling so I’m really trying to keep my bullet journal index relevant and up-to-date since my current bullet journal has become my sole notebook to use on a daily basis. 

A future log

The future log is designed for planning out any future events that may occur ahead of where you are in the current time. One of the reasons that starting a bullet journal is so different than having a traditional planner is that you don’t have the ability to plan out your months and even years very far in advance. Most bullet journal setups are created on a month by month basis so that’s where the future log comes in handy. There are many different ways to set up and use a future log so researching and exploring which future log spread to use in your personal bullet journal is a great step to take before you start your first bullet journal. I like to use my future log as a place to write down future events, holidays, appointments, any dates or birthdays I want to remember, etc. 

A monthly log

I personally find a monthly log far more useful than a future log but there are some people who bullet journal without monthly spreads. It’s important to play with the different aspects of bullet journaling and find what works for you. My approach to bullet journal monthly spreads have changed over the years as my work/life has shifted. The current monthly layout I use includes the days of the month in a list vertically down the page. This gives me space to write any upcoming appointments, holidays, birthdays, etc. that are coming up that month. This is a great place to demonstrate how the future log and monthly log work together. At the beginning of each month, I will create my monthly spread and then migrate any dates written down in my future log onto the monthly calendar. The monthly log is also a great place to keep track of any goals you want to achieve that month as well as a master task list of things you want to get done throughout the month. 

You’ll see that I also use a monthly calendar spread in the monthly log bullet journal setup. This may not be necessary for everyone or you may find that you prefer one version of the monthly log over the other. I like to use both that way, I have one space for everyday appointments and birthdays and another for my editorial calendar, or the calendar I use to guide my blog, YouTube, and social media accounts. This is the first time I’ve ever used a separate content creation calendar in a bullet journal setup and I think it is a great bullet journal spread the idea for content creators. I’ve been enjoying using this spread in my monthly log so much that I wish I had included it at the beginning of my 2021 bullet journal. Moving forward, I’m considering creating an editorial calendar at the back of my journal or getting a paper calendar to use for planning content further out than just a month. 

A daily log

The daily log is the bread and butter of a bullet journal. As with many of the bullet journal collections, there are a ton of different ways to use the bullet journal daily log. I like to draw out my weeks ahead of time with space to put reminders and to log daily tasks that should be completed. You can use as little or as much space as you want for your daily logs!

Bullet Journal Collections

Collections are often included at the beginning of a bullet journal and have a wide variety of purposes and creative styles. Basically, anything you want to keep track of you would put in a collection. From movie and television recommendations to books you’ve read throughout the year and so much more. Collections can be overwhelming when you’re first putting together your bullet journal so skim through Pinterest for some inspiration if you’re feeling like tackling a few but don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to have a ton of collections for the year in your first bullet journal.

Bullet Journal Supplies

In this post, I’m only going to list the bare minimum bullet journal supplies you need to start a bullet journal for beginners. With how popular and artistic bullet journaling has gotten over the last few years thanks to social media, it can feel like you need to run out and purchase or have a bunch of art supplies on hand to start a bullet journal. But you really don’t. All you really need is a pen and a notebook if we’re being super minimal bullet journal creators. 

A Notebook - My go-to for bullet journal notebooks has been the Leuchtturm1917 dotted notebook. I like these notebooks because they’re set up to be used specifically as bullet journals. I also like that you can get them at Barnes and Noble which is really great if you’re like me and prefer to pick notebooks out in person but have limited options to shop from. While this is a popular choice among bullet journalists, it definitely isn’t the only option out there! If you’re looking for more affordable options, swing by your local Michaels craft store or just pick up any old dotted (or even grid) notebook from your favorite store or Amazon. My 2021 bullet journal is actually just one that I got from Walmart. I will say that you may sacrifice paper and binding quality in going for a less expensive option than the Leuchtturm1917 or a bullet journal from Archer & Olive but for someone who is just starting a bullet journal, I think it’s a great option.

A Pen - I use two types of pens when it comes to my bullet journal. First, any old regular pen that’s your favorite to write with. I choose a different type of pen to use for writing notes, jotting things down in calendar portions, or actually journaling because when you’re only using one type of pen, it can be a bit overwhelming to look at. Also, the pens I use for creating my spreads aren’t necessarily the cheapest so the idea of wasting ink writing just doesn’t sit well with me. I literally just use your basic BIC Ultra Round Stic Grip pen for the majority of my writing because they’re cheap to buy and bulk and I just like the way they write on everything. But like I said, any kind of pen will do! The other type of pen I use is the Pigma Micron 05 with a .45mm tip. You can get these in packs from Michaels and though they’re pricey, Michaels is always running some kind of coupon deal for 50% off. I didn’t start out using these in my bullet journal but now that I’ve started, I’m never going back. 

Misc. Supplies:

A mechanical pencil - You’ll want one for planning out your spreads.

A big eraser - Helps to remove pencil lines once you’ve applied ink.

A ruler - I can’t draw a perfectly straight line without one, can you?

How to start your first bullet journal

Determine how you want to use your bullet journal

The first step you should take when you’re starting a bullet journal is to determine how exactly you want to use your bullet journal. Are you going to stick with the basics of bullet journaling and just use it as a daily task list or will you be incorporating memory keeping and other types of creative thinking into your bullet journal? A note here: do not let anyone tell you that your bullet journal isn’t a bullet journal. While bullet journals may have started out one way, that doesn’t mean they are immune to evolution. There are many people in the bullet journal community who like to gatekeep or criticize the way other people use their bullet journals but the entire point of a bullet journal is that they can be completely tailored to each individual.

Plan out what spreads you want in your journal ahead of time

If you want your bullet journal spreads to flow nicely, you’re probably going to want to do some planning ahead of time before you start your bullet journal. I like to take a scrap piece of paper and draw out each of the pages I want to have in my bullet journal ahead of time so I can see how they will flow together. For example, it’s a good idea to have any type of goal setting pages together so you’re not constantly flipping around your bullet journal for them. This also keeps me from getting those first mark jitters in a new notebook. 

Let go of perfectionism

Your first bullet journal probably isn’t going to be perfect so you should just let go of that idea right now. Heck, I’m on my 4th bullet journal and even I wish I would have laid things out differently and had to redo a few pages to be more useful. If you’re nervous about making a mistake in your first bullet journal just know that it’s completely normal and at the end of the day, you can always just glue two pages together and start again.

I hope you’ve found this article on how to start a bullet journal for beginners helpful! I plan on creating more bullet journal content here for the blog as well as my YouTube channel so save this page for later and make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss those videos when they come out. I’ve also been sharing my current 2021 bullet journal spreads on my Instagram if you’re looking for more inspiration! Feel free to ask questions in the comments. Happy journaling!