I tried bullet journaling for 30 days

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Hi there 👋 If you're new to my videos my name is Matt D'Avella. I'm a documentary filmmaker, entrepreneur and KZbinr. I've made a couple documentaries for Netflix. I also teach courses on everything from filmmaking to habit change. If you like to nerd out about self-development as much as I do, you can subscribe for weekly videos.
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[@mattdavella]

Finally getting back into the 30 day experiments!! 🤓🔬 What should I try next??

[@ramasundar7463]

Trying to drink 8 glasses of water every day for 30 days

[@coachfelixyoutube]

Try gratitude for 30 days

[@coachfelixyoutube]

Try running for 5km every day for 30 days 🤣 I dare you

[@ShawnThings]

A gallon of water everyday

[@Fth42115]

Dopamine detox video...

[@ccristi08]

As soon as he started his setup, my fist thought was, "he's doing too much." It's not sustainable to start with an overwhelming system. It's better to start with the basics, and then add on things based on YOUR needs, and not just copy and paste someone else's set up. It's okay to get ideas and inspiration from other people, but the Journal should be a tool that facilitates YOUR life.

[@stephh_nz]

Agreed! I thought it was an overly complicated way to start… and a trap so many people fall into!

[@markyourpages]

Totally agree. I was like he isn’t being set up for success.

[@Ahsan_Karim]

Well said!

[@jacquihartman9356]

100% Matt you should have started with Ryder Carrol’s book...

[@Grimmlocked]

Hey! I resemble this remark.... it only worked once i threw away that first complex journal and just had a weekly callendar like i used to in gradeschool for assignments. then came a monthly callender, then a sleep tracker, then a monthly habit tracker.

[@evaldsand3406]

What i learned about bullet journaling - the easier the better. In the beginning i was trying to have complex layouts, trackers, lists etc. After a few years, i decided to keep it really simple and basic. And I noticed that i started to use it more. In the end it is a tool and should help you achieve more and not hinder and frustrate you😆

[@Jacob.Hammers]

After a couple years of bullet journaling I can confirm this. The best organisational tool is the one that works, so avoid disappointment by avoiding complex trackers etc... and prioritize making sure that the method works as a whole.

[@austi]

simply writing lists and paragraphs in my dotted journal has benefited me more efficiently than my simplest notion setups

[@sophie_FI]

Q

[@Stkejser]

Less is more ❤️

[@mary_samuelson]

Same. I use a pencil and only pull it out when I need it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@XxrazorxmintxX]

I wish people would start trying bujo with Ryder Carroll’s SUPER SIMPLE guidelines. In it’s most simple form: It’s a BULLETed todo list with symbols. Then he added the year at a glance and monthly sections for future planning but those were really simple list formats too. All those beautiful layouts you see like Amanda Rach Lee are great if you find enjoyment from decorating and journaling as an art form but really unnecessary to actually bullet journal. People get so caught up trying to make it look like a premade planner or to imitate what other ppl do that they loose the core functionality of bujo. It’s meant to be fast. It’s called “rapid logging” for a reason. Only add trackers or layouts if they actually serve you.

[@j.d.5709]

Yep I even simplified ryders version I don’t use a future or monthly log I literally just use the weekly/daily log view as a planner combined with digital tools. That’s it. Takes no real setup and can be done in minutes.

[@SirMopy]

@@j.d.5709 uh i actually gonna try this... coz i was using the future and monthly log less and less....

[@kezla]

Came here to comment something similar to this! Habit trackers and tons of box drawing and pretty cover pages aren't core features, and I think it's a shame that people think they need those.

[@henry7330]

Agree with all the above. Straight away i was like why is he creating these complex yearly and monthly planners and crazy habit trackers. I find the more pages (collections) that you have to turn backwards too the more tiresome the journal becomes. So much easier focusing on your daily and monthly log and a page with a broken down goal you are trying to achieve.

[@Megan-oy6oo]

Yes 👏🏻

[@daywhy8629]

This kinda shows how the much more visible “artsy” side of the Bullet Journal community drowns out the simplicity of the original system. Starting with basics and adding modules to solve your unique problems as they occur about as minimalist as it gets. I’d revisit this after referencing Ryder Carroll’s original methods and his logic behind it. Definitely not mean to be a precious system

[@saloni.sharma]

I absolutely agree with you. The whole idea of an artsy journal makes the process much complex than it needs to be. It might work for some people, but I definitely don't see any point in it if it is solely for productivity for busy professionals. I don't like the idea of making excessive layouts solely because others are making it either. Ryder Caroll himself never told people to follow everything he did rigidly or to get precious about how it looks. That was never the goal. I too think that the simpler and more customized to ones needs it is, the better.

[@LittlePrairieLibrary]

I am so upset that the artistic bujo community don't regularly point people back to the original method, because they need to know it's supposed to be simple.

[@markyourpages]

The thing is that his approach wasn’t even very artsy at all, it just wasn’t set up using the actual bullet journal method. I think that’s why it felt so overwhelming and overly complicated.

[@yonashira3853]

@@markyourpages totally agree with that. I know at least 10 people who didn´t even try because of that :(

[@user-ij9uk8tn8i]

I just came here to say the same. Bullet Journalling CAN be pretty and fancy but it doesn't have to be. For me, it's the organisation ideas behind it that makes it so brilliant. I just use a lined notepad and a pen. I only use the index and migrating ideas. I rarely bother with anything else. Ocassionally a tracker. I just quickly write the things I need, cross it out when I go wrong. For me it's NOT about being pretty. It's about keeping track of what I've got going on, and being able to find the info I need in the future.

[@projectrevival5914]

For anyone who wants to get into bullet journaling, please read the creator's book (Ryder Carroll). Huge fan of this channel but those elaborate spreads and all that work is the exact opposite of the actual bare bones method. Even Ryder's habit tracker is so beyond simple.

