What To Write In A Bullet Journal: 11 Page Ideas For Beginners
Just learning about Bullet Journaling for beginners? Congratulations! Welcome to the Bullet Journal family.
To help you navigate this world of endless possibilities, here are 11 Bullet Journal page ideas to get you started.

A Bullet Journal is a great tool, but because of the limitless possibilities, it can get pretty overwhelming, and a very simple system can look up like incomprehensible equations.
Worry not! I know how it can get, and I really want to help you figure it all out, so you can start using a BuJo and enjoying all the benefits.
Here, we’ll be talking about a very simple thing – what is it you should write in your Bullet Journal.
We all know the possibilities with a Bullet Journal are endless. In fact, the last time I sat down to think about it, I came up with 300+ Bullet Journal page ideas!
This sounds very overwhelming, but chill; I’ll walk you through tons of ideas to get you started in the simplest of ways. Here are 11-page ideas to start your Bullet Journal with tips on what exactly you can write on each of these.
Remember that your Bullet Journal is there to serve you and your needs, so before deciding on some pages, think about how it will serve you and whether you need it at all.
Oh, and there are some free printables for you at the end of the post, so be sure to scroll until the end.
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Bullet Journal Page Ideas For Beginners
In this post, we'll go through some of the staple pages one might consider adding to their Bullet Journal. But I want you to always remember - it's your journal, and it's up to you to decide what you'll include there.
If any of these sound like you don't want to use them - just don't! Your journal = your rules.
Basic Bullet Journal Pages
Starting with some pages that were part of the original Bullet Journal method. Most of these you can see in every Bullet Journal out there.
The Bullet Journal key spread is designed to store all the icons and signifiers you’ll be using in your Bullet Journal.
All you need to write on this page is the symbol and its meaning.
Before you decide on which icons to add, think of what your life looks like and what things you might need for planning. Do you need a shortcut for your kid’s piano recital? Or maybe a symbol for an email checking day? It’s all up to you.
Click "Read More" to learn more about this page.
The index is basically a table of contents for your Bullet Journal. You’ll be filling it out with spreads and page numbers.
There are a few ways you can do it:
- Fill it out numerically. This means that as you go, you write down separately on each page of your journal. This is great because it will create a very detailed index.
- Fill it out by content. This will definitely save you some space. This means that you combine the same pages from different months in the same line.
- Divide the content. Another way to fill out the index page is to divide it into two parts. Have one index for your planning pages and a separate one for collections.
Click "Read More" to learn more about this page.
One of the first pages in your Bullet Journal is your future log. This is the place for you to plan your upcoming year.
The setup is pretty simple but a bit time-consuming, so you might try using some tricks like stamps, stickers, or washi tapes.
All you need to do is to divide your spread into however parts you need and write the name of a month in every section. I’m saying it’s time-consuming because usually people also add a calendar to each month, since that way, it’s much easier to plan the year.
Your future log is where you write all the long-term plans that you know about in advance, be sure to click "Read More" to get more ideas and information about this page.
Your next big page is your monthly log. I won’t go into details on how to set up one because there are just sooooo many ways to do it!
A monthly log usually consists of a calendar and a monthly to-do list.
For the calendar, make sure you first consult with your future log to add whatever dates where you already know something is happening.
The second part of the Monthly Log is a to-do list, and this is pretty self-explanatory – write down here all you need and want to do during the month. Keep your little tasks, like doing the dishes and cooking dinner, out of here though; those go to our next page.
The final cornerstone page for your BuJo is your weekly or daily log. I talked a lot about the differences between the two and which one would fit you better, but honestly, I’d recommend just trying out both and seeing for yourself.
The main difference between these is that the daily log is a big area for just one day, while the weekly log has an outlook of the week with daily boxes and other different elements. Less detail of each day, more overview.
Bullet Journal Collections
These are the basic 5 pages, but there is so much more the system can offer you! The next 6 pages are what we call collections – spreads created on some particular topic.
I chose these because they are the ones that I use the most and that are very popular in the Bullet Journal community.
This only means that even though they might be something for you to consider, it’s absolutely not a necessity. Always remember that your planner is only yours and has to fit your needs, so if some of these don’t work for you – don’t feel pressured to keep using them.
