Bullet Journal 2025 as an absolute Beginner

Contents

1. Analog vs. Digital
2. Getting Started
3. The Journey
4. My Conclusion

Analog vs. Digital

I’ve always been fascinated by pen and paper. Maybe it’s the fascination of analog technology when everything around you is becoming more digital. Somewhat unusual for a software developer, considering the amount of digital productivity tools available. But over the years, I’ve tried various tools from time to time. Whether for work on software projects or in my personal life. Yet none of them ever really stuck with me.

My last attempt was Todoist . A truly great app that I still use for quickly capturing tasks or notes. The natural language recognition for dates is incredibly helpful. But when it came to actually completing tasks, it didn’t make me much more productive than before. Quite the opposite, actually. When I unlocked my phone to capture or complete a task, I usually got lost in my notifications. That doesn’t mean tools like that don’t work, of course. I personally just get distracted too easily by other things. And if my to-do lists are on the same device where I also do and consume many other things, I’ll never be able to work productively with them.

During a trip to the library in early January 2025, the book “The Bullet Journal Method” by Ryder Carroll caught my eye. Out of curiosity, I took the book with me and devoured it in no time. At first, I didn’t plan to start a Bullet Journal. The mere thought rather stressed me out. I didn’t even have a notebook. Nor any decent pens. Who still needs those nowadays? Especially as a software developer.

Getting Started

What ultimately convinced me was the flexibility. I watched some videos of people showing their Bullet Journals. They had built the most beautiful Habit Trackers, Mood Trackers, Goal Lists or Bucket Lists. The selection was huge. To be honest, the sheer amount of information was overwhelming. On top of that, there’s the effort of using all of it every day. But there’s no need to use all these lists. And somehow the motivation had caught me. So I decided to just give it a chance. I ordered a Bullet Journal from Scribbles That Matter (which I can highly recommend) and got started shortly after.

My initial collections were the following:

• Future Log
• Monthly Log
• Habit Tracker
• Sleep and Mood Tracker
• Daily Log

So alongside the “standard” collections, I started with two additional ones to track my habits, mood, and sleep quality. I did this primarily for one reason: because in recent months I’d never had truly good sleep. I wanted to track changes and figure out which habits affect my sleep quality.

The number of collections is perhaps small compared to other people’s Bullet Journals. But for me, it’s perfectly sufficient to start with. You shouldn’t copy everything you see. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that the Bullet Journal helps you. The trackers I chose actively help me, which is why I don’t see them as a burden to use daily. I’m pursuing a goal with them. If you only track something because others do it, you’ll quickly become frustrated. I think that’s also the most important insight I’ve gathered from my Bullet Journal so far. Every Bullet Journal is individual. Design it however you want. And don’t be afraid to abandon things that don’t work for you.

The Journey

Since then, I’ve used my Bullet Journal every day. I start in the morning by reviewing my Monthly Log and transferring open tasks to my Daily Log for the day. Then I log my habits from the previous day, if I haven’t already. And finally, I record my sleep quality and mood on a scale of 1-5. The whole process takes maybe 2 minutes. But it gives me some time to reflect on the previous day and plan the current one. The most important factor for me is writing on paper. It helps me to focus. On my computer or phone, I get distracted by other things far too quickly. The analog aspect of the Bullet Journal always feels very meditative to me. My Bullet Journal can’t call me or send me notifications.

Throughout the day, new tasks may come up, or I capture thoughts in the form of notes. The structure is deliberately very loose for me. If I find something important, I write it in the Bullet Journal. At a later point, I can think about that note in peace. But for the moment, it’s safely stored and out of my head. The whole thing is essentially the “Capture” step from the Getting Things Done method by David Allen.

Sometimes notes or ideas lead to new collections. When I’m reading a book, I often create a collection for that book where I jot down notes about it. That’s naturally more interesting for non-fiction. But I always know exactly where I can write things down. My Bullet Journal is something like a Commonplace Book for me.

My Conclusion

The greatest benefit of the Bullet Journal for me personally is the ability to look back at the past. While in most to-do apps tasks disappear once they’re completed, I can still see completed tasks in my Bullet Journal months later. In a time where you’re bombarded with new tasks and information every day, this look back helps me immensely. It shows me everything I’ve already accomplished and why I can be proud of myself. I can see what I’ve experienced, and perhaps I even noted what emotions it made me feel. My Bullet Journal gives me a sense of mindfulness for the present moment and what has been.