[@vivienecost]

4 HOURS to set up? To everyone thinking to start Bujo: DO NOT copy the layout of random people online. NEVER! Do the basic that Ryder Carroll teaches and after at least 2 months, you´ll start to see what would work better for you, them you search for inspiration in other layouts.

[@daivboveri]

Seriously. I have never used any of these complicated layouts. No monthly views, and if I did a habit tracker, I would never write each individual date. I just use the basic version from Ryder and move on with my life.

[@TG26]

the ryder carroll simple layout helped me get into bullet journaling. I was so stuck with those gorgeous bullet journals. Also, it feels like people don't really get it's not a to do list, but simple journaling to help taking 5 minutes to stop and reflect... not just an organisation tool.

[@thepissedofflandlord]

I've been using this system for a long time. But seriously the whole ethos behind rapid logging is so that you can organise things quickly and efficiently. If it slows you down you're doing it wrong. The longest it should take to set up should be 15 mins....maybe slightly longer if you have never done one before.

[@collinsmugodo380]

My monthly log and habit tracker are pretty much the same thing...i just write the month on top and number the dates all the way down...I might write key events like birthdays and bills down on their corresponding dates and then my habit tracker just takes up 3 or 4 rows of dots on the right side of the page...thats it. Takes 5 minutes max to set up...and I flip to it every day to track my habits so I'm always up to date with everything I need to be up to date with for the month

[@somewheredancing]

as a perfectionist who’s tried to start bullet journalling many times, i decided to try again following the original basic method (shown on the bullet journal youtube channel). so simple that i barely set anything up and just log in each day as it comes. some days take up 4 lines to log and some take up half the page. i use my journal to write tasks but mostly bullet point what you’d write in a regular journal. feelings/thoughts etc. if i make a mistake i accept it and try to fix it and i’ve successfully kept up with it daily for the last 6 months.

[@StateofFerg]

I agree. The original set up from Ryder Carroll is much more minimalist and doesn't make the BUJO an extra chore.

[@caro.-]

Yes! I also love things to be perfect, using a very inexpensive notebook helped me to just go for it. It wasn´t beautiful in the first place, so there is no way I can mess it up 😂

[@Bunkneehop]

I did the exact same thing. First time around I got too into making things "nice", but when I picked it up again I referenced the actual Bullet Journal book and it's so much easier and more manageable. Habit grids and pretty calendars are great, but it's not needed for the system

[@eclowe6594]

Recovering perfectionist here. I started doing something "wrong" on purpose in my setups. It takes the pressure off. Like I'll draw a line off center or draw just one without a ruler. Something like that. I do like having an artistic aspect to mine when I'm feeling up to it... But the last year or so most of my spreads have been similar to the original bujo method. Any time it feels like too much I go back to that. And any time I get bored I change it up a bit... Sometimes that change is as simple as using a different color pen. Other times it's more involved.

[@usvstudios]

Yep, looking at his video. I knew hed hate it early on. The fancy pretty journals are fun for some but for me I basically only do daily entries and its just a running list of days and tasks/notes. It helps me a ton.

[@CajunKoiAcademy]

It’s hard to start a new habit that also requires tracking because the tracking itself feels like a separate second habit. But bullet journaling has built in tracking which makes it nice. Great video!

[@aungthan1387]

love you guys

[@alyssasun6334]

did not expect to see Cajun koi under a Matt D’Avella video lmao

[@DustinShort]

As other's have said, the Ryder has ADHD and created the system to be incredibly flexible. Ignore the crafts folk that took over the bullet journal idea (they do great and beautiful work, but it's a huge fork from the spirit of the system). I use mine far more often now that I let it be messy. The single biggest thing for me, which you didn't even cover, was the index. Have a key for your entries and an index is the biggest boost to organization I've ever experienced. The only other thing I add is a simple MINIMALIST grid for the week (two vertical lines and two horizontal to make 7 days, nothing even remotely elaborate about it) so that my time blindness doesn't get too out of hand. I think most of your complaints wouldn't exist if you weren't comparing it to the gorgeous layouts that already organized people are able to produce.

[@MminaMaclang]

I think the problem is that we over obsess with the trackers and calendars and setups, and stuff like that. When I bullet journal, it's literally just notes. Schedule and highest order agenda on the left, notes of tasks and ideas on the right. I buy a journal like the hobonichi that already has the calendars and year at a glance pages pre-made.

[@raenbeau]

Yeah, in the beginning I would include a "month" view but it was just the dates written vertically down the page for big dates. That's it! I didnt realize the system had gotten so convoluted. At that point, Id just print out templates for the trackers/monthlies

[@stephanierosecarter]

You have to try the Ryder Carroll method before you give up completely! It's so minimal!! My first bullet journal was so similar to your one, but it's too much work so I stripped it back completely & I'm still going 4 years later. Currently, I have an inbox for tasks, and a page for each of my three goals that outlines the steps to achieve it. I also do a weekly overview, which has events, key tasks/deadlines & meals (I literally draw three lines to make it). Finally, a rolling daily spread. I don't bother with a monthly or future log and use a digital calendar.

[@TpyoQueen]

I'm so confused why is Ryder not in this??? You've interviewed him before, right????? There's an official community and he just made an amazing course. Bullet journaling is not drawing a planner like many on KZbin do. Oh geeze. My heart just sinks.

[@haveawonderfulday279]

Thank you for this comment. I've been using the system for over 6 years (still love it) and was shocked too!!!

[@IAmTheZombieGirl]

Super strange. Ryder's book is vital to understanding the system. The fact he dived into the artsy stuff was too much and no wonder he struggled with the setup.

[@DanBioHacker]

Sometimes is just content … 30 days … Thanks BuJo to exist ⚡️

[@xKumei]

Literally fell into the same trap as WheezyWaiter. After he talked with Ryder, the guy who made BuJo to manage ADD, he tried it again and liked it.

