New Year, New Planner

hey there,

Putting aside all this *new year new me* bullshit, I've decided to finally start a bullet journal. I've known about it for I'd say four years or so, but never quite had the courage to start one. I've always wanted to, but the commitment and the intricacies kind of scared me off. Questions like what if it doesn't look as pretty, what if I mess up, and what if it doesn't work out held me back.

If you don't know what a bullet journal is or what you can do with it, the makers of the system have shared a how-to video here, and there's plenty of other people's explanations on Youtube. Basically the bullet journal system allows you to set up a planner that works for you and your needs: you can determine how much space is allocated to day or system. You are not constricted to the ordinary planner set up, nor do you need separate notebooks -or scraps of paper- for to-do lists.

So here I am, 2018 with a bullet journal, here are some thoughts:

I will keep using a regular diary
Last September Michaela got me an amazing Gemma Correll diary (sadly sold out) as a surprise, and it's honestly the most amazing diary. I love Gemma's illustrations, and the set-up of this diary is everything I need out of a diary. Why then am I still opting to use a bullet journal? Mostly for the things I can't do in the GC diary: track my expenses, make weekly meal plans and grocery lists, note daily to do's etc. See it as the side hoe to my main bae: equally as important, but for different purposes.

Inspiration
Oscar Wilde is quoted saying "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness" so that's basically what my bullet journal will be. Pinterest and Instagram provide ample examples of weekly spreads to copy or take inspiration from. As I am not the Best-Bullet-Journalist (?) my imitation of these pages will just have to serve as payment. There's no shame, it's your journal you can do with it whatever you want. I definitely also recommend watching Amanda Rach Lee's Youtube channel for inspiration.

My approach
Something that has kept me from bullet journaling is its intricate spreads: one quick search on interest or Instagram brings the most beautifully crafted and creative designs you'll see why. I wasn't sure I could match that level of creativity, or have the time for it. Luckily there's also plenty of people who take a more minimalist approach to it all. I plan to sit somewhere in the middle. I want it to look pretty, but I don't want to get lost in the details. I want it to be functional and pretty, and filling up half a page with calligraphy isn't going to work for me.


So that's my set up. If you'd be interested in updates on my bullet journal let me know. Fingers crossed I can keep this up.

-x Y.