Home » 5 Bullet Journaling Myths…Debunked!

5 Bullet Journaling Myths…Debunked!

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

Bullet Journaling. It’s taking the pages of blank notebooks by storm everywhere.

Perhaps you’ve caught the bug like I have. Or perhaps you’ve spied some of the pretty pictures of bullet journal pages decorating your Instagram feed. Or maybe you’re thinking,

“Hold up, Lauren. What in the world is a bullet journal?”

Well, friend, imagine one notebook that can hold your day planner and to-do lists and goal charts and family memories all in one. It sounds too good to be true, right?

That is a bullet journal. And I can personally attest that True-with-a-capital-T.

“How?”

You see, a bullet journal is whatever you want it to be because it’s customized just by you. Your bullet journal starts out as a blank notebook, and you’re the one to map out your layouts. You decide what your calendar looks like. You’re the one to claim a two-page spread for your ever-growing book list. You’re the one to figure out what kind of chart would motivate you most for exercising regularly. Or if you should skip it altogether because it would just stress you out. You’re the one designing an organizational system that fits your life right now.

And when your life changes next month? Your bullet journal changes with you. It’s adaptable like that.

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

Addressing the Myths

But if I know the human heart, I know that we’re quick to believe the myths telling us we’re not capable of such greatness. Maybe the thought of designing a bullet journal freaks you out because you feel like you’re not creative enough. Or you don’t have time for that sort of thing. Or you wouldn’t know where to even start.

I get it. I know those excuses because I’ve been there myself.

But here’s what I also know: bullet journaling has changed my life.

Becoming a mama to our sweet daughter Juniper back in 2016 flooded our lives with such joy, but it also threw any semblance of an organizational system out the window. It was bullet journaling that became my metaphorical life jacket as we’ve navigated the often choppy waters our new lives as a family of three. Here’s how:

  • Bullet journaling has made me more productive with my limited work time.
  • It has motivated me to stay on track with physical and spiritual wellness goals.
  • It has brought me new creative energy.
  • It has helped me stave off anxiety by giving me a safe space for recording tasks and to-dos rather than letting them cycle around in my head.
  • And the biggest win–my bullet journal has helped fostered a spirit of gratitude in my heart for the simple joys of each new day.

Photographic evidence:

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

Bullet journaling has been a real life-changer for me. And I wanted to address head-on the common myths about bullet journaling because my experience defies those myths.

And if my story allows even just one person to discover that bullet journaling is the metaphorical life jacket they’ve been waiting for–but just didn’t believe was possible–well then that’s a blog post worth writing.

Dear reader, if you have doubts about bullet journaling, but you’re open to those doubts being dashed? Well, then this post is for you. Read on, rockstar.

MYTH #1: “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

I hear ya. This is probably the top objection I hear when a friend asks to flip through my bullet journal.

Yes, sometimes I’ve spent hours at a time, getting lost in designing a new bullet journal layout or practicing my hand-lettering or planning out a new month with a unifying theme like my “Camper Adventure” September.

But that time doubled as art therapy for me. It’s something I would be doing with a bullet journal or not. And if that excites you, and you do have a free afternoon to play in your bullet journal with more intricate layouts, go for it! When you don’t, opt for simpler layouts.

I often skip days when my schedule is jam-packed, and I don’t feel guilty about it. Because my bullet journal is there to work for me, not against me.

Also, once I find a layout design that works perfectly for me (like I have with my weekly set-up pictured below), then I duplicate it. No need to reinvent the wheel.

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

Here’s something else I’ve found: the time I put into my bullet journal is time I get back because I’m not forgetting important tasks. And I’m not procrastinating big projects when I use my bullet journal to pre-plan every step along the way. I’m not digging around in my purse trying to find that post-it note with my shopping list. Or looking on the calendar on my phone and getting distracted by checking my email and social media and…you know how it goes.

So. Much. Time. Saved.

And because of how my brain is wired, there’s also something that happens during the process of physically mapping out my days in pen on paper. I actually remember what I wrote down whereas somehow everything vanishes from my head the moment I type into our family calendar on the Cozi app.

I’m also more motivated to complete a task when I have a box I can physically fill-in with my pen. I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I write out a task after it has already been completed simply for that thrill. {Grin.}

So, if you’re a visual or kinesthetic learner like I am, bullet journaling may surprise you by being your time-saver, helping you remember your to-dos and giving you a kick in the pants to git’ er’ done.

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

MYTH #2: “Only a crazy person would set up her own planner when she could buy one instead.”