[@riannev763]

Function over form! That's the main thing that has helped me. I've been bullet journalling for years. When I started I made my bujo artistic and made so many spreads I did not use. Now I'm back to basic, with 1 pen and 1 notebook. My monthly set up takes 10 minutes. I don't use a yearly overview or unnecessary habit trackers. My monthly overview consists of the numbers 1 to 30 in a column. It has helped me tremendously with getting things done and my (mental) health.

[@singingsanja167]

Function over form is the secret for me, too. ;-) Heve been doing it for seven years now, and love it still.

[@lookingup4505]

Look at Ryder's monthly design. Simple list, no drawing or setup stress. 😊

[@MminaMaclang]

Abby Sy's last name is pronounced "See", which is why her branding is ABC (Always Be Creating), because that's what her name sounds like: ABC.

[@dinky..]

Ahh clever! I'd not heard of her before this. So thanks for the insight! 👍

[@tabbywarrior]

OMG that's hilarious

[@AbbeySy]

Haha thanks 😂💛👌🏼

[@MrKelsomatic]

@@AbbeySy that’s actually genius 👏🏻

[@AbbeySy]

@@MrKelsomatic I’m crediting my mom for my “on brand” name 😂👋🏻💛

[@childcrone]

This is an honestly curious question, Matt: what made you decide not to start with the actual foundation method?

[@DanBioHacker]

Awesome question 🙋‍♂️

[@DanBioHacker]

Maybe is just the necessity to pu content… 30 days

[@DigitalTheologian]

The lovely layouts are beautiful, but not essential. Minimalist bujo takes me maybe 30 minutes to set up a new notebook and a minute or two to start a new month. It’s a quick process that doesn’t waste paper in an expensive planner or notebook when I miss a day…or month. It’s not for everyone, but the tactile feel of a fountain pen and the disconnection from screens make it ideal for me while working on a PhD. If you give it another go, try the minimalist method.

[@hondenschoolkynokanjers]

Two things: first, please follow ryders set up. Index, future log, monthly log, daily log. Way more simple. No ruler, no counting dots, no stress. Second, use an erasable pen. Please give it another try matt

[@kamilk6807]

Link?

[@nper4lta]

@@kamilk6807 Just search up Ryder Carroll How to Bullet Journal, should pop up as the first few results.

[@sagtaurian]

4 hours?! I’ve been bullet journaling since 2017 and I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than 20-30 minutes setting things up. The one thing I noticed the most while watching this is that there was no attempt made to go to the bullet journal site itself for guidance. Ryder’s intro video gives the best bare bones overview of the system and is geared to a minimalistic approach. While doing the research of what others do, this experiment fell into the most common trap out there: trying to approach a system from an aesthetic method, rather than a functional one. I seriously hope that you give this another go, but this next time with just focusing on the methodology itself and not the aesthetic you aim to achieve.

[@MimTorbell]

Same thoughts, those elaborates BuJos are a work of art but not the real deal

[@richardvk94]

I agree this video didn't even take the actual creator into account

[@SarahWilsonID]

Also using a pencil is quite useful really :D No need to make a fuss like he did! Just use a pencil!

[@Seashelldub]

Agreed. And because of that, I don’t think this is a well-planned or executed video.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Matt! I love that you tried this, but did you even watch the Ryder Carroll video on the original system for this? Or read his book? You took footage from SO many creators in the bujo world - ALL of whom would tell you to dedicate yourself to the very basic system and NOT create carbon copies of someone else's spreads when getting started. I'm also surprised you interviewed Abby, who is much more of a creative journaler than a strict bullet journaler, and used Pick Up Limes' video to follow, which is clearly a personal system from a creator who is NOT focused on bujo. I hope you try again, and do some better research. Once you use the actual system, update us! I think you would get a lot out of the mindfulness and clarity that comes with rapid logging and reviewing, for example.

[@caro.-]

I have so many things to say about Bullet Journalling, I don´t even know where to begin. I startet using the system in 2017 and I just started a new journal - I´ve been changing my system every 6 - 12 months. To me these journals are more like an external brain. It doesn´t make me more or less productive, but it does keep me sane. If I can´t sleep at night, if I want to be productive but my brain keeps thinking about stuff that is not relevant in that moment, if I feel emotions and can´t really grasp them, I just put it down on paper. It has an instant effect on me. It also serves as a "memory bank". I have a very simple calendar in it; at the end of every month I write down what happend every single day. Years later I can look back, see what happened on a particular day and read my entries of what I was going through. Looking back, I really did change, I grew and it made me realize that whatever I am stressing about today, probably won´t matter in a few weeks and things *do* get better. I am really so thankful for this and I hope I won´t ever stop :)

[@nyxcelina7939]

As a perfectionist, Bullet Journalling has helped me to embrace imperfection because of how often I do make mistakes. But I keep my old bujos and look back at how much I've improved each month, each year. I prefer this method tbh. I think that a lot of people can make really beautiful layouts with it while many others stick to a more minimal and elegant style. I think that's what I love the most about it, it doesn't waste paper like traditional calendars and planners can while it is more tactile than a digital calendar that I constantly forget to update.

[@charlotteice5704]

The advice I'd give to people wanting to start bullet journaling is to start with just the basics that Ryder Carroll lines out in his "how to bullet journal" video. Then you scrap what doesn't work for you and you add/try out what you think you'd benefit from, for example a habit tracker. Use bullet journalling videos to find *inspiration* for layouts and for things to add. For example, I would not have found out about the rolling weekly (which I find extremely helpful for organizing my tasks) without a video about it. The third step is to evolve - a bullet journal is not a planner because a bullet journal adapts to your life and your current planning needs. If you use a bullet journal like a self-made planner, you're probably not getting all the potential benefits from it. After all, and this is the most important thing to keep in mind about bullet journaling imo, it's a tool first and foremost. Tools are there to be used and a tool can look like it's used and not pretty (but if you want it to look pretty you can make it pretty of course, it's yours to do with as you please).

