I'm a huge advocate for the bullet journaling system. In the six years that I've followed the system, it has completely changed the way I organize and keep track of things.

When I started, I wanted to connect with others and create an area for inspiration. Hence, @bujobeauties on Instagram was born. In these years of moderating the account, I've seen the trends and have been asked several questions.

The most common question is how to start a bullet journal and how to setup a bullet journal. I also get asked about supplies and "rules" of bullet journalling.

This beginner-friendly post is the only guide you need to fully help you set up your first bullet journal and it also addresses frequently asked questions.

bullet journal january cover page illustration art

what is a bullet journal?

Despite it's increasing popularity in recent years, most people still don't know what a bullet journal is.

A bullet journal is a customized planner based on the system of bullets. Tasks, events, ideas, etc. are written in one notebook using some templates to organize your life better.

Think of it as to-do lists taken to the highest level.

Each bullet journal is customized for the individual. Most people make their own spreads and pages in their bullet journals but you can also use printables that are available online.

For more info, you can check out the official bullet journal page or the creatorโ€™s YouTube video.

why you should use a bullet journal

There are multiple benefits to using a bullet journal in place of a regular planner.

  1. They are customized to your needs. Regular planners are rigid due to set pages as they are created keeping the general public in mind. This means that they are unable to accommodate your specific requirements and hence they are not fully helpful. A bullet journal will work for all of your needs.
  2. All organization in one place. Most people generally have regular items in their planners, reminders in their phones, and random notes on pieces of paper. Although it might look like it's working, that distributed organization system is not very helpful as you have to update multiple places. A bullet journal can contain everything in one notebook, making it easier for you to keep track of all areas of your life.
  3. It can be a creative outlet. Many people (including myself) have taken to drawing and doing a bit of art in their bullet journal spreads. It is not necessary but it has become a small creative outlet in our busy days where we can't do full-blown creative projects.
  4. It is away from technology. Digital bullet journalling is a thing but most people use regular notebooks. Bullet journalling for even 10-15 minutes a day guarantees a little bit of time away from screens. I love keeping a bullet journal because it is the one time that I'm not required to see screens to get things done.
  5. It is flexible. Regular planners are rigid with only organizational pages. Since bullet journals are yours to make and use, you can add whatever you want in them. For example: pages about TV shows, quotes you love, your current playlist, etc. It has no rules and can be whatever you want it to be.

Bullet journalling is so popular because it works for everyone. Each person's bullet journal is different but its one system that fits everyone's needs. And that is the biggest reason why you should start a bullet journal.

bullet journal brain dump page illustration

how to start a bullet journal

Starting a bullet journal is very easy. It doesn't require much supplies or time to setup.

1. collect tools for bullet journalling

The only things you need for bullet journaling are a notebook and a pen. You can do everything with just these two things and nothing else.

Essentially, you're just writing and drawing lines in the notebook. A regular pen is good enough for that.

How to choose the right notebook?

Any notebook will work (I started with a regular ruled notebook) but the most preferred notebooks are dot grid notebooks. These notebooks provide the flexibility to draw guided lines and boxes while being subtle enough that what you make stands out. Many bullet journalists go for grid notebooks as well.

The size of your notebook matters too. Decide on a notebook size that is big enough to hold your daily to-do lists along with a little more information while being small enough that you can carry it around. Most bullet journalists go for B5 or A5 size notebooks.

If you are new to bullet journalling, I suggest starting with a regular notebook. If you'd like to splurge on a good notebook, you can try out the following businesses. They are currently popular in the bullet journal community.

You can get additional items like washi tapes, stickers, brush pens, and tabs. But I would suggest that you don't take on too much at first. You can add them on later as you go after you're used to keeping a bullet journal.

a notebook with the words "sumedha's bullet journal", pens, washi tapes, and a cup of coffee

2. plan your pages

Instead of directly going in with a pen, plan what you want to have in your bullet journal first.

There are some annual spreads that most people use like the year at a glance, future log, index, and key. These spreads will be useful references during the entire time of using the journal. I would suggest starting off by using these pages and removing them in further notebooks if they are useless to you.

You can consider adding more annual pages but don't add too many as they will be hard to track and update throughout the year. Keep these to a minimum.

Next, monthly pages. There are some staple monthly pages that almost every bullet journalist uses. I highly recommend adding those in as they will definitely help organize your days.

There are more monthly pages that you can add such as a mood trackers, reading list etc. but again, don't set up too many to track. It will be hard to update every day and may hinder your organization.

For your first bullet journal, keep only the spreads that you think you really need. Even if other spreads sound like a good idea and look aesthetic, don't go for them. Allow yourself to get into the habit of keeping a bullet journal first and then you can go for more pages.

calendar page illustration with few important dates written

3. setup your pages

Pick up a pencil and mark your pages first. If you want to draw any boxes or draw sketches, do them with a pencil. This allows you to visualize your bullet journal setup better. Once you are satisfied with it, setup the pages with pens.

