Hot take: That bullet journal workshop in Brooklyn was a waste of my Saturday

I went to this popular bullet journal workshop at a stationery shop in Brooklyn last month, and honestly I left more confused than inspired. The instructor kept pushing these elaborate weekly spreads with washi tape and doodles, acting like that's the only way to do it. But my whole point of bullet journaling is to get organized, not to spend 2 hours decorating a page. I use a simple Ryder Carroll style with just the basics - future log, monthly log, daily rapid logging. Has anyone else found these fancy workshops push style over substance?

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nelson.michael1d ago

I read an interview with Ryder Carroll himself where he said the whole point is flexibility and customization, and that really stuck with me. I saw a statistic recently that said something like 60% of people abandon bullet journaling within the first 3 months because they get overwhelmed by the artistic side of it. That tracks with my own experience, honestly. I think those workshops are more about selling you fancy supplies and a certain aesthetic than actually helping people get organized. You're not alone in feeling that way, the simple method works best for a lot of us.