[@AbbeySy]

It’s ouuuttt! 🥳 Thanks Matt for having me. Still fangirling 😂 also, totally agree - find a system that works for you! But I’m glad you were able to try bujo out as well. You did great 👏🏼 (I used to do bujo a lot but also stopped and found my own system that works!)

[@bdfwhhsb]

Loved the collab!!

[@AbbeySy]

@@philosophieyu Hi SOPI

[@kayefer]

OMG TWO OF MY FAVE KZbinRS AHHHHH

[@JobsJournal]

ABBEYYYYYYYYY!!! YAY!

[@AbbeySy]

@@JobsJournal JOBEEEEEEE

[@kriscastro]

some thoughts as a former bullet journaler: when i first started using the system in 2014 the big appeal was that it's meant to be adaptive. you can do a spread, and if you come to the conclusion that it doesn't work for you, then you're free to move onto something different unlike a conventional planner that has a consistent page layout through the whole thing. i'd go in and out of phases of trying to have really pretty spreads, and ultimately decided function > form, especially when it started feeling like i had to carve out extra time just to set up all these different spreads that would only ever be seen by me. in an attempt to be efficient i tried "planning ahead" and making preemptive spreads for weeks/months in the future (that mostly went to waste!), which kinda defeated the whole adaptive nature the bujo system set out to create. eventually i realized it's just not the system for me. i'm all-in on digital planning now, mostly because it's just a million times more convenient to go back and edit tasks/events/notes and being able to easily replicate things that work for me. the other big appeal is that i like not having to feel bad about hoarding tons of old notebooks that i may or may not need for reference at some point in the future.

[@allthingstealee]

Agreed!! What do you use for digital planning??

[@kriscastro]

@@allthingstealee i use a mix of things! day-to-day and recurring tasks i like using apple reminders because i'm in the apple ecosystem and find its features are plenty for my needs. for events/timeblocking i use a google calendar account but sync it to apple calendar. i like the simplicity of apple calendar being built into the apple ecosystem, but using google calendar makes it easy to share events with other people. for bigger project planning/notes i use notion because of how customizable/adaptable the pages can be - to me it feels most like a digital bullet journal. some people use notion for everything, and while that's definitely an option, i don't like how much work goes into setting up recurring tasks, especially when that feature is already built into apple reminders. i find the online notion community to be a lot like that of bujo - there's a lot of emphasis on having pretty pages and making up all types of pages for the sake of utilizing every single feature, but personally i think simplicity and function is key.

[@alyssialucas8981]

I have tried Bullet Journaling many times and kept getting frustrated every time I made a mistake. However this year I started again and accepted the idea that I want it to look perfect, so i bought the official Bullet Journal that came with calendar stickers so that I didn't have to draw that out myself. I also decided to follow Ryder Caroll's original idea of using my Bullet Journal as a place to make my daily, monthly, and really any list I needed. I have lists of my family favorite meals, books I want to read etc. My Bullet Journal is basically a brain dump, and I use the index to help find my lists in the future. This method has really helped me to lower my anxiety levels, clear up space in my mind, and feel more organized. I hope this helps.

[@banko705]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5bHdICLrMaEm68 Finally it's here.

[@babie.desk-]

Happy to see Abbey Sy on this video. She's got one of the most amazing journals, but I don't feel like hers falls under bullet journaling but more like creative journaling of memories. I'm jumped back and forth with journaling, trying bullet journal on paper then digital journaling, even created templates on Notion. But what I've been enjoying lately is my minimalist digital journal. It doesn't have too many decorations, it's monochromatic, and has one link that goes to the index page. Bullet journaling for me (on paper) is too tedious since I have the tendency to decorate stuff and as a person who works in tech, I need to be able to link stuff or take down notes as fast as I can. With digital journaling, I can type stuff and handwrite side notes.

[@turisma_music]

I have done this for over a year, and I love it. I keep it super simple, like its author - Ryder Carroll. The more you add at the beginning, the smaller the chance you will stick to it. I believe you should not start your first BuJo with a custom setup, as it was not the author's idea. You wouldn't end up tearing out pages :)

[@OrestisSI]

Journaling is a huge part of self improvement. It really helped me silencing those random thoughts in my head along with meditating. Also, it made me write my routine down instead of just trying to remember it and weirdly enough this made following the routine much easier. Gratitude journaling is another part of journaling you should try. By writing down a random thing you are grateful about (could be about your family or the pen you are writing with) it makes you a happier and more grateful person in general.

[@NathalieLazo]

Love this! Before, I thought journalling was a complete waste of time but now after implementing this in my life, I have a cleared mind since I’m writing all of my thoughts down somewhere which has allowed me to make better and faster decisions with less worry and anxiety 💪🏼❤️

[@andreaceleste2664]

As a perfectionist I found that the best way to keep a bullet journal is by making it as simple as possible. I don’t draw any boxes or anything and I don’t use it for daily tasks. I find it works best for tracking finances and for monthly tasks.

[@simob7862]

I think a lot of talented people turned Bullet Journaling into a kind of art space, that sort of made it a bit hard I felt for people to try. With a perfection kind of neat, freaky artsy theme its not the norm and makes it difficult for people who are busy and have constant changes and updates. Its got a lot of good things and I Journal for Personal Growth and Wellness, as well as teach it in workshops. Best suggestion would be go get a bunch of frixion pens that can be erased or use a pencil, use post it notes to put down task and targets, then list them when done at the end of the day. I like recommend looking at Clark Kegley Journal Personal Growth is a good way to learn to Design a system that works for you.

