5 Monthly Ideas for you and your Bullet Journal
Ideas on how to create an overview for your month
As a month comes near to an end, you may want to get proactive and set up your new monthly log for the next month. It would be a good idea for you to have an index, a key and a future log already in place, that you are using. If not, you can refer to my other post linked below.
In this article, I explore some ideas and my experience with certain monthly setups.
Double Spread, Boxed Monthly
As you can see, this setup spreads over two pages — what we call a double spread. To be honest, it was my first time spreading a monthly over two pages. I struggled with the spacing a bit, but I managed to have space at the bottom for some notes, though I usually prefer a bigger note taking space.
If you look at the top left hand corner of the picture, you may realise that some notes from the previous month had leaked on to this page. It may have been a better idea to leave these two specific pages for notes, a brain dump, doodling or even to leave them blank. If I had made this monthly spread on a truly blank spread, I may have found it to be less of a struggle.
In fact, I believe I did do that for the month after. Perhaps I’ll include that in another post. Stay tuned!
Linear (in the middle) Monthly
A second idea that I once came across is the linear idea, but with a little twist. Instead of the dates going down the side of the page, they go down the middle of the page.
This is so that you can input your work related obligations, events, reminders etc. on one side and keep the other side for personal related things. This can really appeal to those who would really appreciate their various events, reminders and obligations to remain divided.
In my experience, I did enjoy it, but for my personal notations, I still felt that I needed more space.
Single Spread and Boxed
This is another boxed style page, but it is a single spread — done on a single page.
In February 2023, I did not have much to note down, and so the boxes are not full up, and they did not seem small.
In May 2023, I had more things I wanted to note down and I wanted to keep track of that in one place. Perhaps I should have made a separate page, but there was not too much else that I needed the space on this monthly page for anyway. That is when I realised that this spread too, could potentially become confining, full and cluttered.
I have linked my other articles about full, cluttured and confusing bullet journal pages above.
I concluded that for boxed style pages, a double spread is better. Stay tuned for my August 2023 double spread and boxed monthly page!
Single Spread, Boxed and Sideways
January 2023 was the only month that I did a sideways monthly spread. Personally, I don’t like setting up my spreads sideways, especially monthly spreads. I just don’t feel like I am looking at the month comfortably. I don’t want to keep tilting my head or my journal.
Still, it is something you can try. You may even enjoy it.
Linear (down the side)
This is the 5th monthly idea I have so far. It is a linear set up, but instead of the dates going down the middle, the dates are simply written down the side. This kind of setup is what I first started my journal with a year ago, even though I did struggle with the weekly and daily aspects of the original bullet journal method.
It is worth it to start this on the left hand side page, so that if you have a lot to note down, you can keep writing on the same line on the right hand side page.
I hope my five monthly log ideas and experiences have given you something to think about regarding your current or future organisational process/es.
Remember, your bullet journal-or any kind of journal you are keeping- is wholly yours to do with as you wish. You can have any setups you want, you can start and scrap ideas whenever you want, and you can experiment however you want.
Until next time!
