T RE ND
“Because it’s practised in a paper notebook, it
allows users to unplug, to process their thoughts and declutter their mind,” explains Caroll. “We underestimate the power of introspection.” Mindfulness certainly has a role to play in the
success of the bullet journal phenomenon. It’s not oſten nowadays we have everything we’re juggling written down in one trackable place. Tempted to pick up a pen and give it a go?
Carroll has some tips for new starters who want to find themselves in control of their time. “Start simple and be patient with yourself,” he advises. “Tere are a lot of intimidatingly elaborate interpretations out there. At its core, the system is very lean. It’s designed to not get in your way and be flexible. It’s designed to become whatever you need it to be. Figuring out what use the Bullet Journal can serve in your life is part of the practice. Te key is to remember to make it work for you. It’s not about how it looks, it’s about the impact it has on your life.” And for people who have tried it once, he
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urges them to try again and stick with it: “Start with the free tutorials on
bulletjournal.com. Stick with the basics for at least two months, and then start to customise it. Start small (don’t try and bullet journal everything in your life at once) and see if it keeps you on track to make positive changes for a couple of months.” BT
◆ A bullet journal is split into modules, between a future log, a monthly log and a daily log with things to do. Tasks, events and notes all have slightly different icons next to them to highlight their differences.
◆ A future log uses two horizontal lines to split a double page spread into six months, while monthly calendars take up one page with a simple list of the days of the month. These are called “spreads” and impressive spreads will get you social media acclaim (if that’s what you want).
◆ Identify open (to-do) tasks with a dot next to them, events with an “o” or notes with a simple dash. Add a cross or put a line through tasks as you achieve them. This is called “rapid-logging”.
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◆ In bullet journaling tasks can migrate forward, from a daily planner to the next month (for when you haven’t achieved them), but they can also be logged far into the future on your annual calendar. As you carry tasks forward you can weed out the ones that are no longer worth your time.
◆ Create an index, and keep track of what is on each page number of your notebook – these will act as a simple filing system so you don’t forget what’s in your notebook, and where it is.
◆ You can collate your notes around a subject, say a packing list for a holiday or ideas for a conference, into a collection on a separate page and index that page in the front of your book.
◆ This system can be adapted once you’re familiar with it to suit your lifestyle and tasks. You can use it to keep track of everything from the weekend shopping list to big life goals, and everything in between.
◆ Think of it as an archive system, except instead of saving folders and files on your hard drive, you’re using your notebook as a simple analogue server.
◆ To get started, all you need is a decent notebook and pen. The notebook should be one that is easy to carry around and won’t fall apart after a few weeks. Lined or plain, hardback or paperback – it depends on your preference. The whole point about bullet journaling is that anyone, on any budget, can get results from following it.
busin e s s t r a ve lle r . c o m
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