[@khafkhaf8665]

So I've been journaling for a about 3 years now and you evolve with your journal so much the way I did it at the start is absolutelynot the way I do it now . Im definitely a perfectionist and having a bujo really helps me kind of calm those perfectionist impulses down you learn to love the jagged lines becauseit's yours (mentally this was good for me to learn). Its very calming once you get use to it, you get to write down all the junk in your head and it helped me a lot. I will say that you probably will change the spreads you use because they don't help anymore or they never did or ya know you don't have time to do that one art page this month. You go through ruts and pick it back up. You don't have to do the same things that are part of the "set up" it's your journal do with it as you please my biggest mistake was really taking too much advice from others, make it work for you not against you. Also sorry I know this is long but you find lots of creative ways to cover up mistakes like sticking in different stickers or separate papers. But yeah that's just my input.

[@Faiithy]

I believe to "Write what you feel in order to heal". I started journaling last yr, September 2023. It helped me so much. I write the things I couldn't share to anyone, only to my journal. Until now I'm doing my journal and it helps me to track everything and review what I did or my priorities last month 🤍 But preparing your journal format and being consistent is very challenging part for me 😂

[@TheSeaQuill]

I recall Ryder sharing something that this system isn't necessarily meant to increase productivity, but to provide efficiency and reflection-- i.e filter out the tasks that in reality don't actually matter to us. The friction is on purpose (and worth noting the practice is intended to be simple, not artistic)

[@JashiiCorrin]

Never thought I’d be in a Matt D’Avella video 😂😝 haha, thanks for including me!

[@MelFlagg]

I love the tactile sensation of writing, but never could stick with any one planner. When I found bullet journaling, I loved the idea of setting up my own planner. I've been using a bujo since 2015, and it has really evolved in that time. I started out with all the habit trackers etc and kept that up for about 4 yrs. But then I got burned out on it. Now I have a Monthly intro page with a small calendar, a goals page, a bills/income page and then weekly pages. I do have a future log in the front, along with a yearly goals page, yearly review page, and a vehicle maintenance log, and some notes on HEX codes and fonts for my website. But that's it. I try to keep it super simple and am actually in the process of making it even simpler. I do use an electronic calendar to remind me of appointments etc, because sadly my bujo doesn't have an alarm function, and I need that. But the bujo appeals to my creative side, I can use color and different fonts to decorate it, and I can add doodles or whatever I want to make it look pretty, IF I want to. I also think of the bujo as a great keepsake for my daughter. She'll have quite a few to look through when I'm gone, and I think it may give her insight into my mind that she wouldn't otherwise have. I take notes on things that happen with her and I and my thoughts on things etc. So its dual purpose for me. It keeps me sane now, and will be a keepsake for my daughter later.

[@lisagreghi_bookish]

You know Matt there are so many bullet journals that are already set up that could work for you. This takes away the pain of perfectionism and all of the time you take to set it up. I use that and it really changed the game for me. Etsy is full of the coolest planners

[@bryanbutterfoss4606]

I think you should have started with the Bullet Journal book from Ridder. The core of the system is simplicity. A lot of people make it overly complex and complicated. I’m a construction supervisor running multiple jobs at one time and use the Bullet journal method and find it extremely helpful. I think you should revisit it and stick with basics.

[@singingsanja167]

Have been doing it for more than seven years now, and love it still. Sometimes I make it pretty, and sometimes I just scribble down notes, and sometimes I don't use it at all (like when I am on vacation). I adjust it to my needs and moods, and each month can be a fresh start, that's what I love so much about it. And the setting up is as complicated as one decides to do it. ;-) My habit tracker is a table, with the days at the left an the habits at the top, and thus I only have to write the dates once. Wouldn't want to mess with all the cute little calendars... ;-)

[@M3li554-7]

One of the best things i learn thanks to journaling is that not everything has to be perfect.

[@hownowbrowncow148]

i kind of half bullet journal half journal in my notebook. i love doing all the artsy cover pages and stuff, it’s really my only creative outlet and i love making pinterest board for inspiration with different themes. however, i don’t really have anything to track in terms of tasks and daily to-dos so i don’t have weekly spreads, just a monthly calendar. i use mood and habit trackers as well as a sentence a day spread and then after those i just have general journaling spreads. i use my bujo as a memory log but also to keep myself productive and to be creative :) how you journal/bullet journal is different for everyone. i think you tried to do what OTHER people do and not what you really want to do. use a computer for tasks if that’s what works for you! also, definitely pencil out calendars and the like before using pen lol

[@outlast_the_night7727]

I started bullet journaling sometime in autumn 2018 and I've definitely come a long way, learning what works for me and what doesn't. In the beginning I enjoyed using it as a creative outlet as well, taking much time and effort to make the pages fun and pleasing to look at like I saw so many people online do, but as my life got more hectic and chaotic since then, I have found much joy in very simple layouts as well. Keeping it simple also helps me stick to bujoing as a whole (as preparing and setting up layouts is almost a separate hobby/habit in itself), and I have finally found the layouts and trackers that work best for me! I always envy and admire the people who are great at lettering and make their bujo incredibly beautiful to look at on top of being functional, but overall I'm still very happy with my current setup. The biggest aspect I enjoy is that it's a physical reminder, and more organised than a to do list. Anxiety and depression often affect my short-term memory and stress level, so having a place to organise all my tasks, short term and long term, appointments and deadlines is both great for not forgetting the important stuff, but also lessening anxiety by making tasks more visible and easier to organise, rather than trying to keeping a jumbled to do list in my head. It's definitely been a learning curve, a lot of trial and error of implementing what works for others and making it work for me (let alone the very tempting maximalist options of craving more - more pens, more washi tape, more stickers, ect lol), but I wouldn’t want to miss my current set up for the world. It's incredibly helpful to have this physical way of organising smaller tasks to tackle bigger assignments while also dealing with mental health issues. 🖤

[@CayoBuay]

Matt, I’m a bit surprised you did not combine BuJo with the things you learnt in the “how to remember everything” video.

