Hi there!
At the beginning of August, I officially began my new bullet journal, just in time for the school year. Because it has been a while since my last bullet journal walk-through, I decided that it would be a good time to share the layout of my new bullet journal, as well as share how I use my bullet journals for self-growth and creativity.
My bullet journal, in theory, is my safe space and has helped me overcome many areas of my life.
A look inside my new bullet journal
Like any journal, I first begin with an index to help keep me organized.
My next few pages consist of various things I want to track and list down, such as books I've read, affirmations, goals, etc. I like to keep these at the beginning of my journal so I can easily return to them and keep them in one place. Of course, I'll add more pages like these in-between monthly spreads.
Above, I have my book tracker, where I rate with colors, and besides, that is my affirmations and my wabi-sabi reminder.
I love to always include a page solely for brain dumps so that I have a place to spill anything that's going on in my life or in my mind. When I'm out and about and don't have a journal nearby, or a friend to call, I'll jot down my feelings on this page! I always feel so much freer afterward.
Above is my Instagram and Blog growth tracker, where I remind myself daily of my goals and aim to reach small milestones along the way. This way, I can grow slowly and not feel so stressed and pressured.
Next, I add my first monthly spread, where I can plan out the month in advance, as well as all of my blog post ideas.
With each month, I include a habit tracker, which includes a list of things that I want to (ideally) get done each day. For habit ideas to add, check out my post 6 healthy habits to do every day.
Beside my habit tracker, I include a page for gratitude and beneath that, various months regarding the month ahead, my goals, and overall thoughts.
The next few pages, up until the end of the month, are my weekly spreads, which vary depending on my mood, or what I have going on that upcoming week. I usually make my weekly spreads every Saturday or Sunday.
In the spread above, I went with a boxed design that I really fell in love with. It made the page colorful, yet functional.
In this spread, I accidentally made the weekday space too small, but that only result in more creativity on the left side. I also included the weather, which was a cool little feature but didn't really help much because every day in Texas is HOT, haha.
For more ideas on bullet journal weekly spreads, check out my post How to make an easy weekly spread for optimal productivity or find all my bullet journal blog posts here.
How I use my bullet journal for self-growth and creativity
Normally, my bullet journals carry a lot of empty space, which is where I get creative and colorful. I love to fill the extra space with drawings and little trackers to make the journal feel like mine. In my opinion, bullet journals should be fun and contain systems that help you, and should not always be beautiful and perfectly organized. They are a great way to be creatively messy and unleash who you really are.
I am usually most creative through writing, which I don't always have time to do, so my bullet journal helps me uncover that wonder and creativity from within and free up artistic energy.
I also keep all of my goals and ambitions within the pages of my bullet journal, and through small milestones and steps of progress, I can work my way to those goals in fun, creative ways. Because I always keep my bullet journal nearby, I can remind myself of my goals and read off my mantras and affirmations for a boost of inspiration.
There are many different ways in which a bullet journal can help with self-growth, creativity, mental health, organization, and so much more. The important thing is to not be afraid to try new things and find a system that works. It's your safe space, after all.
Thank you for reading my post--your view means the world to me!
Do you have a bullet journal? How do you practice self-growth and creativity? Let me know below!
If you'd like to see more blog posts on bullet journals, feel free to let me know!
Probably writing,
Brittney