Key takeaways
- Wikipedia describes the bullet journal as a paper-based organisation method developed by designer Ryder Carroll and shared publicly in 2013.
- Wikipedia lists daily, monthly and future logs as the commonly included parts, with an index and a key in many journals; the daily log typically takes up most of the book.
- A typical notation uses a dot for an open task, an x for a finished one and a > for a task migrated from another list.
- Migration, rewriting unfinished tasks into the next list and marking them >, builds in a regular decision about what is still worth doing.
- In a 2011 study, making specific plans for unfinished goals eliminated the intrusive thoughts those goals otherwise caused.
A bullet journal is one notebook that does the job of a planner, a to-do list and a diary at once. Wikipedia notes that the flexible structure can make it intimidating to start, and design inspiration on Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok can make it look like an art project, but the method underneath is plain: a few kinds of lists and a handful of symbols. This guide explains the method, sets up a first journal step by step and shows how to run it on paper or on a phone.
What a bullet journal is
Wikipedia describes the bullet journal as a paper-based method of personal organisation developed by digital product designer Ryder Carroll, who began looking for a simple system in college in the late 1990s and started sharing it online in 2013. The method gathers journaling, time management, brainstorming and note-taking into a single notebook. The name comes from the short bullet points used to log information, and partly from dotted notebooks, gridded with dots instead of lines. Carroll published The Bullet Journal Method in 2018.
The five building blocks
Wikipedia notes that structures vary. Daily, monthly and future logs are the commonly included features, many journals also have an index, and there is usually a key at the beginning:
| Part | Where Wikipedia places it | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Key | Beginning of the journal | What each symbol, shape or colour means |
| Index | Front or back of the book | Key information, projects or days, with their page numbers |
| Future log | Not specified | Long-term projects that may take months or years |
| Monthly log | Not specified | Long-term plans or important events for each month |
| Daily log | Most of the journal | Each day's tasks, meetings and reflections |
The daily log, Wikipedia says, typically takes up the majority of the journal.
Rapid logging: the symbols
Entries are short, one line each, marked by a symbol. Wikipedia's example page shows the typical notation:
- • an incomplete task;
- x a completed task;
- > a task migrated to this list from another list.
A key at the start of the journal decodes any symbols you add yourself, such as a circle for events or a dash for notes.
A worked example: one daily log
A Tuesday page might read:
| Symbol | Entry |
|---|---|
| x | Email the landlord about the boiler |
| • | Book a dentist appointment |
| • | Draft the project summary |
| > | Return library books (carried over from Monday) |
| – | Rain all day; walked anyway |
A few seconds of reading tells you what happened: one task done, two open, one carried over from yesterday, and a line of reflection marked with a dash from the key.
Migration: the habit that makes it work
At the end of a day, week or month, you look at every open task and decide: do it, move it or drop it. Moved tasks are rewritten in the next list and marked > where they came from. The symbol comes from Wikipedia's example page; the do-move-drop routine is how this guide suggests using it. Rewriting by hand takes effort, and that effort is a prompt to ask whether a task you keep carrying forward is still worth doing.
Making specific plans has measurable effects in the lab. In a 2011 series of experiments, Masicampo and Baumeister found that unfinished goals caused intrusive thoughts and interfered with unrelated tasks, but that letting participants make specific plans for those goals eliminated the effects. The reduction depended on how earnest the plans were: the participants who went on to carry out their plans were the ones whose intrusions stopped.
Setting up your first journal
- Write the key on the first page: the three symbols above, plus any you need.
- Leave two pages for the index.
- Draw a future log for the next six months: one box per month, with dates and deadlines.
- Start a monthly log: the dates down one side, events beside them, and a task list.
- Begin the daily log today, and add each page to the index as you go.
Plain or decorated
Wikipedia notes that some journals are full of colour and pictures, taking an hour or more a day to design, while minimalist ones take a few minutes. Either works. A plain layout asks for minutes rather than an hour, which makes it an easier way to begin.
Running the method on a phone
The structure transfers to a notes app, though the tools change. In Kawaii Cute Notes Journal Plan, checkboxes stand in for the dot-and-x symbols, a note pinned to a home screen widget can hold the future log, planner due dates cover the monthly log, and the journal calendar replaces the index. What a phone loses is the friction of rewriting, so schedule migration as a weekly review instead. The app guide covers its parts, and it sits among our video and utility apps.
Where beginner journals stall
- Designing instead of using: elaborate spreads make missing a day feel like failure.
- Too many collections: start with the five blocks and add trackers later; Wikipedia mentions journals that track moods and habits, and making a habit tracker covers the second of those.
- Never migrating: an unreviewed list just grows.
- Starting over after a gap: leave the gap and carry on with today's date.
Whether a journal or a plain list suits you better depends on your days; daily planner versus to-do list compares them.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What is a bullet journal?
What do the symbols in a bullet journal mean?
What is the difference between a future log, a monthly log and a daily log?
Can you keep a bullet journal on your phone?
Sources
About the author
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