Now, I bet there are some of you out there who have found a planner system that works just swimmingly. And to that I say, great! Keep on keepin’ on, girlfriend.

But if you’re like me, maybe you’ve tried lots of different planners, all promising to be an all-in-one solution to your organizational needs, only to give up on it after a few months or even weeks because it doesn’t have a layout that works quite how your brain does. Or because what worked for you in January is no longer working for you when you had a job change in April. Or because your handwriting is too big for those tiny boxes. (Anyone else in the big handwriting club? “Bueller? Bueller?”)

This is my favorite-favorite-favorite thing about bullet journaling. And why I jumped on the bandwagon in the first place.

Because I’m the one deciding whether I need a monthly, weekly, or daily calendar…or all three.

Because I can change it up from month to month based on what’s working and what’s not.

Annnnd because I no longer to have a planner and post-its for lists and an exercise chart on the kitchen fridge and a separate journal for my sermon notes.

My bullet journal houses all of them. And it fits in my purse, so I can bring it with me wherever I go. Fellow Tolkien nerds, think of your bullet journal as “One Ring Notebook to Rule Them All.” {Grin.}

At the end of the day, my bullet journal beats out any organizational system I could buy because it can adapt with me as my needs and preferences change. And that makes it priceless in my book.

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

MYTH #3: “You need to be an artist to bullet journal.”

It’s easy to feel intimidated by the gorgeous bullet journal pages out there on Instagram, suggesting you need to be a professional artist to bullet journal. But if you return the roots of the bullet journal movement, you’ll quickly learn otherwise.

Ryder Carroll is the genius behind the bullet journal, and after watch the how-to video on his website, you’ll see that his approach is very plain and simple. A bullet journal does not need to be a work of art. There’s a real beauty to minimalist layouts done in black pen.

In fact, my first bullet journal looked just like this. I chose not to use color and I didn’t take any photos of my pages for my first year of bullet journaling because I didn’t want to put any added pressure on myself. I thought that I needed to keep it as simple as possible in order to stick with it.

So if doodles or color stresses you out, skip it. But if playing around with hand-lettering or colored pencils or watercolors feeds your soul, then have fun unleashing your inner artist.

I will say that I’ve really enjoyed the process of getting more creative with my layouts since starting my second bullet journal in August 2017. It has not been stressful like I imagined it would be. It has actually helped me de-stress.

If you’re in need of some creative inspiration for your bullet journal, I encourage you to dig into the hashtags #bulletjournal and #bujo on Instagram. (P.S. “bujo” is a clever lil’ nickname for “bullet journal”.) You’ll be astounded by the variety of designs and styles out there. And once you find an idea that you’re excited to try, use it as a jumping off point for your bullet journal pages.

INSIDER TIP: anytime I come across a bullet journal page I like on Instagram, I just use the little bookmark icon to save it to a private collection only I can see. You can access your collections from the same bookmark icon on your profile.

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.
Image by @KalynBrookeCo / Screenshots of my @LaurensPlannerPages account

Here are just a few of the collections I’ve created for myself:

  • lettering inspiration
  • monthly spreads
  • weekly spreads
  • daily spreads
  • task list inspiration
  • health inspiration (pictured below)
  • habit trackers
  • mood log inspiration
  • gratitude log inspiration

And if you share a photo of one of your layouts that found its inspiration in someone else’s bullet journal spread, give ’em a shout-out by tagging them in your caption. Not only will you give credit where it is due, but it’s pretty much guaranteed to make that person’s day.

To close this myth out, remember, our inner critic tries to hold us back from new endeavors like bullet journaling by feeding us the lie that we’re not “enough”–not creative enough or not neat enough or not organized enough.

But you’ll find the greatest freedom in your bullet journaling when let your truest self spill onto the pages. Be that through full color layouts or black-and-white. Be that through intricate layouts or the simplest of ones. Be that with neat handwriting or messy scribbles.

You do you. Unapologetically. Your bullet journal will serve you better as a result.

MYTH #4: “Bullet journaling requires fancy supplies.”

Despite my craft-hoarder tendencies, I am a firm believer in using what you have. Especially when you’re first starting off with bullet journaling. The pressure to have “all the fancy supplies” can hold you back from just diving in.

Don’t let it.

All you need to get started with bullet journaling is a blank notebook and a pen. And if you’re getting real wild {wink}, throw a pencil and a ruler in there.

