At this point in the semester everyone is a hot mess. But bullet journaling can help save the day.

Story by Daniella Cortez / @DaniellaCorte11

Illustration by Vanessa Astronoto

When you think about bullet journals , a perfectly organized person comes to mind. The one who always has it together. But bullet journaling is as easy as making a to-do list. Do not let the beautiful Pinterest posts discourage you. Instead, gain inspiration and create something that is entirely yours and get organized.

What is a Bullet Journal?

A bullet journal is an agenda or journal that you buy at a store, but it’s blank and you can create the calendar and weekly spreads yourself. It seems like a lot of work, but it is not as bad as it seems. The idea behind it is to have creative liberty and no boundaries. The bare bones of a bullet journal is a monthly calendar with a weekly outline to plan ahead and fill with due dates, meetings, homework assignments, or anything you need to remember. However, adding habit trackers where you set a habit you want to keep up with, like drinking water or exercising daily, can be a visual representation to keep yourself accountable. Also, including a mood tracker to document how you are feeling each day to monitor your mental health can be useful. These trackers amplify your bullet journal incorporating a holistic view of your life.

What You’ll Need

In order to get started, some supplies are needed. They do not have to be expensive, fancy pens from the art store. At the very least, all that is needed is a notebook and a pen. But having the colorful pens and a nice journal makes your journal something you’ll want to keep coming back to. Inexpensive pens from retailers such as Amazon are perfect for making detailed lines or writing in cute colors. Since the journal is where you are going to put all your ideas in, It is possibly the most important supply.

If you plan to use it for the entire year it needs to be durable. But the journal is also the book cover of your life so to speak. It’s the first thing that you’ll see every week when you are planning your life, so it better be something you enjoy seeing. A sleek, black one is classic, however when you open it up your creative spreads will outshine the cover. On the other hand, having an elaborate design on the cover is a perfect way to express your personality. But the possibilities are endless.

Benefits of Bullet Journaling

The overall objective for bullet journaling is to organize your life and compile everything into one notebook, minimizing the tons of little to do lists everywhere. Having something that you created and spent time on, gives you an incentive to stay on top of your to-dos. But what is beautiful about it is having a creative outlet to express yourself and your ideas in anyway you want.