4 Things I Don’t Track in my Bullet Journal

There are just some things that I personally don’t find necessary to track in my bullet journal or there are some things that will work better on a spreadsheet or an app.

I have tried writing some of these on paper (I’ll mark when with a ✅) and after a few days/weeks with it, I abandoned it right away and moved it to a spreadsheet/app/notes on the cloud. The primary reason for migrating these lists/collection pages is that I already know that there’s a better system out there.

I am not against or looking down on those who do spreads on the items mentioned here. In fact, I like seeing how and why others prefer to track certain things on paper. But these are some things that do/did not work out for me.

• Read: Habit Tracking in Bullet Journal

1. Passwords ✅

• I have written passwords on my journal or a notebook in the past but they are usually shorthand for the new password (e.g. changed password on <site> to <todays_date>).  I have never kept a notebook nor maintained a Bullet Journal spread for passwords alone. While it will help you with memory retention, you won’t be able to access the information if you do not have said notebook at hand. I think this is also tough for people who constantly change their passwords and/or have very complicated passwords. With the number of websites we’re on these days and the number of devices we have at hand, it isn’t really ideal to store it in one database.
• Digital Alternative(s):
  • LastPass (app) – I have tried several password apps before such as Dashlane and OnePassword but I stuck with LastPass because I could sync my passwords in multiple devices. Dashlane has that feature but you would have to pay for it. OnePassword, on the other hand, last time I used it it didn’t support that feature. You can use my referral link if you want to try it: https://lastpass.com/f?34746952
  • iCloud Keychain (Apple) – I only use iCloud Keychain for selected websites because I’m still on the fence about the security of iCloud.

2. Finance

1. Credit Card ✅
   • I used to have a credit card tracker on my Bullet Journal because my younger sister is my supplementary card holder, which means she and I share the same credit limit. Unfortunately, our bank collates the credit card bill under my name and I can’t track it automatically. I created a bar graph on my bullet journal so that I can have an overview of who has spent more in the last few months. I also used the graph to have a projection of when I spend the most. It was useful for a time being but I found it tedious to draw the graph and fill in the colors. I also started a budget plan and the 52-week challenge.
   • Digital Alternative(s): Spreadsheet (Google Sheets). Since my sister shares the limit and she is required to pay for her own stuff, I use Google Sheets so that I can easily share the breakdown of the bill with my sister. I modified it a bit and added formulas that suited my needs
2. 52 week (money saving) challenge
   • I’ve seen the 52-week challenge on Pinterest and decided to take it up. As I was getting into it, I also noticed that some bullet journalists write theirs down in their planner. I wanted to dedicate a page for it as well just so that I have an overview of my progress in my notebook. However, the excel nerd in me decided against it. Writing it down (especially numbers) was too overwhelming for me and also, I was a bit paranoid that someone could easily peek in my bullet journal and  see my money.
   • Digital Alternative(s): Spreadsheet (yes, again). It’s really about the numbers and excel’s ability to sum everything up within a second.
3. Expenses
   • I have also contemplated on dedicating a page for my “leisure” expenses such as shopping or concert tickets. I do have a “no spend” column on my habit tracker – which means if I don’t do any leisurely spending, I get to tick that box. So anyway, I guess when it comes to numbers, I never really  trust myself going analog because I fear that I would never be able to maintain that page.
   • Digital Alternative(s): Spendee or Mint (app). They are incredibly useful especially for someone who always uses a credit card! You get to link your accounts (if available) or manually input your data (and even save a photo of your receipts). It has helped me stick to my tight budget and has also been part of my daily and weekly routine.

3. Period

• I asked my Instagram followers if they used an app to track their menstrual cycle in their bullet journal (because I’ve seen spreads like it before). 79% use an app and 21% track them in their bullet journal. I personally don’t have a dedicated page for my cycles because I will forget to track it for sure because sometimes I even forget to track in on my app. What I do have it just a marker on my monthly spread of my period days.
• Digital Alternative(s): Flo (app). Flo is a free app that’s easy to use. It predicts your next cycle and you can also log your moods, sexual activity, and symptoms. There are other apps available like Period Diary and Clue. I have tried all but I found Flow’s User Experience (UX) best out of the 3.

4. Sleep

• I’ve seen a few of these on my Instagram feed. I have been tempted to create a collection page for myself because they’re so aesthetically pleasing. As much as I want to, I don’t think it would be necessary for me because 1) my sleep is pretty consistent (usually 8 hours from 10pm/11pm) and 2) I don’t think I will be able to maintain the tracker.
• Digital Alternative(s): iOS Bedtime or Pillow (app). I’ve tried both apps but I gravitated towards Bedtime because it was already an in-house app. It reminds me when it’s time to go to bed and alarm goes off at the set time. Pillow is great! It can detect and track if you’re “In Bed” and “Asleep” – Bedtime is unable to detect when you’re just “In Bed”. I enjoyed using it but I had a difficult time including it in my night routine. With Pillow (at least during the time I was using it), you would need to leave the app running while you’re asleep.

There are certain advantages to writing things down, of course. When there is a more practical and a more efficient way of doing things, why not use that to your advantage?

What about you? What are the things that you’d rather leave in the digital space? Or are there things on my list that you do track? I want to hear your thoughts!