Bullet Journal VS Planner: Which Is Right For You

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Bullet Journal vs planner – which system should you choose? Which would fit you the best and why?

Whether you are trying to stay on track with your studies, manage events in your personal calendar, or simply want a tool to help jot down reminders and thoughts — there can be many benefits to using either a Bullet Journal or planner.

But which one is actually right for you?

In this blog post, we’ll discuss not just the differences between the two systems but also detail how they each can effectively help bring structure into your day-to-day life.

The great thing is, both systems offer different benefits – all that matters is that you pick the one that fits your needs and style the best.

Planning in a Bullet Journal and planning in a planner is quite different and can make all the difference in your strategy.

A Bullet Journal offers freedom of customization, while a planner ensures you have everything done in an efficient layout. Think about what this year means for you and how you hope to stay organized, then decide which system would work best for your unique lifestyle.

Here’s what you need to know about how a planner differs from a Bullet Journal to be able to pick one that fits your needs and your lifestyle the best.

And if you decide to choose a Bullet Journal, be sure to scroll until the end to get the free course on how to get started.

Let’s start with Bullet Journal.

What Is A Bullet Journal

This nifty little planning system is taking the organization world by storm, allowing you to create an entirely customized planner tailored just for you.

Bullet Journalling is an analog system that combines a daily planner and sketchbook, and — best of all — it’s completely tailored to your own lifestyle.

It helps you keep track of your tasks, is great for note-taking, and also offers an amazing outlet for creative expression with tons of room to play around with design elements.

With a Bullet Journal, anything is possible, and the sky’s the limit!

Pros & Cons Of Using A Bullet Journal

Bullet journals have become immensely popular in recent years, and for a good reason! They provide an incredibly versatile way to organize your life, with endless possibilities for customization. With just a few simple supplies, you can create bullet journal layouts that perfectly align with whatever style works best for you.

There are some pros and cons of using this kind of organizational system that should be considered before jumping in.

Among the pros:

• amazing flexibility and customization
• can use for more than just planning
• can get creative even with a minimal amount of supplies

But there are, of course, some cons:

• it might take time to figure out the best pages to use
• it takes longer to set up
• it’s easy to overdo things and make planning a chore

Hope that gave you a good starting idea of what to expect from a Bullet Journal; let’s talk a little bit about using a planner.

What Is A Planner

I trust we don’t need to go that deep into what a planner is since it’s been around forever.

A planner is a paper planning system with printed layouts that come in many shapes and sizes so you can find the one that best suits you.

Planning out your days, weeks, and even months can be a great way to stay on top of your commitments and have some peace of mind, and a traditional planner has been a great way to do it for the longest time.

Pros & Cons Of Using A Planner

Using a planner definitely has its advantages and drawbacks. It’s been a very popular planning system for a reason.

So let’s talk about it; here are some pros of using a planner:

• simple and straightforward
• pre-made pages
• already has the organization framework

But of course, there are some cons to using a pre-made planner as well:

• limited customization
• limited space for anything extra
• not much space for being creative

Now you know all the basics of the two systems, you should have an idea of which one might work for you.

Here are a few final thoughts that I think will help you make the final decision.

Bullet Journal VS Planner: Which One Should You Choose

When it comes to staying organized and reaching your goals, that’s entirely up to you!

Neither is ‘better’ than the other — it all depends on what works best for you and your lifestyle. So concentrate on what makes sense for you.

Planners are simple to use and come with everything you need for optimal organization. You should plan with a planner if:

• want something ready, so you don’t have to create anything yourself
• just need to get a system to help you organize your tasks
• don’t need anything extra like space for notes or trackers

Using a Bullet Journal will allow you to create a perfect planner that works for you and all your needs, but of course, it will take significantly longer to adjust it, especially when you’re just starting.

You should definitely give it a try if:

• you’re very specific about what you need from your planner
• you want a system that works for more than just planning
• you are ok with investing time in customizing the system and creating pages

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Planner And Bullet Journal Recommendations

Before you leave the post, I wanted to leave you with a few recommendations, so you can get started on your planning journey right away.

For planners, I recommend you check out these:

• Clever Fox Planner Pro – a great planner that has a lot of extra pages like monthly reviews, goals pages, and mind maps.
• The Happy Planner – this is a very popular set of planners that come in a variety pre-made pages and formats. They also have a lot of stickers and other elements to decorate your pages.
• Hobonichi Techo – beautiful Japanese planners with an aesthetic look, are very light and perfect for planning your day-to-day things.
• Moleskine Weekly Planner – this was my planner of choice before I was using a Bullet Journal. They also come in different sizes, formats, and colors.

Now let’s talk about Bullet Journals, or at least what notebooks I can recommend you get.

Here are a few journals I can recommend:

• Archer and Olive – these are my favorite journals, but I must say they are a bit more expensive. If you want to invest in something amazing with paper that can withstand everything – this is a worthwhile journal to get. Plus, you can get 10% off with my code MASHA10.
• Dingbats notebooks – great journals with smooth high, quality paper. But the paper here is not pure white but ivory, which might be your thing.
• Scribbles That Matter journals – they have a great paper and come in the cutest cover designs!
• LEUCHTTURM1917 The Official Bullet Journal – this is a great journal to use as a beginner since it comes with several pre-made pages already, and it will help you get started.

I can talk for hours about different stationery for your Bullet Journal, but then this post would never end.

So just be sure to check out these posts:

• Bullet Journal Buying Guide
• Bullet Journal Supplies For Beginners

Free Course: Starting A Bullet Journal

Did you decide to use a Bullet Journal? I’m excited for you!

It might seem overwhelming with all the information there, but I’ve got you covered with my free course Bullet Journal for beginners.

It will walk you step by step through creating a perfect Bullet Journal just for you.

Simply sign up in the form below, and once you confirm your subscription, you’ll get all the details on where to find the course and start on your Bullet Journaling adventures.

Did you decide on a planner or a Bullet Journal?

Let us know in the comments.

Hope this post was interesting. 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!

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