I used to spend hours on my weekly spreads, but now I just use a blank page and a pen.

For the first two years I bullet journaled, I felt like I had to make these perfect, decorated weekly layouts. I'd spend every Sunday night for like 45 minutes setting it up with rulers and mildliners. It started to feel like a chore. About six months ago, I just stopped. I flipped to a new page on Monday, wrote the date at the top, and started rapid logging my tasks and events. That's it. No boxes, no colors, no washi tape. My journal is way uglier now, but I actually use it every single day instead of dreading the setup. It feels like I'm finally using the system the way it was meant to be. Does anyone else keep their layouts super simple, or am I just being lazy?

3 comments

3 Comments

webb.blake1mo ago

Honestly, I bet the creator of bullet journaling would totally approve of this.

the_kai25d ago

The artsy side just makes the habit stick for some people. If it works for them, it's still a useful tool.

james_fisher811mo ago

Nah, Ryder Carroll would hate it. The whole point was a simple system to clear your head, not some arts and crafts project. People are out here spending hours on fancy hand lettering and watercolor doodles for a weekly spread. That's the opposite of the fast, practical logging he made. It's turned into a show on Instagram instead of a tool to help you focus.