The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future

On my top ten reads
So much more than I was expecting. I was ready for a book giving organizational wisdom and tricks. This was so much more in depth. From covering the how and giving a great framework for building a very easily adaptable organization tool, this book delves into the why. Some of the sagest life advise in short easy to read chapters. Thought-provoking, distilled information that offers advise on how to really look at what’s important to ourselves as individuals and plan to attain what is meaningful one small step at a time.I’m a pretty organized guy, I’ve had people ask me to teach them how I’m able to accomplish what I do in a given day. I’ve been more productive in the past 2 months since reading this than ever before. My long term and short term goals are better aligned with what my soul really craves and I’m generally more at peace. Kudos to Ryder on this amazing system, and even more so on his life philosophies.

Organize your chaos in your own way!
Awork colleague recently tipped me off to bullet journaling. Ok, truth be told, she tipped me off to it a year ago when it transformed her life. My work environment was pretty well organized at the time and remains so; thus, I passed on her tip. About one year later, she brought it up in another context, but this time I bit the bait because I have felt the need to get my personal life in better order. Therefore, I bought this book along with one bullet journal to get started. Ryder Carroll’s book gives any reader the tools and inspiration to get started for whatever purpose they need to bullet journal.I’m a writer by nature, but journaling has never played a huge place in my life. At times, I’d write my emotional thoughts down just to get them expressed, but it’s never been a daily discipline. Now, however, I find that many lives depend on mine, whether at work, in my family, or in charitable opportunities. Being organized so that things aren’t dropped has become crucial. Electronic planners don’t work as well outside of work because I want to get away from screens on weekends.Enter bullet journaling. I’ve started to keep a list of big tasks that I want to get done in the next three months and divided them up in achievable chunks. Not only will this give me a running log of my life, something Carroll highlights, but it also allows my mind to become unburdened by repetitive items. Thus, my energy can be freed up to approach new tasks instead of remembering older ones. Carroll explains all such potential benefits in the book.Carroll doesn’t just explain how he personally uses it; rather, he explains how all sorts of people have been using it through seminars he’s led. Thus, the message isn’t just from one person’s brain but from a chorus of people gaining benefit. Befitting today’s world, bullet journaling is highly customizable and personalizable. It also expedites entries so that those journaling don’t have to write expansive prose to register their thoughts. In fact, I found the myriad of shorthand techniques one of the most helpful parts of the book!Almost anyone has some domain in their life that they can improve. Most of the time, no one book, class, or expert can fill in all the gaps for a given task. Life is complicated and requires a customized approach from each individual. Bullet journaling offers a method to begin to prevail over complex problems. In our age of too much information, overcoming complexity is something we all need. I certainly do. That’s why I’ve started to record my diverse but rich life in my own journal.As an postscript, the official bullet journal (a separate item) isn’t required for Carroll’s work. It’s nice but much more expensive than generic options. Other bullet journals fit the bill for a much lower price. Carroll himself admits such in the Frequently Asked Questions. Save yourself a few bucks, and buy someone else’s version.

The book is not necessary to bullet journal but I found it motivational and clarifying as a beginner to this excellent way of journalling.

📝it’s interesting that I read this book right after reading “Make Time.” The Bullet Journal Method points out that we can’t make time—we can only take it. Although we can’t create more time, we can improve the quality of the time we use.This book not only teaches you how to bullet journal but, more importantly, provides insights into why you should do it and how it will benefit you.It will teach you about setting goals, focusing not on pursuing happiness but rather on meaningful tasks and objectives.A must read for those struggling with time management and consistency.✍️ My Top 3 QuotesIn the end it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years. – Abraham LincolnWe must take it upon ourselves to grow. We grow by learning. And we learn by daring to take action. There will always be risk because we can’t control the outcome. This is the way of life and it’s unavoidable. What is avoidable however is being perpetually haunted by all the things that could have been if you have only dared. Begin by giving yourself permission to believe you’re worth the risk. – p.129f Happiness is the result of our actions then we need to stop asking ourselves how to be happy. Rather we should be asking ourselves, How to be. – p.141

I watched one of Ryder’s videos on YouTube before going on a rabbit hole of bullet journaling. I have been doing planner-ing and journal-ing in different ways, both digital and physical. I’m hoping to put BuJo to practice and see where it takes me.