In fact, there’s a quote by Theodore Roosevelt on a page in my bullet journal to offer us some encouragement on this subject:

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

After playing around with bullet journaling and getting the basics under your belt, you may want to try out some of the supplies you see your heroes from the bujo community using. Here are a few of my favorite supplies for bullet journaling, and they include budget-savvy options. Some of these are affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase after clicking through, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Thinking Closet.

N O T E B O O K S

The Leuchtturm1917 and Moleskin are considered the “gold standard” in dotted notebooks for bullet journaling, both coming in at around $20 a pop. However, the Peter Pauper Press Essentials Grid Notebook is also highly recommended and comes in at half that price. The dot-grid allows you to map out layouts and lettering without the need for a ruler. However, my two bullet journals have both been *regular lined notebooks, and they have served me just fine. To start, use what you have.

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

P E N S

I invested in a set of Micron pens in 16 colors ($27) when I started Bible Journaling, and they have been great fun to play with in my bullet journal. I also love using my 4-pack of black FaberCastell PITT Artist pens ($10), which is very popular in the bullet journaling community. Both sets have very minimal bleed-through, are waterproof, and mine have yet to run out after regular use. However, they’re not by any means necessary for bullet journaling. You can always use a favorite pen that you have on hand.

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

M A R K E R S

If you’re keen on adding bold splashes of color to your bullet journal pages, then the Tombow Dual Brush Pens are where it’s at (19 for $19). You get a fine tip and brush tip with these bad boys, and they’re great for growing your brush lettering skills. They even come with a blending brush so you can achieve that sweet ombre effect. However, you’ll be amazed at how much you can do with Crayola Supertips. You get 100 colors for only $15. My set has lasted me a decade.

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

O T H E R   F A V O R I T E S

When I pre-draw my layouts in pencil first, my Derwent Eraser Pen ($7) makes the erasing process a dream. Yep, this is an eraser you hold like a pen, and it’s probably my favorite utensil because of how practical it is.

My Sakura Watercolor Field Set with Brush ($21) has served me well, and despite being travel-size, it packs quite a punch with a wide variety of 24 different colors. It also comes with a refillable Koi water brush, so you have everything you need to watercolor in your bullet journal. I just recommend using very little water to avoid bleed-through. Here’s a set of 36 colors for only $14 that also gets rave reviews.

Crayola Twistables ($8) are my colored pencils of choice because they go onto the page so smoothly, and the tips never break or need sharpening. Just twist ’em!

5 Bullet Journaling Myths...Debunked! For anyone on the fence with bullet journaling who feels like "I'm not creative enough" or "I don't have enough time" or "I wouldn't know where to start!"...this is the post that is going to empower you to dive into bullet journaling headfirst. Right. Now.

MYTH #5: “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

It’s overwhelming, right? There’s a lot of information on the internet about bullet journaling. It’s hard to know where to start.

If only there was a comprehensive bullet journaling guide that could break down exactly how to set up your journal for success from start to finish! If only it was written with gentle instruction and down-to-earth advice that made bullet journaling easy to understand and relevant to your life. If only…. {Wink.}

Never fear, comrade: Brainbook by Kalyn Booke is here!

Ever wish you had a best friend who could explain—in detail—exactly how to make bullet journaling work for your style and schedule, without taking a lot of time or effort? Kalyn Brooke will guide you step-by-step in her brand-new resource: Brainbook - Bullet Journaling Your Way to a More Organized Life

If I could recommend one person to walk you through the process of getting started with bullet journaling, it would be Kalyn Brooke. She’s the one who helped me initially catch the vision for the system and got me off on the right foot so I wasn’t overwhelmed, but rather empowered.

She has poured her heart, soul, and buckets of wisdom into Brainbook. And I know this because we’re in a Mastermind Group together that meets every other week over Skype. I’ve had the honor of witnessing firsthand how Kalyn’s passion for bullet journaling grew into a dream project, which grew into an epic 116-page guide that just hit the virtual presses this week called, Brainbook: Bullet Journaling Your Way to a More Organized Life.

Kalyn refers to her own bullet journal as her “brainbook,” because it’s like an extension of her brain, organizing all the information she needs on a daily basis in one place. So, naturally, she had to work that clever nickname into the title.

I mean, I knew Kalyn would create something magnificent (that’s just how she is). But she has left no stone unturned with this resource. Click over to the landing page to view all that it includes. And here’s a list of my favorite elements of Brainbook:

  • Over 90 color photos of Kalyn’s own bullet journal pages including a full flip-through. Visual learners, rejoice!
  • The series of brainstorming questions and nifty charts to walk you through the process of setting up your bullet journal so it makes sense for your brain.
  • Her creative ideas for covering up and even embracing mistakes. (As a recovering perfectionist, this really resonated.)
  • An entire chapter called “When you’re tempted to give up.” #RealTalk
  • The fact that this guide isn’t just for beginners. I’ve been bullet journaling for over a year and have a plethora of new ideas for layouts and methods I want to try right now. Thank you, Kalyn!