[@BrookeYoder]

i was SO into bullet journaling back in like '17/'18. I switched to pencil REALLY quickly, and occasionally a frixion erasable pen. After about a year of it, my layouts became super basic, too. I didn't spend as much time on the fancy stuff and just kept it to my calendar and lists. I did sometimes enjoy my time I spent in it and it did serve as a bit of a creative outlet as well. Ultimately, I finally came to the conclusion that I was still spending so much more time planning and listing than actually doing and I chucked the practice.

[@BrianSch]

As Brooke says ... Frixion pens are your friend ... enjoy your journey.

[@reviewanytech]

Thanks Matt … always a treat to watch your videos whenever I feel myself getting into procrastinating state and get back on track.

[@allthingstealee]

Thank you for validating my feelings 😅. I got super into bullet journal videos some years ago. I was so inspired and excited. I had a pinterest board for different spreads, bought a bullet journal, the highly recommended basic black pen, those tom bow dual brush pens everyone was using, washi tape, the whole shabang. I was gonna do yearly monthly and weekly spreads, track goals, etc. I have always been a creative person, so I was gonna have fun with it. It would be a creative outlet. I started to set it up but just kept messing up and getting frustrated and it never went past that. I didn’t wanna spend so much time trying to manage my time 😆. It was overwhelming. I even watched videos about starting super basic and it just never happened. It’s quicker and easier to just jot things down in my phone or planner and cross it off or delete it when I get it done. Maybe because I don’t have a super busy life? And most things are not super time sensitive so I don’t need to schedule everything by the hour. Idk. I’ve recently come to realize that even planners are just not necessary for me. I have my phone calendar which has reminders for me, and I can add to it when I’m making a new appointment away from home (away from a journal) very conveniently. I have a weekly white board planner so I can see my week in one place, and I have a habit tracker on my phone that shows me what percent I’ve been keeping up with a habit and can also set reminders. I have a master list of stuff I want to do in my notes app, organized by time (this week, soon) or topic (plant stuff, phone stuff, appointments, etc) that I could add to when I thought of it, even when I was away from my planner. Easy to edit too. I use more things but it feels way more convenient and easy than a planner or journal. I found that my planner was just the same exact thing I was doing on my phone or white board and became useless and repetitive. There’s also notion, which I haven’t gotten into but also has endless opportunities and is super customizable but digital. I think just having my “planner” (phone) with me at all times is what makes a big difference.

[@savannahvs]

I tried Bujo but am switching to digital. Just because it synchronizes everywhere, I can add stuff on the go when they pop into my mind and I'm color coordinating my calendar which is pretty nice. It also sends me reminders, which a journal won't do and I have all the info with me... But pen to paper still feels like the best thing.

[@aanyadaruka7]

Thank you so much Matt!! You have taught me so much about productivity! I am a veryyy big fan of you and your content! Thank again with all my heart! ❤️❤️🤌🏻

[@elanorgamdschie8694]

I always get excited when someone mentions Sadia/PUL! She's such a gem

[@llamont2336]

I like how they used production value and a whole bunch of words to describe how to write things down.

[@TheObsessiveBookseller]

I'm a massive perfectionist as well. When I first started bullet journaling several years ago, I felt at the mercy of all the things I "needed" to include in it and started to resent the number of hours it took to set up. Over time I've learned how to keep only the things that enhance my daily life and let the rest go. And what that looks like changes month by month. Am I starting a new complex workout routine? It helps me to have a central place to detail it out and track progress. Am I too busy to be bothered with setup this month? No problem, I just give myself a daily tracker for to-dos (do get myself off screens as well) and call it good. Ultimately, it's a hard sell because you have to invest the time to figure out where the benefits lie. But now that I've gone through the process and enjoyed the creativity and experimenting along the way, I refer to my journal constantly throughout the week and no longer have to keep things I need to do (projects big and small) in my head. Setup takes about 30 minutes a month, and up to two hours if I want to include some art and have more fun with it. I love it.

[@DianaKerr]

I had the same experience/end result with BuJo but I do love the "index" concept for my more random journaling I do! Having numbered pages and being able to see in the front of my journal all in one place what random things I reflected on/wrote down in those pages is helpful!

[@bigsucculenta1]

I’m an extremely busy professional but find the time I spend on bullet journaling to be relaxing and meditative and an opportunity to step back from my day and reflect.

[@yana.rya_____]

One thing I love about bullet journalling compared to digital apps is that I feel much more accomplished physically ticking things off rather than deleting or ticking it off in an app 😅

[@skyfullofghosts]

When I started bullet journalling, I first used Nathaniel Drew’s method of simply writing a few to-dos, then writing a summary of my day (he has a video on it). I also tried Sadia’s method, but honestly, the preparation was too much. I didn’t stick with it for long. I tried using Notion for a digital journal but I wasn’t consistent enough with that either. The only thing I’ve stuck with is Nathaniel’s one 😄

[@knz730]

I used complex, pretty bullet journelling a lot when I was a PhD student (and so working from home on entirely my own schedule - with plenty of time to make pretty layouts and all my stickers and pens to hand). I stopped as soon as I had a job and was busier and not working from my home office. I now use it a lot like you sound like you will - I kept habit tracking (which I made a grid for on the computer and print out to stick in each month, to save the repetitive boring job of ruling grids) and now I have a mixed to-do list and freeform journal in one notebook.

[@Axelwolfy]

I love this video!! I have been watching Matt D’Avella for some time and this is my new favorite video. I have tried this in the past and am doing it currently and I am so glad that he tried it out! Love minimalism, photography, journaling, etc.. Great Video!

[@VictorAL]

Awesome video as expected! What about try working from anywhere for 30 days? You can get very creative with this, it could be as simple as working in a different room of your house or going to a park, coffee shop or similar.

