Bullet Journal FAQ: All Your Questions Answered
This post is a part of my Bullet Journaling for beginners series, but a bit different.
I’ve been gathering the hottest questions people have about Bullet Journaling, and today we will answer them all.
So get ready to learn everything about Bullet Journaling! And if you feel like something is missing – just let me know in the comments, and I’ll be sure to add your question here.
The Bullet Journal method is all the rage these days, but there are also many uncertainties and misconceptions surrounding it.
So today, I decided to choose some of the questions I get the most about it and answer them all in just one post.
This is, of course, a perfect place for anyone considering getting into Bullet Journaling, but even if you’re a pro and have some questions – you might find your answer here.
Let’s dive in, starting with…
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What’s A Bullet Journal
A Bullet Journal is a method of planning that helps you plan better and more efficiently.
You can also use this method to plan creatively if you’re looking for a way to mix productivity with creativity.
The best part of the Bullet Journal system is that it allows for complete customization and covers all areas of your life.
Be sure to check my post What Is A Bullet Journal to learn a little bit more about it.
How To Start A Bullet Journal
That’s a big question, and I actually have a huge blog post that explains that. But I have something even better as well!
Check out my FREE course Bullet Journaling For Beginners, where I’ll walk you through setting up your very first Bullet Journal.
What Bullet Journal Is The Best
In this case, I guess you mean what notebook is the best to use and your Bullet Journal.
And I don’t have a good answer for you.
The thing is – everyone needs different things from their notebooks, so a perfect notebook for me might not be a good one for you.
So instead, I recommend you to take a moment and think of what you might want from your notebook, and then I can recommend one that you might like.
Here are some blog posts to get you started:
- How To Pick A Perfect Notebook For Your Next Journal – start with this one and see what some things you might want from your journal are.
- 13 Best Notebooks To Use For Your Next Bullet Journal – already know what you want from your journal? Go straight to this post and find the best one for you.
What Size Is A Bullet Journal
Some things are more popular in the Bullet Journal community, but actually, it’s your journal, and it’s up to you to decide.
I’d say the most popular size for a Bullet Journal notebook is A5.
But you can use any size you want. B5 is incredible if you need more space, traveler’s size if you move around a lot with your journal.
I, for example, use a square journal at the moment and loving it.
Where To Buy A Bullet Journal
The beauty of the system is that you don’t actually buy one; you create one with whatever supplies you have available to you.
I think the best place to shop for your Bullet Journal supplies is on Amazon because they have competitive prices and so many things and journals available.
I also can recommend checking Archer and Olive’s website, and they are my favorite company to shop for Bullet Journal notebooks and tons of other things. You can also get 10% off your order with my code MASHA10.
But of course, you can also get a generic school notebook in stationery next door and just as well turn it into a beautiful Bullet Journal.
Can You Bullet Journal On Lined or Blank Paper
You absolutely can! You can Bullet Journal on any type of paper.
That’s one of the beautiful things about this system – you can use anything you want and do it any way you want.
There are always some recommendations and suggestions, but at the end of the day, you choose whatever is available to you.
Can You Bullet Journal On iPad
You sure can!
Digital Bullet Journaling is a big thing, I tried it once myself and had a lot of fun.
I’m more of an old-school girl, to be honest, it’s all pen and paper for me.
But if you want to dive into the digital journaling world, I found THIS POST that I think can be a good first step.
Can A Bullet Journal Be A Diary
Your Bullet Journal can be anything you want it to be, including a diary.
When I was stuck in the USA for 4 months during the 2020 pandemic, I actually started using my BuJo as a diary too, and it was a very helpful experience.
The only downside of this is that I run out of pages significantly faster, but hey, it’s just another reason to use one more of my journals!
When To Start A Bullet Journal
You can start your Bullet Journal any time.
Middle of the year? Yes! Middle of the week? Absolutely!
A Bullet Journal is not a pre-made pre-printed planner. You have total control over it, and you really can start it any time you need.
So don’t wait for Monday, the beginning of the month, or the beginning of the year – start it now!
I have a helpful post if you decide to follow my call: Step By Step Guide To Setting Up Your Bullet Journal.
What Are Bullet Journal Collections
Bullet Journal collections are all the pages that are not related to your essential planning.
Things like – brain dump, monthly goals, books to read, favorite songs, and such are all called collections.
Any time you allocate a page for just one exact topic, it’s called a collection.
To make it clearer, check my list with 50 Bullet Journal Collection Ideas, there are many other examples to help you grasp the concept.
How To Bullet Journal For Mental Health
Bullet Journal generally is a great help for your mental health.
Planning things gives you more control and brings calmness to your day.
Plus, I found that generally, spending time setting up my Bullet Journal pages and decorating them is a kind of therapy for me. Just some time for myself, away from the world.
This is really helpful for my mental health struggles.
There are also different pages you can use in your journal that can help as well. Check my post 19 Bullet Journal Page Ideas For Mental Health.
Why Start A Bullet Journal
Understanding your “why” is probably the essential thing to start a Bullet Journal, so let’s talk about that.
