Just over two years ago I was looking for a new way to get organized. I had tried many different systems but none seemed to work. I followed the philosophy of Steven Covey's Seven Habits of Effective People such as Begin with the End in Mind, Think Win-Win, and Sharpen your Saw. I tried to maintain the discipline of David Allen's system of Getting Things Done by keeping detailed lists of tasks. But I never found a means of tying it all together. My "to do" list was spread across my emails, outlook task list, and handwritten notes. I tried to keep organized by using an iPad Mini for writing down notes, but didn't keep it up. I knew that I needed something different. That is when I found the concept of bullet journaling.
Bullet Journaling is an analog system for a digital world. At its most basic, it is simply using a blank notebook to plan and track your days. Everything goes into a single notebook--annual, monthly, weekly, and daily plans; meeting notes and reflections, collections of ideas, trackers for following progress, and of course all the "to dos." Through daily logs and monthly reviews, it is easy to keep up on what you should be doing. By writing down notes, I tend to remember them better (and am amazed to see how I sometimes have misremembered events compared to what I wrote). While my bullet journal is pretty basic and utilitarian, there are beautiful examples of what can be done.
When Steve Caroll, the originator of Bullet Journaling came out with his book, I preordered it as a thanks for how his system had helped me. Two years into Bullet Journaling, I was a bullet journal devotee and had my system down. But I was curious to get his perspective and see what tips I could pick up. His book is divided into three sections. The first is a nice overview of bullet journaling. I picked up a few tips as to how to improve my system. I liked the presentation of the book which included frequent examples of what a page from a bullet journal might look like. The middle section is the soft side--why we should be organized. I didn't find this as helpful, but I have read dozens of self-help and business books. The final section had examples of extras--special lists and examples of how other people had used bullet journals. I love how different the systems can be. I think that it would be easy to make a book with nothing but fun ideas for how to use bullet journals.
Steve's book is a great overview of bullet journaling. It is a handy guide for someone just getting started or a good reference book for someone already using this system.
Side note: My favorite journal is the Rhodia Dot Grid (solid cover, thick pages that don't bleed) and my favorite pen is the Pilot Metropolitan fine tipped fountain pen.