[@yourcalmplace]

I just want to let anyone who’s reading this, and going through a tough time know that it’s going to be okay. You’ll get through it! ✨

[@RITUALAOS]

This is exactly what I was looking for! I’ve been having issues trying to keep/star a journal that would allow me to see things and track things and then you showed the yearly view 👌👌👌 thanks!

[@HenkBartl]

I tried and honestly the disadvantages of a physical bullet journaling is the missing overview where on a digital version you can better keep track. So I journal digitally with a to do list, a calendar and a journal for emotional stuff. From time to time I use a physical notebook and write down the goals and then crack down the action points in my calendar to gain those goals. On my to do list only comes the to dos of the week. 2-3 things get done in a day which makes procrastinating hard 👌🏻

[@EthanMajor]

Ive been journaling for 3 years and if i never started i wouldnt be as successfull as i am today, Journaling is essential!

[@banko705]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5bHdICLrMaEm68 Finally it's here.

[@CayoBuay]

Sooo sorry you had a bad experience but listening to the person you chose to go to for guidance, it’s clear they are not a good teacher or know the fundamentals. When I started this year, I almost went down the rabbit hole but caught myself. I hope you try it again with a clean mind for the foundation and go minimal, you will love it. I work in IT and what I found worked best for me was: * index * monthly overviews * weekly meeting/important task page * daily sections as I went through the week, fill those out as needed Planning out weeks and months in advanced is not just hectic up front but makes it easier to mess up and limits you on what you can “add” due to possible running out of space. I also use collections as needed for project tracking for example, where I can list goals and requirements and also important task and notes. Takeaway from all this being, find the pieces that fit YOU not the other way around. BuJo should not be hard or stress inducing.

[@NansyDK]

I’ve been bullet journaling since 2016 and I’ve loved the process. It gets better and easier each time and you just learn what you like and what you don’t, as well as things that work out nicely and those who don’t. Trust the process and just enjoy. First notebooks are a total mess, later on it gets cleaner 🥰

[@AliBooneInvest]

Really interesting seeing it all broken down and explained this way. I'm someone who really needs my tasks laid out in front of me, and bullet journaling seems like a great way to integrate some creativity into that process as well.

[@Alexa-eo4tf]

For a minimalist,he didn't use the minimalist approach. In my personal experience I just do the Ryder Carol original monthly lay out and daily spreads and that's it. No fuss around it. If I get inspo from those pretty bujos for Instagram of course I'll be overwhelmed. My bujo technically is just scribbles and note taking tasks and stuff. If I make a mistake I just scratch it and end of story

[@JosKvillert]

A tip for anyone using ink, there's so called friction pens that looks like ink but are erasable with a friction rubber on the top of the pen. Will make your journaling a little easier. Happy writing!

[@supersucks]

Pilot Frixion!

[@madametrafficjam8347]

The ink will disappear if you leave the book out in the sun though. Frxion pens are not for stuff you want to keep.

[@andyosb]

You mean a pencil?! 😉

[@crystalfelicia9924]

SAME I also really enjoy the tactile feel of the journal!

[@EmmyBoons]

I feel you Matt! The first few months of bullet journaling my perfectionist tendencies crept in and I felt like setting it up was a waste of time. I'm into my second year of bullet journaling now and I love it! It really helps me with my journaling for mental health as well as for productivity. I just had to find the ways that suit me and let go of the rest.

[@cayokota]

I looooove the idea of wasting four hours over something that might feel useless BUT is a craft, a manufacturing work of sorts. Feels really good to be so focus on your craft other than screens

[@gettingittogether7958]

I started my bullet journal precisely because of how hard it makes being a perfectionist like having made a mistake, and then having to see that mistake every time I looked at my calendar was AWFUL to start off with, but now I'm able to look wonky lines or miscounted squares as purely aesthetic problems - they don't stop the system working and they don't impact my productivity it's made it much easier to relate that to parts of my life outside of the journal

[@ninsartcabinet]

I create my calendars and habit trackers in Word. I cut them out and glue in my bullet journal. This has made it a much more pleasant experience for me. I don’t stress over getting the lines straight and the layout perfect. After I glue in my layout printable, I can enjoy drawing and coloring the decorations.

[@anthonystevens7206]

Cool to see your take on this! I’ve been bujo-for around 4 years now, off and on, and it’s a great system for me all things considered. Like you, I prefer to have important calendar things digital, but I love the flexibility and creativity each person can give their journals. I might have to go check out other people’s versions to get some new inspiration!

[@gsjdndnndns1818]

Did he say productivity renaissance ? Sounds about right

[@timdahl8912]

I wish he would have gotten back with RC. He was tainted by the internet. I mean, he did an interview before. He just picked the wrong mentor, and made it waaay to complicated.

[@darwincruz20]

I am on the opposite camp here, Matt. I started bullet journaling last 2020 and it really stuck with me. I’ve tried every app out there to manage my life, but BuJo has allowed me to be more mindful and productive. I also apply a very minimalist Bullet Journal setup following only the basics discussed from Ryder Caroll’s book. It will get overwhelming if you don’t apply the basics of the system such as the index and the future log. Btw, nice video and excited to see more of your 30-day experiments

[@iicydiamonds]

I use a pencil to do big layouts. Not the full layout, but just to mark where the row or column needs to start and end. That way I can see a lot sooner if I counted wrong and it's super easy to fix. Glad to see you gave it a try!

[@JessicaChungMN]

If you're interested in trying to bullet journal please head to the source, the actual Bullet Journal website, KZbin, book, online community, course, anything that's written by Ryder himself. A really big bummer you couldn't have called Ryder to come back onto your channel for this video so you could do thr 30 days with the true intent behind the method

[@vagnerbessabarcelos7305]

Even with the current dip in crypto currency's, I'm still glad I can smile😊 back at my portfolio of $109,700 built from my weekly trade, I'm having my fourth withdrawal in 10 business days😊 Thanks to expert Mrs Gladys Wood, Am grateful 😊

[@aydenhaggarty318]

@Richard Cross I'm one of her clients.... and I'm a living testimony of Expert Mrs Gladys. She has changed my financial status for the best, all thanks 😊 to my friend who introduced her to me.

