I’ve been bullet journaling since September 2016 and have learned a lot since then. I recently flipped through my first bullet journal and cringed at the sight of it.

Before starting my “official” Bullet Journal (blank pages and all), I adapted the bullet system as described by Ryder Carroll in my then-current planner. I moved to a blank notebook after I realized that the system is what would work best for me.

Here’s what my first September layout looked like.

Now, I have absolutely NOTHING against colorful spreads but what the heck was I thinking?! I was probably intimidated with all the journals that I’ve seen on Pinterest. I had a clear vision of what I wanted in my monthly spread but it was NOT this. I hated my first monthly layout because I felt it was too loud and it did not speak for who I was as a person.

My dailies weren’t all that different. I used the rapid logging note-taking system, which is great. This was efficient but I still tried to decorate with all the banners and even color coding each per week.

So if you asked me ONE thing I’d change when I first started, I’d say…

I wish I had kept it simple. Why?

I was concerned that if I did it as straightforward as Ryder’s, my journal would be “boring” or “too plain” and that might discourage me from writing on the journal. And also, it was a $20 notebook and I wanted to do something extraordinary with it.

• Read: Bullet Journaling in 2018+, A Few Tips

1. Drawing and coloring those banners in took up some time

Banners and faux calligraphy are cute and all but it takes time to draw those things. I use my bullet journal mostly for work and sometimes, you come in to work and you’re in back-to-back meetings. When that happens, the only way for you to get started with writing notes in your bullet journal is just to write the date then rapid log away.

2. I might have written more on my bullet journal while at work had it been less colorful.

My colorful bullet journal made me self-conscious about my notebook. I’m sure that the bright colors may or may not have caught the attention of my colleagues passing by my desk. I don’t really mind them taking a peek but the peeking eventually leads to people reading my journal without my permission. Because of that, I would always keep my notebook closed. Sometimes I even miss a few tasks just because my task list wasn’t in my line of sight. I feel that probably wouldn’t have happened if it were much simpler.

The minimalist style of bullet journaling fits my personality more. I love clean lines. I love muted and pastel colors.

I Don’t Have Regrets

Bullet Journaling is a process. We were given guidelines but we weren’t told to follow it to the letter. In mid-September of 2016, I wanted to – get this – buy another notebook and rewrite everything. But no. I stuck with it and decided to use it as a learning experience. I evaluated my September monthly and since Ryder’s monthly log didn’t work for me, I changed it in October. You can change your style whenever you want and that is truly the beauty of the Bullet Journal system. No ragrets regrets! 

Lessons Learned

1. Bullet Journals on Instagram/Pinterest are only nice to look at
2. Don’t be pressured to have “nice layouts” – that is not the point of bullet journaling. You don’t have to be creative to start a bullet journal!
3. Start with the basics
4. Review your journal after each month
5. Revise your style/method (or if the original system works for you, stick to it)