The Bullet Journal methodology

We live surrounded by a multitude of stimuli that we need to manage to function in our day-to-day lives, and the speed with which they are presented to us can be really overwhelming. The "I have to" They can cause stress, especially when they accumulate, even blocking us. "The salt has run out", "I have to go walk the dog", "I don't forget to call the dentist", "Today is Teresa's birthday" ... How can we organize everything that moves around us without dying trying? A good answer would be "Bullet Journal".

What is the Bullet Journal?

The Bullet Journal, also called BuJo, is a methodology to manage your time on various levels (recording the past, organizing the present, and planning the future). The BuJo goes far beyond the classic checklist or to-do list as it promotes an intentional life, turning it into something productive and meaningful. Is actually a mindfulness practice () disguised as a productivity system as it takes you to organize your "what" while you stay conscious in your "why".

The BuJo was created by Ryder Carroll, a New York designer diagnosed with learning disabilities as a child, who was forced to search alternative ways be productive and stay focused. After polishing this system over the years, he now dedicates himself to teaching others to use his method and to develop a more intentional life. There are many benefits that derive from proper time management. Let's see some of them:

• Less stress.
• More control.
• More productivity and less procrastination.
• More balance between the different vital areas.
• More fullness and well-being.

How is this methodology practiced?

The Bullet journal o BuJo is a very cheap system, just you need a notebook and a pen. It is a very open method, which can be adapted to multiple needs, so it is important that each person find their own structure, the one that best suits what they need.

Let's see in summary how to start putting it into practice: The first thing is number the pages from the notebook; the first 2 for the index and the next 2 for the "future record", that is, to record daily tasks. Then touch create the monthly calendar. For this it is recommended that each month occupies two pages. On the left page the days of the month will be numbered (1 to 30 or 31 depending on the month) and on the right page the things to do for that month will be noted, without specifying when; that will come later and we will call it “task log”.

How do you do the daily task log?

You can put a week on two adjoining pages to see it in full at a glance (leave enough space for all seven days). The record must consist of short sentences, that explain the task and must include a symbol at the beginning to make everything much more visual.

There are basically three types of symbols:

• Note, indicated by a dash (-). Include facts, ideas, thoughts, and observations. They serve to save information that we do not want to forget. E.g. a song that you liked or something that surprised you.
• Relevant event, with a round (o). You can register before or after they occur (eg "contract signing").
• Pending task, is indicated by a period (.)

In turn, each task can have one of the following 5 states:

• Pending task (.)
• Task performed (x).
• Migrated task (>): when the task is scheduled on another day or month.
• Task planned in the "future record" (<).
• Irrelevant task (it is crossed out completely)

Now is the time to manage the tickets. For that you have to choose each task and ask yourself “Is this worth my time?”, Since being busy is not the same as being productive. If the answer is "yes", a specific time must be assigned. It is important differentiate between what is important and what is urgent. Within all this time management methodology, migration is a fundamental step because it has to do with selecting what is important and looking for a when.

As you can see, the BuJo is a very manual system. Support technology can be used but it is recommended that the information be migrated to the notebook as soon as possible. This process makes you stop and consider every "have to" and separate the important from the accessory. Do you dare to try it?

• The Bullet Journal, also called BuJo, is a methodology to manage time on various planes: record the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.
• Goes a lot beyond the classic checklist or to-do list, as it promotes an intentional life, turning it into something productive and meaningful.
• It only takes one notebook and pen. It is a very open method, which can be adapted to multiple needs, so it is important that each person find their own structure, the one that best suits what they need.

Specialist in Clinical Psychology