You might have your reasons eventually, but let’s get started with some of these fantastic benefits you can get from using a Bullet Journal:
- Organize your thoughts and get them out of your head. This can help not only with achieving your goals and being more productive but also with your mental health.
- Fully customizable and budget-friendly. No need to buy expensive planners and see you missing pages or trying to fit your planning goals into somebody else’s template. With a Bullet Journal, you’ll have a custom-made planner just for you. And all you need is ANY notebook and a pen.
- Track and achieve your goals. I found that a Bullet Journal is a superweapon when it comes to crushing your goals. It provides you with space to set them and create a step-by-step plan on how to achieve them.
- Keep everything in one journal. No more thousands of notebooks and post-it notes that get lost into the abyss. A Bullet Journal will conveniently help you keep all the information in one place. No more forgetting anything.
Still not convinced? Check my post How Bullet Journal Changed My Life In One Year and see the transformation I achieved.
How To Bullet Journal If I Can’t Draw
There is this concept that Bullet Journaling is only for super artistic people. But it isn’t!
The Bullet Journal method gives you an option to be artistic in your journal if you want to, but you don’t have to.
Originally the system was super minimalistic.
So here is what you do if you want to have pretty pages but don’t feel like you want to spend time drawing:
- Go minimalist! Minimal pages can look stunning, but they take almost no time to set up. Check my post Minimalist Bullet Journal Inspirations for some ideas.
- Use stationery. There are supplies that can help you decorate your journal without drawing in it. Check my post 9 Simple Ways To Decorate Your Bullet Journal.
- Learn to doodle! Doodling is a fun and beneficial activity for your brain. And despite common opinion – everyone can doodle. It’s just a matter of practicing. So check out my FREE course Doodling 101 to learn all the basics you need to rock doodling.
Why I Stopped Bullet Journaling
There are several reasons why people quit journaling. Let’s talk about them and how you can overcome them.
- Unrealistic expectations. You might be a perfectionist and expect yourself to be a professional artist from day one. That’s a hard one to work with, especially when you see all those beautiful pages on social media.
Here is what you can do with it: allow yourself to make mistakes; remember that even those amazing artists started somewhere just like you; you’re not alone; everyone, no matter how talented, makes mistakes and have a messy journal; that’s normal.
- Making the journal too complicated. I’m guilty of that as well – when I started, I tried to use ALL the page ideas at once. In the end, it just sucked out a lot of time and made me tired of filling out the pages. I know it’s a widespread issue.
What to do: don’t try to do it ALL at once; take a minimalist approach – less is more. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with decorating your pages – go minimalist with that as well.
- The Bullet Journal method just doesn’t work for you. As much as I love this planning system, it’s not for everyone. Maybe you need something else, and that’s ok.
Here are a few posts on a similar topic that I think will help you deal with whatever issues you have with your journal:
9 Techniques To Make Your Bullet Journal Habit Stick
How To Recover Your Bullet Journal Motivation
How Long Should A Bullet Journal Last
It really depends on how you use your journal and how big your journal is.
I would say, on average, I have two notebooks per year, but if you’re using larger size notebooks (like B5), or notebooks with more pages, it definitely can last you longer.
It also depends on how many different collections you use in your journal; of course, the more you have, the faster you’ll run out of pages.
How Do I Move To A New Bullet Journal
That process is called migration, and if you want to improve your journal, it might take a bit of consideration.
I recommend starting by looking back at your current journal and seeing some things that worked, some things that didn’t, and how you can make your journal better.
The next step would be to plan out the pages in your new journal, that way, you’ll never forget what things you wanted to include.
Check out my post on How To Migrate To A New Journal for more details and tips on migration.
And be sure to check the Bullet Journal Cheat Sheet, it will help you plan things out.
What Should I Put In My Bullet Journal
Here is a thing – the answer to this is limitless. I have, for example, at least 300 different page ideas, and I’m sure you can come up with 300 more.
So when you think of what to put in your Bullet Journal, think first about some things you need help with. And from that, you can think of what pages can be beneficial for you.
The basic planning pages are index, key, future log, monthly log, weekly / daily spread.
Some other popular elements are habit tracker, goals page, mood tracker.
Get started with this list of 50 Bullet Journal Page Ideas, it can get your imagination going to find something you need.
What Do You Do With Your Old Journals
Well, the options are to keep it or to get rid of it. And I think they both are valid.
I prefer to keep them because, for me, my Bullet Journal is kind of my life story. I can look back and remember how my life was, what my worries were.
Plus, I’m artistic in my journal, so I wouldn’t want just to throw away my work.
If you decide to get rid of yours, that’s also totally fine! You can send it for recycling or use it for a bonfire (just make sure you took anything dangerous to the environment out of it).
If you don’t want the notebooks but still want to keep the memories – you can digitalize your journal before getting rid of it.
What other questions do you have?
Leave them in the comments, and I’ll gladly reply to them all!
Hope this post was useful; if you find it so, please share! If you enjoy my content and want to show your appreciation, please consider supporting me with a cup of coffee.
And remember: Keep Bullet Journaling, and Don’t Be A Blob.