And for all y’all who just wish you had printable layouts to get you started or a companion guide of do-able designs for non-artists or access to a Facebook support group where you can ask questions and get organized alongside kindred spirits…well, um, yeah…she thought of that, too! And you have the option to nab three bonus resources along with your copy of Brainbook. Woot woot!

Ever wish you had a best friend who could explain—in detail—exactly how to make bullet journaling work for your style and schedule, without taking a lot of time or effort? Kalyn Brooke will guide you step-by-step in her brand-new resource: Brainbook - Bullet Journaling Your Way to a More Organized Life

To Close

Quick story to take us home:

I was working at a local coffee shop I frequent here in Orlando a few weeks back when I spied two women sitting at a table outside. The YouTube video they were watching caught my eye: it was a bullet journal! And then I realized they were in the process of setting up their brand new journals together. They were bullet journal besties! How fun is that?

That scene was such a beautiful reminder to me that the blank page is a whole lot less scary when we have a buddy by our side to cheer us on. To embolden us to take a risk and try something new. Kalyn was that buddy for me. And now, I’m so very excited that she can be that buddy for you through Brainbook, cheering you on as you learn how to set up a personalized planning system that brings simplicity, productivity, creativity, and personal wellness to your life.

Click HERE to nab your copy.

Let’s bid those myths adieu once and for all.

{Fist bump.}

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*Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase after clicking through, The Thinking Closet may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Thanks for helping to support this site!

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7 Comments

  1. inspiring. My todo list is in a journal. has been for years. So, I guess I’ve been bullet journaling since before time. I do see some ideas here that I will use. Thanks. I can’t find time to make it as fancy, but your post here does open up ideas of how to record notes that I want to write into the journals that I’m creating for our Grandchildren and notes for a book on wisdom that I hope to hand down some day. Also, I often hear points that people make that I want to record and sometimes (because I tend to be wordy, like this comment lol, and post long notes) it discourages me from writing at all – then I miss recording them because I don’t have time to write a long note. I’ll try journaling my thoughts as bullet points. If it works for my todo lists, I’ll do the same with thoughts in a journal – thanks Lauren.

    1. Ha ha. The original bullet journaler! And I love that you’re giving your grandkids the gift of wisdom through the books you’re writing for them over the years. Wow. What treasures those will be! And way to set yourself up for success by embracing bullet points to help keep procrastination-from-perfectionism at bay. I need to do the same! Glad this post sparked some inspiration for you, Henry. Thanks so much for popping by! Hugs to the fam.

  2. Found myself nodding my head throughout this entire post! I’ve gotten the eye roll a few times when people ask to see my bullet journal, and I almost feel guilty for showing them because I know many of these myths are bound to pop up. But knowing just how much this system has changed my life helps me overcome the fear of being laughed at. Once others see how they can customize a notebook to support their life, they’re often hooked too. It really is that metaphorical life jacket you spoke of!!

    Thanks so much for sharing about Brainbook, my friend. I’m honored to have you think so highly of it. <3

  3. I clicked on the landing page link you provided for Kayln’s book and got the following error:

    “Your connection is not secure. The owner of landing.kalynbrooke.com has configured their website improperly.”

    I’d love to check it out, but getting a message like that really makes me leery of going to her site. Not sure if anyone else received that message, I just wanted to make you aware.

    1. Hey Cece! Sorry you ran into a snag. I double-checked, and the landing page was working for me in Google Chrome on my laptop, so trying a different browser may solve the problem. But if not, I went ahead and emailed you a video of her landing page, so you can check it out! And here are direct links to the two different packages available: The Starter Package & Brainbook. Hope that helps! I’m excited that YOU’RE excited.

  4. I love this- I keep trying to get myself started and I just may this time- My iphone was acting goofey and I almost saw my entire wunderlist files disappear- scary! I think its time to do hard copy again! THIS WAS motivating!

    1. I’m so glad you were inspired, Kelly! I know…I printed out all of the Facebook messages Mark and I wrote back and forth to each other while we were dating because I trust paper FAR more than the interwebs when it comes to what is most precious to us. Hope you have fun exploring the wonderful world of bullet journaling!

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