I learnt about bullet journalling in 2017 when I came across a video on YouTube, in my mind I thought it was team too much and certainly not for me because I am not artistic at all. I then came across the Hello Thembekile Journal and used that through 2018 as my work and personal journal. I liked that journal but it’s size put me off (it’s A4 and I prefer A5 because that size is easier to carry around). So in 2019 I bought another bullet journal-esque diary but soon saw that it didn’t really fit my style. So finally at the end of February 2019 I decided to start my own bullet journal.

What is bullet journalling?
To be frank, I found out about bullet journalling on Youtube/Instagram so I got the social media version of it first. Let me get you the real tea: it’s a methodology created by Ryder Carroll.

It’s best described as a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system. It’s designed to help you organize your what while you remain aware of your why. The goal of the Bullet Journal is to help its practitioners (bullet journalists) live intentional lives, ones that are productive and meaningful.

Seems like I’ve taken the social media version of the bullet journal and ran with that… oopsie! but it fulfills what I’m looking for, so there is that.

What I look for in a diary
As a full-time working mom, part time content creator and general person living on this earth I have a lot of things going on. I found that separating my different roles in different notebooks was too much for me because I’d be at work and I think about a blog idea but I haven’t carried my blog notebook for that day so I can’t jot down the idea. So I wanted a diary/journal in which I can use for all my roles i.e. work meetings, YouTube ideas, tracking my habits, noting Mpilo’s play school activities etc.

All about my bullet journal
The best thing about having a bullet journal is the customisation – I am able to do the set up that fit my needs exactly! And that excites me so much.

I’m able to be as minimalistic or as intricate as I want to be depending on the week or month.

I also track my habits my mood and gratitude each day

With each month, I am able to change it based on what worked or what didn’t work the previous month

Tools
It’s so easy to get carried away when buying bullet journal stationery, I have fallen into that trap. But basically all you needs is: a notebook (a dotted journal is the most used, but other types of notebooks suffice), pens and  markers. Being the OTT person I am, I’ve also bought some washi tape, different size pens and markers to decorate my journal.

I get most of my inspiration from Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. In fact, I have created a new Instagram profile: @bujo_southafrica – follow me if you’re keen on bullet journalling.