This takes the most time as you are actually setting up everything by hand. You may make mistakes along the way (I do almost every month haha) and you can cover them up using scrap paper or other ways.

Don't concentrate on making your pages perfect. They don't have to be something presentable. As long as they're usable, they're good.

After setting up the bare bones of your pages, you can go back and add decorative touches to all of them. Easy ways to decorate would be to use stickers, draw flowers and leaves, or highlight the headings.

illustration art of a goals page in a notebook with 3 goals written

4. start using it!

One thing I've noticed many beginners struggle with is incorporating the bullet journal into daily life. You need to make it a habit so that, eventually, you use your bullet journal for at least 10 minutes a day for organization.

But habits don't form easily. It will take time to get used to the bullet journal and to make it a part of your daily routine. Don't assume that you will start using the bullet journal every day without fail.

The best part of the bullet journal system is its flexibility. You don't need to write daily to-do lists. You don't need to have things to write in it every day. You can skip days when you want to, and it's completely alright. Whatever works for you is good.

It will definitely help to use your bullet journal every day but sometimes we simply don't have anything to write in them and it's alright. Skip a day or two and come back without any guilt. Use it when you need it.

How to use your bullet journal and make it a part of your routine:

  • Check your bullet journal every morning/night and check upcoming important dates in your monthly calendar.
  • Write to-do lists on the days when you need to track tasks and remember any notes.
  • Write down any random thoughts or tasks that you have to organize later.
  • Track your expenses by writing them in the bullet journal.
  • Track you habits by checking off what you did every day.
  • Make weekly spreads if you have a busy week and need to look at it all in one glance.
  • Note important facts like doctor's appointments, menstrual cycles, packages you received etc.
expense tracker bujo page illustration

5. be open to experimentation

The bullet journalling system is highly personal for every individual. What works for others may or may not work for you.

Try new spreads and layouts as time goes by and see what works better for you. Don't expect to get it perfect in the first try. And don't focus on aesthetics immediately! Once the usability is sorted, your aesthetic will come through soon enough.

Generally the first bullet journal is always considered as the "trial bullet journal" as you will be trying many different things in order to find the perfect setup for you.

The spreads you need will change depending on changes in your life. My bullet journal now looks very different compared to two years back when I was in college. Your life determines what spreads you need.

Always be open to change and trying new spreads. Stop using pages that don't help anymore. These two points will make sure that your bullet journal continues to be a good organizational system for you.

habit trackers in a bullet journal illustration

how to start a bullet journal in the middle of the year

Starting a bullet journal in the middle of the year is a huge point of contention with beginners. And it shouldn't be.

Can you start a bullet journal in the middle of the year? Yes! The whole point of this system is flexibility and it applies to everything. You can easily start a bullet journal in July or even December without worrying about the spreads. You can even start in the middle of a month!

If you're confused and not sure sure about how to setup a bullet journal in the middle of the year, here are some suggestions:

  • If there is more than one month in the current year, you can have a future log or calendar with only the left over months.
  • Have "year" cover pages to denote that year is in the notebook and to differentiate years in the bullet journal.
  • Split the notebook into different sections to differentiate the years. I do this by sticking washi tape on the edge of the first page of the next year. You can do it with tabs or other markers as well.
  • Goals section is timeless. Even if you're starting late, go ahead and make an annual goals page.
  • "Year" pages like "year in pixels" and "year in photos" can be tricky. It's totally up to you on how many months to include and where to place it. The straightforward way would be to have it only for the months that are included in that notebook.
  • If you would like to just start with day-to-day planning, you can forego annual spreads entirely and make monthly pages.

summary

  1. Collect tools for bullet journalling.
  2. Plan your pages.
  3. Setup your pages.
  4. Start using it!
  5. Be open to experimentation.

bullet journal setup checklist

To make your bullet journal setups a little bit easier, I've made a checklist of basic bullet journal pages that are advisable to have. You can use this to set up your first or any bullet journal as it will remind you of all the spreads that you need.

If you are already a part of the inner circle, you can access the checklist in the resource library directly. If not, you can sign up for free and get instant access through the form below!

endnotes

As I mentioned earlier, it will take time for you to figure out what works best. That doesn't mean that the bullet journal won't immediately help.

Spreads like expense trackers and habit trackers can be very useful in cultivating your ideal lifestyle. You can play around with the layouts and what details to include but the core concept of the bullet journal is to organize your life and help you grow.

Spend 10 minutes every day updating your bullet journal and planning for the next day. These 10 minutes will make your upcoming day much smoother.

If you are unable to update your bullet journal for a while or miss months of spreads, don't worry about it. You can always come back to bullet journalling without guilt. There is no rule that you have to maintain it every single day, week or month. Use it when you need it, and unapologetically let it be when you don't need it.

How to Start a Bullet Journal for beginners in 2022 + printable checklist

chat with me!

Are you ready to start your own bullet journal? Or do you already use a bullet journal or another form of organization? What area of your life needs the most organization?

