I found my first bullet journal and it's nothing like my current one

I was cleaning my desk and found my old journal from years ago. It had simple lists for tasks, but now I spend time making pretty pages. Do you think bullet journaling should stay practical or can it be a creative outlet too?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace8175mo ago

Ever see someone get so into the decorating part that they forget to actually use their journal? My friend Sam did that. She started with basic lists, then got really into buying fancy pens and making themed monthly pages. She spent more time drawing borders than crossing off tasks. Eventually she missed an important deadline because her to do list was buried under washi tape. Now she keeps one page for fun doodles and the rest simple, says it works better.

lucast735mo ago

From my view, the decorating part is what makes me want to use my journal in the first place. I mean, if it's just plain lists, I tend to ignore it (which is probably why I stopped journaling as a kid). Adding colors and borders makes me look at it more often, so I actually remember my tasks. Sure, maybe Sam went overboard, but that's more about finding a balance, not ditching the fun stuff. I mix doodles with my to-do lists, so the important things are right there with the washi tape. It keeps me engaged and turns a chore into something I enjoy, which means I use it more, not less.

black.patricia2mo ago

Whoa, you hit on something there. It's funny how the fun stuff can get in the way of the real stuff. I know a guy who spent so long making his fishing log look like a work of art he forgot to write down where the bass were biting! So @grace817, I get what you're saying about Sam. Maybe the trick is just to keep the decorations on the cover page and leave the inside simple, you know? That way you still get the satisfaction of making it look nice without losing track of what matters.