What makes a bujo a bujo?

[fay_e]

Recently there's been a bit of angst on the other bujo communities I follow that the comms have become more about planners than bullet journals.

So out of curiousity, I want to ask this comm: What do you feel makes a bullet journal a bullet journal? And what part of Ryder Carroll's system do you find the most useful for you?

For me, the part that makes my journal a bullet journal is rapid logging, the way I use signifiers/bullets for each item and the way items get migrated between my modules/spreads. I do use different modules/spreads from the usual system though, since I feel the rapid logging is the most useful!

Comments

[kayim]

I still don't really understand if I'm "doing it right", but what I do works for me, so I guess that's right :)

The most useful aspect for me is the ease of transfer between the future log, the monthly log and the daily log. I know I'm not going to forget about something just because it's three months in the future, and I know at the start of a month exactly what I already have planned.

[fay_e]

My migration is really crappy because I don't check my future logs and monthly logs on a regular basis >_< I need to remember to do that!

[ganseyisms]

Eh, I've done this for less than two months, and I've yet to tailor it perfectly to my needs, but I guess it's the same for me. I like that and the fact that it can be a low-effort journal and a tracker and a planner at the same time.

I also like having everything in the same place (I used to keep a lot of permanent lists spread across various places) and that it's entirely customizable, unlike the planners you buy in a shop. So I can make my daily page one line long or three paragraphs long or even skip it.

I haven't been able to integrate it in my routine as much as I would have liked, but it's definitely helping me.

[fay_e]

I think the ability to tailor a bullet journal is pretty important too. If there wasn't so much of my life I could shove in there, I probably wouldn't use it.

For me I'm the opposite - I used to not make lists at all and be really embarrassed when I forgot stuff. Now that I'm making lists I can rely less on my cranky brain XD

[lunabee34]

I can't really weigh in on your question because I totally Bullet Journal Wrong. LOL I am fascinated by the angst in these communities, though. Does it ever turn wanky? Any interesting deets of those conversations?

[fay_e]

Ha ha I'm not entirely sure how to bullet journal right either!

The angst really confused me. Most of the comments on those posts were more about logistics like joining forces with the journaling groups or changing the name of the group or how many people would be lost by changing the name LOL. So I thought I'd ask in this comm what makes a bullet journal. No wank on this topic as far as I've seen!

[lunabee34]

Heeee. I just love to rubberneck. /shameless

[fay_e]

ha ha but these things are just so fascinating!

[nestra]

I think I do too. Mine is turning out to be much more useful for long-term things -- reference pages that collect all of my information about, for example, a doctor's visit. Or a writing tracker. I don't really use daily or monthly lists at all.

[fay_e]

I do track my writing too, but out of curiosity how do you keep track of things like making sure you go for your doctor's visit or writing for the day?

[nestra]

Actual appointments are tracked in the Google calendar I share with my husband. And I don't really use the journal to make sure I write a certain amount each day. It's more that keeping track of it provides the motivation, as well as a record of what I've done.

[fay_e]

I see... I also try to use digital solutions with paper journaling, but paper seems to capture my thoughts better.

[albijuli]

The physicality of writing down my thoughts helps me remember, too.

[fay_e]

Same! Also for me laying it out on paper somehow makes it easier to see all the steps to be done.

[lucymorningstar]

For me I find the basic bullets and fast logging to work - I don't have to worry about fitting things into a layout, I can have as much or as a little space as I like.

As for 'doing it right?' - if it works for you, then you're doing it right!

[fay_e]

Yes! Unlike a planner, I really love the ability to decide for myself how much space I'm going to use for anything.

[musyc]

As for 'doing it right?' - if it works for you, then you're doing it right!

This is my stance on things! Especially for things like a bullet journal, that can be customized so extensively.

[musyc]

I call mine a bullet journal even if it's really more of a old-fashioned journal? Not quite a diary, and most of my quickie entries deal with my cats and what they did cute that day. XD

I don't use a monthly or weekly layout at all, my habit tracker is like ... thirty things because it's really more of a "you need to do this every day/week, so make sure you did it" tracker, there's no such thing as a future log in my world, and the little symbols are nowhere to be found! I don't do artsy stuff because I am lousy at drawing, I don't like the idea of stickers/washi tape because I don't like pages that don't lie flat.

I don't call it a planner because there's no planning involved, really. It's more of a record of a day rather than thinking ahead.

I do use colored pens in my habit tracker, though? XD

[fay_e]

Yeah, I started to use habit trackers because my rapid logging really became "repeat the same thing daily/weekly". So I guess habit trackers are your way of rapid logging!

I don't use washi tape and stickers either, and I only journal in a black pen /o\ Really unartistic.

[clare_dragonfly]

In my opinion, it's the flexibility. If you have a journal with pre-printed pages, then it's not a bujo. If you're creating your own spreads, however they work for you, then it's probably a bujo. I kind of side-eye the people who draw rigid weekly spreads that they use exactly the same each time, regardless of how much space they have each week, but I figure if they call it bullet journaling, that's what they're doing!

I also think the flexibility is most useful to me. I love bullet journaling because I can use exactly as much space as I need for each day with no wasted paper or scribbling in margins, desperately trying to squeeze more in. Plus I can use it for whatever I want, like in addition to my daily and monthly pages, I've been keeping a reading journal in my bujo--and because I keep track of everything in the index, I can just pop in the next reading journal page wherever I have space.

[fay_e]

I'm always amazed by people who leave space exactly three things each day. Like doesn't their spread get too small for them? My frustration with pre-printed pages was also why I switched to bullet journaling!

Good points about the use of available space and the index! I wish I used my index more.