Mastering the Bullet Journal: Monthly Log

As the month nearly comes to a close, it is just fitting to discuss more about the Monthly Logs for this edition of Mastering the Bullet Journal.

Choose your layout – timeline form or full calendar form?

Monthly layouts come in different forms and it all boils down to one’s preference. Originally, the Bullet Journal Monthly Log uses a “timeline” layout – in linear form. It was because it’s quicker to create compared to a traditional calendar.

Ryder’s intention for the calendar part of the Monthly Log is really a space where you log a summary of your day. This design helps the bullet journalist keep the monthly log clear and concise and also leaves space for tasks on the other side of the spread.

This design will not work for some especially those who use their bullet journal primarily as a customizable planner. There are bullet journalists who prefer a monthly overview style (full calendar) rather than the timeline view. You can opt to do this as well if you find the timeline format counterproductive.

Your layout can change every month

You probably already know this but this is just a good reminder. You don’t have to stick to the monthly layout that you used last month if you feel that it won’t work for you in the next. If you anticipate that the next month would require you to write down all appointments in calendar format, then you should opt for the more complex calendar.

Try to write down (unsure) events AFTER they occur

One interesting thing that Ryder implemented in the Bullet Journal Method is the way he tracks his events. He prefers to write down events or activities in the monthly log after they occur. He believes that not everything is set in stone and views his Monthly Log calendar as a timeline.

This timeline is something your future self will often be grateful for, as it can provide a lot of clarity and context–it shows you exactly what you focused on in a given month by highlighting precisely when it actually happened.

Ryder Carroll, The Bullet Journal Method

Make entries clear and concise

The monthly log was intended to act as a summary of your month. It’s the page that you can refer back to and easily find the important notes and events that occurred in a month. You don’t have to be extremely detailed here because the details should be written down in your daily (or weekly) logs.

If you want to keep a tracker, keep it at a minimum

A tracker can be used to monitor habits that you’re trying to keep or eliminate. It can easily be incorporated in a monthly log – especially when coupled with the timeline format. All you need to do is to create 1-3 columns (depending on how much you intend to track), create labels, and mark each cell/square with an X (when completed) once you’ve completed the task in a day.

Speaking of numbers, should you decide to use a habit tracker of some sort, try to keep it to at most three items. You only need to track what adds value in your life.

You don’t need a cover page

A lot of bullet journalists have a monthly cover page. If you have explored Pinterest and YouTube for bullet journal inspirations, you are already aware of this.

A cover page is not an essential part of your bullet journal. You can move on to the next month without this.

Don’t forget to use signifiers

When you create your Monthly Log’s Calendar, allot a couple of spaces before you write the date. Use these spaces in case you need to mark a specific date with a signifier. Signifiers will help you in the future so that you can easily scan through your Calendar page.

Read: Mastering the Bullet Journal: Bullets, Keys, and Signifiers

Always Migrate Your Tasks

When you start your monthly logs each month, make sure to go back to the previous month and scan your pages to look for open tasks. You might find some in the previous month’s primary task page or you might find even more in the daily logs. There is always a chance that you might have left some tasks that weren’t completed for some reason.

To migrate, you must first assess your open tasks from the previous month. If the task is irrelevant, strike it out. However, if they are still worthy of your time in the next month, write it down (migrate) in your Monthly Log’s Tasks page and then mark the old entry with a “>” (migrated).

There are also alternatives to simply rewriting the task in the Tasks page.

1. If it’s time-specific (let’s say it is a task that’s due in the next couple of months), write this task or event in your Future Log. Mark the old item with “<” (scheduled)
2. If you have an existing Collection (or “spread”) that the task fits into, migrate it to that collection and mark the old entry with a “>” (migrated)
3. If some tasks have a common topic, create a collection page and write each of them down. Again, mark old entries with a “>“