Are Bullet Journals A Waste Of Time? How To Bullet Journal When You're Busy AF

If keeping a bullet journal takes more time than it saves, the way you're using it may need to change.

Instagram and Pinterest are full of carefully drawn weekly pages, brush lettering, and coordinated themes. They're enjoyable to look at, but they can make a decorated spread seem like part of the basic method.

For some people, the notebook is also an art project.

I enjoy drawing and making things, so that appealed to me.

I hoped my journal would give me more room for creativity while keeping my plans together.

After several Sundays spent preparing the next week's pages, I struggled to keep up. The layout was taking time I wanted to use elsewhere.

The line about overcooking a steak in Raging Bull came to mind: "It defeats its own purpose."

A simpler way to bullet journal

The difficulty was expecting the same notebook to be a creative hobby and an efficient planning tool every week.

I had approached it that way, and I had written about it that way too.

Even after reading the instructions on bulletjournal.com, I still felt that my pages needed to be a finished piece of art.

I had paid more attention to the appearance than to the method.

The Bullet Journal method gives you a way to record, review, and decide what deserves your attention.

You can use it on a plain page. Decoration is a separate choice.

Begin with daily logging

The terminology can sound more complicated than the first step needs to be.

Write today's date, then add brief notes for tasks, events, and things you want to remember. I also include significant moments from the day.

Some days need five lines; others need a page or more. Leaving the layout open gives the day room to take its own shape.

Read the list and choose what needs your attention first.

Mark a task with an X when it's finished. My guide to rapid logging and Bullet Journal symbols explains the other marks.

Reviewing your notes can help you notice which tasks mattered and which you kept moving forward without a clear reason.

Try a plain daily log for a few days and see whether it's useful. You can change the approach if it adds work rather than helping.

Add a monthly log or a tracker when you have a reason to use one. There's no need to build every kind of page at the beginning.

When you want a weekly view

A weekly view may suit you better, especially when appointments, classes, or work shifts shape the week.

A vertical weekly planner gives each day a column, with space for brief notes underneath fixed plans.

Keep the details you enjoy

If you like colour and illustration but don't want to draw a layout every week, try ready-made planner pages. Look for a design you enjoy and enough space for the notes you actually write. Etsy is one place to browse.

Start by removing the parts of the setup you don't use.

Then try a plain daily log or a prepared weekly page, depending on how you like to see your plans.

Choose the format that helps you remember, decide, and make room for your day. You can enjoy a beautiful notebook without making its upkeep another obligation.