Well….Is there?

Is there a wrong way to bullet journal?

Many, many times I hear comments from people that go something like this: ‘I’ve tried bullet journaling but it doesn’t work for me’, or ‘I don’t have time to bullet journal, I can’t keep up with it’. Is this something you have said? Or, is it something you have heard and somewhat relate to, or wonder about?

I hope this article can help!

First, I would like to say that I completely understand the comments, I see what you are saying and where you are coming from. So, really, I wanted to make it clear that this is not a judgmental article in any way. 

Now, I would like to share the big picture of bullet journaling..it is paper with dots on! There I said it!! 

I think the issues that arise with people’s thoughts on bullet journaling stem from expectations of what it should be or what it should look like. This triggers fear. 

I remember myself, opening to the first page on my first bullet journal, thinking ‘everything I put in here has to be perfect’. It is a natural thinking process, because we really value the amount of money that has been spent, we love the pictures we have seen of beautiful bullet journal pages and we have these strong desires to have this journal be the most wonderful tool we have ever used. 

On another hand, there are those that feel that all the art is unnecessary, they hold firmly to the original Ryder Carroll’s system, and sometimes I have seen them get annoyed that people view bullet journaling as an art project.

So, as you can see, there are expectations put out into the world of what a bullet journal should be. But, really, is it possible that paper with dots doesn’t work for someone? Is it possible that you don’t have time to use paper with dots? I really want to challenge any limiting beliefs about bullet journaling. 

There isn’t a wrong way to bullet journal!

There isn’t a ‘should’ or don’t’. There isn’t a bad spread, or terrible art. I have seen bullet journals used as weapons against ourselves and it isn’t kind or helpful. I understand the fear triggers, but, maybe, we can challenge those inner voices, and channel our voices into creative process instead. For example, if a system isn’t working for us…we can say ‘Bullet journaling isn’t working for me…YET! What will I try differently for the next week or month?’ Or if we are struggling with the time to spend on it, we could say: I choose to spend my time on other things, but I could still use this for something simple, what would be helpful for me?

So, rather than think we are doing something wrong, or that someone else is doing it wrong, let’s be encouraging with our bullet journaling. Let’s explore how it helps us personally, and if we find something, why not share it, because it might help someone else too. Let’s learn and grow and experiment.  Happy planning bullet journal friends!!