*Updated April 12, 2021

I am in my third year of bullet journaling and haven’t regretted a single minute. Prior to committing, I had spent endless hours in a “how to bullet journal” rabbit hole on YouTube. After about watching five or so, I wasn’t finding the right vibe or straight-forward instructions slash motivation, which then encouraged me to just do it already. My first bullet journal was a mess, a total impromptu of intermediate chaos that was trying to pass off as the real thing. Being a notebook collector, I used one of my Moleskin notebooks, which was alright, but it really makes a difference, especially for the novice to use an actual bullet journal. The difference is in the functionality. A bullet journal already sections off the Future Log and Index pages for you, and the dotted grids are a helpful focus point when you’re writing and thinking.

What I love about bullet journaling and how it’s working for me:

Unlike my digital life, it keeps me focused in a straight line. My attention is to one detail, as opposed to five other things that pop up on a screen or scroll feed.
It has a beginning, a middle and an end. At the end of each month, I can see, track my activities, ideas and can start to understand certain elements that needs improvement or editing.
I’m organizing my projects better into a more streamlined process.

If you’ve been wanting to start bullet journaling and need clear, thoughtful instructions with good visuals, I put my trust in YouTube vlogger Rowena Tsai. She’s normally my go-to for organizational, spiritual and all things wellness mixed w/ambition, so naturally her “How to Bullet Journal For Beginners” tutorial is all you need.