If you have any questions or doubts, drop them in the comments and I'll get back to you ASAP.

stay wordy, Sumedha
photo of Sumedha

Sumedha spends her days reading books, bingeing Kdramas, drawing illustrations, and blogging while listening to Lo-Fi music. Read more โž”

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47 comments

  • TeaPartyPrincess says:

    Excellent guide!
    It's so easy to get caught up in the "must make it pretty" mentality, I try to take a step back with my bujo every so often and take it right back to basics.
    I often user printables from FrankiDoodlePigeon, they're stunning and make it quicker for me to pull my monthly spreads together despite my disability ๐Ÿ™‚
    Cora | https://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/

    Reply โž”
    • sumedha @ the wordy habitat says:

      Thank you! I agree, it's easy to focus on aesthetics but we should step back and focus on productivity.
      I haven't seen their printables but I'll check it out!

      Reply โž”
  • Anika says:

    Awesome guide, this has definitely encouraged me to get back into the creative spirit when it comes to my bullet journal!

    Reply โž”
  • Heydays With Hanna says:

    I have a lot of friends who are keeping bullet journals and it's always nice to see their spreads because it shows a lot of creativity and thought to each page. I've been keeping a lowkey journal/planner for years and even though there are a lot of online apps to keep your days and times on track, I would still prefer handwriting everything because I find myself more efficient that way ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Thanks for sharing this step-by-step guide, Sumedha! I hope you are doing well and staying healthy.

    Cheers,
    Hanna / Heydays With Hanna

    Reply โž”
    • sumedha @ the wordy habitat says:

      Thank you, Hanna! I'm glad you liked the post.

      I totally get preferring handwriting over digital modes, I'm the same. It makes things more real, somehow? Your lowkey journal/planner is probably a lot like the bullet journal system already!

      Reply โž”
  • Ruth| Ruthiee loves Glamour says:

    I have been planning to start a bujo so this came in handy. I love bullet journaling and the fact that you can get a little artistic with it makes me love it even more. I didn't know you could use a regular book for bullet journaling. I have been trying to get a dot grid notebook all to no avail and that is why I haven't started my bujo yet. I don't want to make do with a regular notebook as I really prefer the dot grid notebook haha. I can't wait to get a dot grid notebook and start a bullet journal. I feel like I would be really good with bullet journaling haha.

    Reply โž”
    • sumedha @ the wordy habitat says:

      You can use a regular notebook but yes dot grid is preferable haha. If you're unable to find dot grid, you can use regular grid notebooks too! I used grid notebooks twice and they were good.

      I'm glad the post came in handy! All the best for your first bullet journal ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply โž”
  • jasmine @sheswellread says:

    This is such an awesome post! I've been wanting to get into bullet journaling and reading this has been so helpful?

    Reply โž”
  • Not-So-Modern-Girl says:

    This is a really interesting post, thank you for sharing your guide to creating a new bullet-journal. I need to start a journal one of these days, and I really appreciate the help x

    Reply โž”
  • Stephanie says:

    This is such a wonderfully informative post! I love seeing bullet journal spreads and following along with others as they use their bujo, but I've never found myself reaching for one. I think a lot of that stems from the frustration I feel when I can't make something look nice. My planners are never decorated or have good handwriting with pretty stickers, etc. I remember even not being able to complete a Wreck This Journal in my teens because I couldn't figure out how to "aesthetically" wreck it haha!!! I know I'm in my own head about it, truly, but it's tough for me to get around that and I have zero skill when it comes to drawing, calligraphy, etc. Maybe one day, if I don't have so many other things I need to manage, I'll grab one for myself to try. But for now, I like at least admiring everyone else's! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply โž”
    • sumedha @ the wordy habitat says:

      Thank you!
      I completely understand that! Even though you know it doesn't have to be aesthetic, you're compelled to make it so. And that was one reason I didn't buy Wreck This Journal! I was like "I could never actually mess it up" ?

      Hope you're able to pick up bullet journalling someday! ?

      Reply โž”
  • itshannahcatherine says:

    Bullet journals are so gorgeous! I really wish I had the patience and artistic talent to actually create my own! I’ll just stick with looking at them on Pinterest!

    Reply โž”
  • Merry says:

    I started my first bujo in the beginning of 2020 - it's really changed me into more productive person lol! I keep tracking my daily tasks, it helps me to know what should I do, something that I may forgot, etc! I also use digital planner, but I still create and write bujo that fit with my system ๐Ÿ˜€ Definitely can relate with all your steps here. Thank you for sharing x

    Reply โž”
    • sumedha @ the wordy habitat says:

      I'm glad to hear that bullet journalling worked out great for you! It can definitely help keep track of a ton of things haha. We definitely need it as bloggers.

      Reply โž”
  • Lay @ bookshelfsoliloquies says:

    I recently tarted a new bullet journal for the first time since high school (wow?) and it has been so fun rediscovering how to make it work for me so this post was incredibly helpful!

    Reply โž”