You can personalize the notebook a bit, however. For example, if you love the color blue, invest in a blue notebook. You don’t have to stick to lined notebooks. You could work with dotted notebooks, grid notebooks, and blank notebooks! It’s all up to you!
You can write in pen or pencil, and your chosen color. A pen may show up better, however, and darker colors are generally easier to read.
Use a ruler to draw three straight lines across the spread, dividing it into three equal sections on each page.
Write page numbers on the corners of each page. As your future log in your first section, the page numbers should be one and two. Flip back to your index and write something like, “Future Log . . . 1-2. "
On the left page, write down every date of the month. After you finish, write down the abbreviation of the day of the week next to the number. For example, you would write “January 1st, Sun. " On the right page, jot down your task list for the month. Using bullet points, make a list of all the goals you hope to complete, any bills you have to pay, and any deadlines you need to meet. For example, you would write things like “Pay the cable bill,” and “Complete draft of term paper. "
A bullet journal is meant to be brief, so use short, simple sentences. For example, do not say, “Today, I called the vet to discuss the cat’s vaccinations, including the rabies vaccines that is due. " Instead, simply write, “Called vet to ask about cat’s vaccinations. Rabies due. "
For example, creative goals could be signified with a star. Work could be signified by a simple bullet point. Hobbies could be signified by an arrow. Bills could be signified by a small dollar sign, and personal could be signified by a heart. As you track your goals on your daily calendar, use your signifiers. For example, an entry may look something like, “$ Paid Cable Bill today. "
For example, you could write headings like “Weight and Fitness Goals,” “Deadlines and Due Dates,” “Work Goals,” and “Creative Goals. " From there, write down tasks under their corresponding categories. Under “Weight and Fitness Goals,” for example, you could write something like, “Visit the gym 12 times this month. "
For example, if a coworker suggests a book, write that down in the “Books to Read” section of your collections page. When you’re choosing a new book, flip back to this section to remember the recommendation.
Remember to make use of your signifiers as you fill out your journal.
However, you do not need to transfer all your tasks to the next month. If you see a task that’s no longer worth your time or that is too late to complete, cross it out. This will help you stay organized by trimming down unnecessary information.
For example, break down your thesis into small goals and jot them down in your future log. In February, you would write “Complete draft” and in March write “Revise draft. "
For example, if a long-term goal is to be able to run 30 minutes without stopping, for one month, you may write, “Increase running time to 15 minutes. "
