Bullet Journaling has become a big industry as of late. I have used planners in the past, you know the ones that look extremely boring with a page full of time slots to be filled in, no pretty pictures to look at, and just…well, BLAH! I hated using them, but given I can get off track pretty easily they were a necessity for me and come to find out, still are.
Until recently, I had gotten away from planning my days but soon realized with a business and two teenaged daughters, I needed to get my life organized to prioritize my days to stay productive and keep my focus on what’s important. I was ready to buy another of those boring planners that I had used out of necessity, not out of the joy of using them but because I needed to stay on track. Then I heard everyone talking about Bullet Journals… many of you may be familiar with brands such as KikiK or Happy Planner, and I was intrigued. The only problem was, I had no idea what a bullet journal even was or how the heck to use it.
I had seen the cute books and accessories at every craft store I went into, but associated them with paper crafting or scrapbooking, both of which I used to do quite a bit of before I switched to more digital formats for my creativity so didn’t pay them much mind. When it came time to go grab that new planner, I remembered the cute little books I had seen at Joann’s when I decided to try one…what’s the harm right? It can’t be as bad as all those tiny little time slots to be filled in each day and the pricing was approximately the same as a standard calendar type journal.
What drew me in was the cover (and the fact I had a 60% off coupon). I am obsessed with black, pink, rose gold…and polka dots. I spent a good half hour or more in the paper crafting section, looking at all the options for a bullet journal and saw benefits and downfalls to each. I had to consider the brand, binding type, size… to be honest, I was a little overwhelmed. I came across a whole section of Happy Planners, but one stood out, seemingly calling my name, with a black and white polka dot cover, emblazoned on the front in gold foil was “Happy Life“{affiliate link} and inside featured soft pink accents throughout. This was after all my goal, wasn’t it? To be happy again, to move past the last 17 years and gain control of my life back, in fact, to create a “Happy Life” for both myself and my daughters?
As far as sizing, I chose to go with The Happy Planner BIG style planner. It’s full 8.5 x 11 sheets were perfect for my not so neat handwriting (I need lots of room to write), it would be easily readable while sat next to me on my desk, would fit the planner pages I create and that fact that the day is divided into three sections, with no limit to what I could actually use them for, was a deal closer. It also didn’t hurt that it was virtually a “blank canvas” to express my own creativity. I admit, when I start new projects, I tend to go a bit overboard and buy way more things than necessary, most of which get shoved in a drawer and forgotten. I only purchased two additional accessories this time, if I was going to utilize this planner, I needed to invest in the page punch {affiliate link} made just for my new happy planner pages so that I could use pages that I designed as well to cover areas in my life that are important to me and expander discs because I plan to use my journal for both everyday life, as well as my business so I have a feeling it will grow quite large. I happily walked up to the counter with my new planner and accessories in hand, excited to get home and start using it!
Journal type planners will not only keep you organized but also allow your creativity and personal style to shine through with every page or spread. I will admit, I am still getting used to this style of planning, but I will tell you I am having fun with it! The freedom to fill the pages how I want and in my own personal style makes this planner a treat to open, not the chore my old planners were. There are a ton of resources out there for inspiration when it comes to bullet journals. Pinterest and Instagram are great sources to find many different types of journaling spreads, as well as products to accessorize your journal. Be sure to keep an eye on the shop for new stickers and pages designed with bullet journaling in mind.
I’ll keep you updated as to how this journey goes, and share what I learn along the way.
Good things come to those who hustle!
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