A habit tracker is usually a monthly spread that helps you with developing new habits or getting rid of old ones. This is a really powerful tool for personal development, and I’d recommend you give it a shot.
Tracking your habits won’t only allow you to stay motivated to create a better you but can also lead you to some new self-discoveries.
You’ll be able to know yourself and your patterns better and therefore have more control over your life.
Be sure to check my poss 193+ Bullet Journal Habit Tracker Ideas and 100 Habits To Track In Your Bullet Journal to see how it can be anything you want to develop in yourself, anything you want to stay away from, or maybe just something you want to look at to see patterns.
Creating a special spread for your goals is extremely beneficial for actually achieving them.
When you have to put your goals on paper, you’ll think more about them, about whether you actually want something or not, on how you can achieve it. There is a special power in using paper for your goals.
This is just another page idea to add to your Bullet Journal.
Your Bullet Journal is, in a way, your life story. Of course, you can already know a lot from your weekly and monthly pages, but you can add even more happiness to your journal with the memory page.
It can be just journaling pages where you write about your day and events happening around you, or it could be a special little creative spread.
The review pages are great for memory keeping, but they are also absolutely essential to your growth. You won’t get any benefits from planning if, at some point, you don’t analyze the things you do.
Click "Read More" to learn more about the monthly review spread. or check my post on Bullet Journal Year End Review.
Here you write things you’re grateful for during the day, and you should write something for every day.
This teaches you to be more positive, to always find the brighter side, and be more mindful of all the great things you have in your life.
A brain dump is a place for you to just write down anything that comes to your mind – ideas, chores, feelings.
This really helps you to put order to your thoughts, to calm down, and, pretty often, to discover hidden ideas you’d miss otherwise.
Extra Ideas: Creativity Pages
I don't include them as must have Bullet Journal pages for beginners, but I wanted to finish this post with some pages you can add to have fun and express your creativity.
Being creative in your journal is a kind of therapy because you finally have time for yourself and by yourself.
Working on creative pages are you taking a well-deserved break from the world and just doing something you enjoy for yourself. It’s not selfish; it’s precisely the type of self-care we all need.
Have a minute and think of your dream life; this is bound to bring a smile to your face.
So create a vision board – doodle your life, use lettering to write it down or maybe just create a collage with cutouts from old magazines.
Bucket lists are always fun, they remind you of the things you don’t want to miss, and actually, subconsciously, you’ll start to think about how to make it all come true. You can create seasonal bucket lists or yearly ones, like 19 in 2019 or 40 before 40.
Click "Read More" to check Fall bucket lists, or read these posts:
Quote pages are fun to decorate your journal, to add some positivity, but also, it's a great idea to fill out your Bullet Journal blank pages.
Find a word or a quote that motivates you or brings a smile to your face and create a Bullet Journal spread just with these words.
Finally, you can have so much fun by creating an entertainment tracker, like a movie or a tv show tracker.
Be sure to click "Read More" to get some more inspiration on how to include these trackers in your Bullet Journal.
I’m sure this would give you enough to think about it and get you started with your Bullet Journal.
Free Bullet Journal Printables
Time to share with your freebies! Bullet Journal printables will help you with many things, including trying out new pages and faster figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
There are already 100+ free printables in the Resources Vault, including the key page. goal-setting pages, monthly review pages, brain dump, habit tracker, gratitude log, and more.
If you don’t have your access yet, you can always sign up in the form below.
Once you confirm your subscription, you’ll get the password to get 50+ free Bullet Journal printables to use right away.
If you’ve never used printables before, check my post on How To Use Printables In Your Bullet Journal.
It’s pretty easy and all you need is:
- A printer. I recommend trying this one.
- High-quality paper. You’ll need it to keep your pens from fraying; I recommend trying this one.
- Paper cutter. Cause you’ll need to cut the printables. I love using this one.
- Adhesive tape to stick printables to your journal pages. This one is my go-to.
So, which pages are you using in your Bullet Journal?
Share with us in the comments.
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And always remember! Keep Bullet Journaling, and don’t be a Blob!

Hi! Where did you get all the nice colored covers for your journals? I look on amazon but there was nothing.
Stay safe!
Kirsten from Germany
Hey Kirsten! I got them from Cocoa Paper on Etsy =)