The Subtle Art of Bullet Journaling
People like to think they can remember everything. We are wrong.
The brain cannot be trusted to hold onto more than a few thoughts at a time.
Which, when combined with the busy style of modern life and the tendency to try and multitask, can become a major problem.
But don’t worry, the bullet journal is here to save you (and your day).
A bullet journal can be used for every step of a project, from brainstorming to the desired outcome, or simply to keep a list of the lists you need to make.
Here’s how to get started:
#1 Time to Categorize
People try to get organized by creating a list of unspecified tasks.
These tend to contain a mixture of projects, notes, and reminders, which get muddled and only served to remind you of how overwhelmed you are.
Instead of doing this, organize your information into three categories:
Next Action, which describes the physical tasks
Projects, which are anything with more than one action step
Reference Material, like articles or images you have saved
Many things on your to-do lists are probably projects in disguise, which require more than one action.
By only having the project lists, you are forcing your brain to keep working to fill the space between the outcome and how to get there.
#2 More Than One List
Yes, more than one. Group items according to how they need to be completed.
For example, an errand list allows you to get them all done in one go.
Keep a daily log of everything that needs to get done, but make sure you sort these tasks into appropriate lists.
Now, take your current to-do list and sort it based on steps 1 and 2 to see how confusing it actually is.
#3 Check-in With Yourself
Now that you've started on your bullet journal, it is important to reflect.
Do it today, as you sort your current tasks, and continue from there.
As you go, you will begin to understand your projects and your days better and can apply this to be more productive in your lists.