If you’re feeling a pull toward getting organized and living a more stress-free life, starting a bullet journal might seem like a great idea. Is it that simple, though? Advanced layouts and designs might inspire us, but the BuJo process can be daunting (and stressful) for beginners.

We might look at our current tabbed planner and wonder, what is bullet journaling anyway? The symbols, doodles, and activities might seem like a pointless waste of time if we don’t have the right background information and perspective.

This guide will explain what bullet journaling is, what it isn’t, and provide some much-needed insight for those of us that want to get started but don’t know the first thing about it.

What Is a Bullet Journal?

Bullet journaling is a method of organizing your thoughts that was created by Ryder Carroll. Some people assume that a bullet journal is a place to doodle in random ways that don’t seem to make much sense. However, Carroll insists that there is a distinct methodology that he’s developed over the last several years.

Bullet journaling is a mindfulness practice.

According to Carroll, bullet journaling is “best described as a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system.” The goal of a bullet journal is to give you a place to explore what you need to be doing and why. As such, a bullet journal can enhance productivity, increase mindfulness, and help you achieve your goals. More importantly, the process might even help you establish new goals and values that you might not have discovered otherwise.

Bullet journals are more customizable than a pre-designed planner.

The difference between a bullet journal and a regular, pre-designed planner is the ability to customize your bullet journal to your intention. First, you’re encouraged to take stock of your stuck points in life. Determine which life buckets have particular significance to you (like parenting or work-life balance), then decide where you could use more help (like emotional regulation or weight loss). One bullet journal might have a fertility tracker, whereas another could have a mood tracker. No two are going to look or function in the same way. A store-bought planner doesn’t have that same room for customization or thoughtful reflection.

Basic set up of a bullet journal for this therapy activity would be the front page having a picture or quote or drawing that represent who and where you are today.

You will want a year calendar, year goals, and other things pertaining to accomplishing  this year.

You then want a month calendar than a habit tracker for the month and moods for the months and goals, or other possible things you want to be part of that month

Then you need a daily calendar that you can put on positive thing each day, along with what happened that day.

There can be many other things you would like to track or include, you can be as creative as you want or as basic as you feel in the moment.

One objective for the bullet journal is a mindfulness tool to keep you in the moment and create a routine and healthy habits. I will include multiple pictures I used to make part of my month of September, more pages will be added as the month proceeds.

The above is the start of the month, which is the calendar of the whole month. this is were appointments, birthdays, and events that are preplanned.

here is an example of a mood tracker for the month, you can use something as simple as shapes, or something more complicated such as pictured above. this spread includes the things to fill it and the the mood key on the top.

This page I will place after the calendar page with general goals, to help keep me focused during the month.

this is an example of a daily spread, giving you the option to add information about each day, unique or even routine things that happen which will help you remember what might have effected your mood that day.

Here is an example of daily habit list, here i put 3 small goals i am working on achieving on a daily basis. This is a place so you were able to track your follow through during the month.