My Imperfect Bullet Journal

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All across social media are images of beautiful, perfect bujos, which can intimidate. To inspire you to start your own – here is my imperfect bullet journal.

I love browsing Pinterest and YouTube for beautiful bullet journal ideas. In fact, I have a whole board dedicated to ideas that I would like to try one day.

I started my bullet journal at the beginning of 2019. While writing this, I am just finishing up my 18th weekly spread. You would think that during this time, I would have been able to try out some of those amazing ideas that I had pinned.

But I haven’t.

Why? Because it is my imperfect bullet journal. Spreads do not always get filled out, lines are rarely straight… and I love it just the way it is.

As much as I love all the colourful spreads with beautiful doodles and decorations, it is not practical for me. I know that in this season of my life, I need to focus on the practical spreads that help me stay focused and reach my goals.

My Imperfect Bullet Journal

What makes a bullet journal perfect, in your opinion?

• Do the colours have to coordinate?
• Does it have to have a monthly theme?
• Perfect font and penmanship?
• Balanced spreads?

Sure, all of these things make a bullet journal beautiful but, for me, the perfection lies in the function.

I started exploring the bujo world because I couldn’t find a planner that worked for me. There were lots of different things I wanted to include but was not able to find the perfect planner that incorporated everything I wanted. I ended using multiple journals for one project and I really did not like that.

While searching YouTube, I stumbled upon a few bullet journalers who openly talked about their mistakes and issues with their journals. They laughed over their misnumbered calendars and wobbly lines.

I fell in love.

There was no need for perfection. An imperfect bullet journal could be perfect in its own special way.

Beauty In Simplicity

I appreciate the beauty in simplicity.

Whether we are talking about minimalism in my home, whole food ingredients four our meals, or simple and straight forward layouts in my bullet journal, simple is sometimes best.

Without clutter and distractions, I find it a lot easier to get done what I need to do.

There is nothing wrong with decorations – whether in your home or in your bujo. But if they do not bring you joy, then why have them? I wish I had the time and energy to focus on beautiful decorations. Perhaps one day I will be able to add these aspects to my journal but, for now, the beauty is in the simplicity.

Plan With Me

At the end of each month, I plan out the next month.

There are only a few spreads I set up each month. These spreads all serve a purpose and make my life easier. The main spreads I use every month are:

• Monthly overview calendar
• Content schedule with a brain dump and progress tracker (pictured above)
• Daily Gratitude
• Future Self
• Weekly Spreads
• Monthly Review

I do also have many collection spreads. These are set up as I need them and filled in as I go. If you want to learn more about my collections, let me know and I can share them!

Monthy Overview Calendar

I have a large wall calendar which tracks most of the important dates in our life – from birthdays to appointments.

Even with this calendar, I still like to have a monthly overview calendar in my imperfect bullet journal. This calendar acts as a cover page for each new month and I am able to make note of any important dates that correlate to what I am planning in my journal.

Content Schedule

The main purpose of this planner is to help schedule my blog and social media. In my content schedule, I plan out all the blogs and videos that need to go up on certain days. I also have a brain dump to be able to brain storm new ideas for future content.

I used to attempt social media tracking as well but I found it overwhelming. Currently, I am in the habit of posting consistently every day so I do not feel the need to track this.

Daily Gratitude

Daily gratitude is a habit that I have recently incorporated into my life. I feel it is very important to express gratitude.

I have a stream of conscious journal that I use to write my daily gratitude but I also add a line a day of daily gratitude related to my goals and dreams for my blog and social media growth.

Future Self

My future self page shares a spread with my daily gratitude.

At the beginning of every month, I take the time to write a letter to my future self. I reflect on what I want to accomplish in the coming weeks and express my feelings about the work I have done. This is designed to work in combination with my daily gratitude to help me reach my goals and manifest my dreams.

I shared a recent letter to my future self if you would like more details about how I write these.

Weekly Spreads

Weekly spreads can be such a personal thing. Some people like to change up their spreads every week but I am a creature of habit. My weekly spreads have stayed the same since February. I found a style that worked for me and I stuck with it.

It may not be pretty but it works exactly as I need it to in my imperfect bullet journal – practical and functional.

Monthly Review

The final spread I make each month is my monthly review.

I set 2 or 3 big goals with 3 actionable steps for each. As I go throughout the month, I check off the goals that I accomplish. At the end of the month, I can reflect on what I accomplished and analyze what I feel I can improve upon.

I would love to see what you are creating in your bullet journals and planners. Tag me on social media and let me know what your favourite spreads are in the comments below!