Reading Journal: The Bullet Journal Method

by Ryder Carroll

“Track the Past. Order the Present. Design the Future.”

I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed and not too happy with my job when I came across this book at a bookfair. I was desperately in need for some order in my life and was very much inspired by the tagline.

The book did not disappoint. It was easy to read and totally sensible. What I learnt definitely changed my approach towards organizing my life.

The bullet journal method promises to combine productivity, mindfulness and intentionality. The writer advocates that by writing your thoughts down, you declutter your mind. Writing by hand also stimulates the mind and creates a stronger impression than typing does.

The practice of bullet journaling involves logging your thoughts and together with the process of migrating tasks creates a habit of introspection that forces you to think about what is important and why it’s important.

The components of bullet journaling are modular and flexible depending on the user’s needs. After finishing the book, I did a bit more trawling online, and found a large #bujo community which is generous with sharing their own bullet journals.

Impressions

The book changed my life in the following ways:

• Re-inspired my love of physical writing: During this period of working from home and “agile offices”, I had resorted to typing my work notes on OneNote rather than keep papers and notebooks around. I had forgotten how much I loved writing and stationery, and bullet journaling brought this joy back.
• It is ok to mix personal life and work: I learnt that personal to-dos and work to-dos can co-exist in the same journal, and it is very effective when combined this way. I used to have a notebook exclusively for work notes, work to-dos are on post-it notes in the office, and personal to-dos are in the phone calendar. Super scattered.
• Peace of mind: I felt relieved after a brain dump and the daily rapid logging. I am no longer worried that things slip my mind, and no longer have sleepless nights trying to keep thoughts in my brain.

Here’s a peek into my bullet journal:

The Future Log:

The Monthly Log

I got carried away with fancier designs in the past few months, and have decided to try out the original minimalist design this month. This shows how flexible the approach is. You can switch layouts anytime, depending on what works for you!

The Trackers

I track 2 daily habits: whether I manage 10,000 steps, and if I have read articles from the Economist. The first, to take baby steps towards a basic active lifestyle, and the second, because I have started an annual subscription to the Economist and want to have an objective view of my usage when it comes up for renewal in November.

As you can see, I am doing quite well with the 10,000 steps but am starting to dwindle on the Economist…

After 4 months of bullet journaling, I am happy that my life is now more organized and less stressful. I encourage you to read the book and let it inspire you towards a more purposeful life. Give it a try!