Improving your productivity can be a real challenge. Everyone tells you it’s all about planning — but that’s really not an ideal situation for those of us who dislike intricate plans and strict to-do lists. That’s where bullet journaling comes into the picture.
The problem with conventional productivity
Here’s the thing about productivity: plenty of people tell you it’s in the planning. While that’s absolutely right for those who like planning, it’s the complete opposite for those who hate it. Planning only works if it suits your lifestyle and preferences. But that doesn’t mean that people who dislike planning have to be unproductive — it just means you have to find a planning method that suits you. Choose something quick, customisable, and flexible — like bullet journaling.
What is bullet journaling?
A bullet journal is a super customisable system you can use to plan your life. With a bullet journal, you can track your past and present while shaping your future goals.
How to create a bullet journal
So here’s how it works. Bullet journals come in all shapes, sizes, and designs. But at their core, bullet journals just require a pen and notebook. Here are some other elements that most people incorporate into their bullet journals.
#1 A Legend
Your legend ties your bullet journal together. It allows you to conveniently use short forms or symbols in your journal, and you can always keep track of which symbol or colour means. Using your legend, note down what your various abbreviations, colours and symbols mean. It may seem tedious in the short term, but future you will be thankful!
#2 A Contents Page
A table of contents helps you keep track of your goals. You don’t need to be neat or fancy about it. Just note down your layout so that you can journal even quicker in the future.
#3 A List Of Future Goals
All your short term goals are eventually going to lead to some pretty big life goals. Note down these longer-term goals on one page. These will be handy for you to refer to in the future. Design, list, or word splash your goals however you wish.
#4 Monthly Goals
Build on your larger goals with smaller, bite-sized monthly goals. This is a great way for you to stay on track with your bigger goals without having to put strict deadlines on them.
#5 Daily Goals
This category is optional depending on how you want to go about your planning. If you find daily planning to be too restricting and stressful, then feel free to skip this step. But bear in mind that having daily goals is a good way to achieve small milestones and feel good every day. You don’t need to set suffocating timelines – just complete one or two mini-tasks when you can!
Improving your productivity with bullet journaling
There are 3 main reasons why bullet journaling can help with your productivity:
- It’s flexible and customisable. This way, you can prioritise your tasks easily without feeling too stressed.
- It’s quick to use. With your legend and contents pages, you can use your journal easily by adopting abbreviations, symbols, and colour coordination.
- Writing tasks down commits them to memory while crossing off completed items motivates you to do more.
Getting the most out of your bullet journal
How should you get the most out of your journal? By getting your timing right. That’s why using time management apps, like a Timeqube, can help with your bullet journaling. A Timeqube is a mindful timer that changes colour to indicate the passing of time. That means no stressful blares or ticking clocks. Kickstart your new productivity routine today with bullet journaling and a Timeqube.