[@asifansari3315]

I really feel left aside hearing and seeing several testimonies from people on profits they make from Bitcoin/Forex Investment. Can someone recommend a good expert that trade on my behalf and generate profit for me.

[@anacrystinah2962]

I have heard a lot about investing with Mrs Gladys Wood and how good she is, please how safe are the profits?

[@yosoy2480]

Please how can I be able to reach your broker, my income stream is in a mass😪😰

[@LaurenHopkins992]

How does this whole bitcoin thing work, I'm interested in it and I'm willing and ready to invest heavily in it but I'm gonna need an assistant from any trusted and productive professional

[@lisaw.8382]

I used to bullet journal a bit, and this got me excited to try and use it more again! I definitely realize I might have been too much of a perfectionist in the past, but I should just have fun with it! Thanks for this video, I love these 30 day challenges. They make me want to start doing something like this myself :)

[@levirphillips]

I'm with you on this one Matt! I found using a journal for meeting notes and task capturing really useful, but I'll transfer that to a digital system after. Just that tactile feeling of writing something down helps my brain register it properly and decide how important something really is. Also, it makes you look really smart in meetings.

[@brainstormd]

If you get one percent better each day for one year, you'll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you're done. - James Clear

[@banko705]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5bHdICLrMaEm68 Finally it's here.

[@IshikaShanai]

As a professional artist and a perfectionist, when I first tried bullet journaling, I wasted 2+ hrs trying to set up the calendar and was never happy with how it looked. After multiple attempts, I gave up on it because of how non-effortless the process was, which defeated the purpose of planning. Since the planning took me more time to do than the actual work I needed to get done, I went back to digital calendars and task managers and haven't looked back since.

[@rozasaryeva3214]

Omg finally!🤩 I tried bullet journaling in 2020 and it was a total disaster because I screwed up even first two pages and I also followed the method by pick up lines. I remember sticking with it just for three months and then it got really difficult for me to to continue. It is not really for me because I think that I’m quite a busy person as well. Thank you Matt for the video, yeah it was so awesome to hear it from you because I had absolutely the same thing😆🙌🏻

[@elodiepollock7326]

I think it's a good idea to try it out, and even if you dont stick to the whole thing, some things might be useful, even if you do not use them in the conventional way or abandon other parts. thats kind of the beauty of bullet journaling, the freedom it can give you if you open yourself up to it.

[@edxTv]

Man, I loved your video. I was thinking of trying some new organizational things for myself after going back to college this year. I will keep shopping around for something that fits but WOW. The Bullet Journal community came out in force. Every post is telling you why "you're" wrong :(

[@CayoBuay]

It’s not telling Matt they are wrong, just pointing out why it wasn’t an enjoyable experience. We’re not blaming but rather encouraging another try with the crawl before you walk not putting themselves first and not the Instagram craziness method.

[@JournalSunshine]

I'm so glad that you got Abbey Sy to be in this video! She's amazing and brilliant. I like some of the ideas behind bullet journaling, so I've taken bits and pieces from the concept and applied them to other things! At the moment, I'm using a planner where the left half has the week already laid out and on the right side is an open memo page with a grid so I list out the weekly tasks much like I would in a bullet journal -- saving me the time of drawing out the planner portion. I also keep meetings, travel, and other things on my schedule in digital format so I get reminders, but it's nice to see them written out on my desk, especially when it comes to keeping my focus (phone = distractions). In general, I get a lot out of journaling as a creative medium for memory keeping, managing my thoughts and emotions, and just having a way to express myself. I love that there are so many cool journaling creators out there who share what works for them so I can draw inspiration and gradually adjust what I'm already doing to work better for me. Super cool video!

[@mwoodward178]

I agree with you, this can take a lot of time. I found myself just using it for a daily task list, and notes for meetings.

[@xinwilson]

One of the best tricks I found to avoid stressing over pre-planning and laying out everything is... a binder!! Just jot down everything and reorganize pages later.

[@anthonysmendes]

Journaling is nice, thought bullet journaling feels like a mixture of journaling, to-do lists and planners. When you try and do all of those at once, this kind of journaling becomes a task on its own. It doesn't have to be so complicated. I had to create an emoji journal of my own to make things happen - tap an emoji related to your task, it is logged with the timestamp; tap to add context and go ahead - simple journaling like that. Speed, timestamp, recall and context are all you need to journal, without turning one book into a web of complexity and added on time.

[@melyssapedraza1848]

Me encantan estos videos, amo tu trabajo, tu creatividad, la edición, eres una gran inspiración para muchos 💗

[@natek3954]

Your videos are always so well put together. Thank you for sharing!😃

[@francis_n]

I tried bullet journalling for a while and then lost interest and patience laying out my pages. So now I just journal thoughts but in the dotted paper journal because I love writing in them 😅

[@kasiaydka8485]

I think that it takes time to find the layout and elements that work for you, I've been doing it for a couple of years and I only do monthly view now (on the right) and to do list, to buy list and ideas (on the left), that's it, I set it up once a month and it works like a charm :)

[@KKYong]

Agreed with your final comments, make journal simple. Thank you for your sharing.

[@TAGR27]

I have been bullet journaling for years and I don’t do all art stuff with it. It is a great way for me to use less paper and have my random ideas in a central place. For me, I remember to do my to do list when I write it down rather than type it and it has been really helpful when juggling multiple projects.

[@armyoncebangtwice1288]

You finally made a video about bullet journaling! Been waiting for this, Thank Youuu