March marked the official start of my bullet journal journey. I’ve wanted to give the system a try but was overwhelmed by all of the gorgeous, artsy journals on Instagram and Tumblr.
I decided to start a bullet journaling just to track my habits, moods and memories. I thought I’d keep it simple and it could be a new and creative way to document my life and time. Documenting my days has been something on my mind constantly for the past six months or so. It’s why I’ve started making videos and plan to put out a vlog style video at least once a month.
Since writing is my go-to method, a bullet journal seemed perfectly fitting.
I decided not to use it for daily or weekly planning, since I already had a system for planning.
I had no idea I would become so obsessed so quickly. It’s caused me to embrace the saying that done is better than perfect, doing is better than wishing and has simplified the way I plan and organize. I’m now using it for my weekly planning as well and so far, I’m loving it.
It’s also feeding my pen and stationary addiction at a new level.
Today, I want to share the tools that are helping me make bullet journaling happen. I’ve been getting tons of questions about it on Instagram since I started sharing little peeks of my planning on stories and in certain posts.
I keep my planning pretty minimal and incredibly functional. So the tools I use are pretty simple as well.
Starting with the notebook.
I’m using the Lemome dotted journal in size A5. I decided to go with this one instead of one of the more traditional bullet journal notebooks, like a Moleskin or Leuchtturm because it had great reviews at an amazing price point. If you watched my Amazon haul video, you saw me unbox it last month.
The paper quality is amazing, and I haven’t experience any bleeding on the pages even when I’m coloring in shapes or highlighting sections. I like to keep my plans, notes and lists as tidy as possible, so good paper quality was important to me.
It’s the perfect size for throwing in your bag and carrying on the go and doesn’t feel like a hassle to pack with me. No regrets with this purchase.
The pens and markers are definitely the most exciting part of bullet journaling (besides being incredibly creative and well organized, of course).
Here are the pens I’ve been using in my journal:
- Pigma Micron 02 – I love this fine liner for outlining, writing in thinner fonts and have used it the most of all of my pens.
- Sharpie Fine Point Pens – I use these every day as my go-to pen at home and at work, so it made sense to use them in bullet journal, too!
- Tombow Twintone Dual Tip Markers – I love that this has a bold and fine side, perfect for emphasizing notes or creating interesting header and section dividers. Definitely a new favorite.
- Zebra Mildliners – These are a bullet journal favorite across the web. You can’t go to an Instagram or plan with me video without seeing them, and I understand why. They have great color pay out, are dual tipped and are perfect for my planning needs.
- Stabilo Point 88 Fineliners – These are also pens I would use everyday that I decided to use in my bullet journal as well. They write really well, have great colors and a great price point!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just know that all you need to start a bullet journal is a pen and a notebook. Everything else is just an added bonus!
I’ll be sharing a plan with me video later this month on my YouTube channel, so make sure you’re subscribed!
Let me know any bullet journal questions you have, or posts you’d like to see on it!
Those pens are gorgeous!
Omg those Tombow Twintone markers……… gah.