How To Beat Digital Overload With a Bullet Journal
In our digital world, bullet journals (or bujos) get a lot of hate. Most people scoff at the idea of anything analog competing with the fancy schmancy apps we use for anything and everything.
But what happens when our stress and overwhelm is digital?
Developer Ben Adamski said it best when he noted that “without clear objectives and consistent focus, digital tools are black holes of distractions that bullet journals can’t be. With a bullet journal, what you get instead is a portal that’s more narrowed in on creativity and reflection.”
Digital tools play into our constant need for stimulation that we’re dangerously rewiring our brains to crave. They don’t allow us to unplug, or remove ourselves far enough from what’s happening on our smartphones to actually take a mental break to plan, create and get on top of stress — instead of just creating more of it. And these mental breaks are important, some of the brightest minds in history used down time to make society-changing discoveries. Think: Ford, Musk and Einstein.
To use a Bullet Journal effectively, you have to think of productivity differently. The fastest route to “done” doesn’t mean you’re any closer from getting off the hamster wheel. It simply means you’re getting around the wheel faster with each spin.
Here are four majors ways that bullet journals have helped us work better, create more and live inspired.
Major Accountability
Ever feel insanely busy and like you’re getting absolutely nothing done at the same time? Digital tools are great for “penciling” in activities.
With a bullet journal, you can’t help but see where you’re caught in the rut of busy work just for the sake of busy work. But even more than that, a bullet journal requires you to make the necessary changes instead of just continuing on with what isn’t working. Because you create an Index that ties your to-do lists, goals and daily habits together, you can clearly see where your daily activities are not supporting your long and short term goals. Add in a symbol key or use a graph to track habits, and you’ll see visually — not just verbally — where you’re dropping the ball. Once you can spot these inefficiencies as a big-gaping-hole on the page, it becomes impossible not to change.
Digital Detox
Think of it as a digital detox. To pull himself out of his “disorganization rut” Ben went cold turkey and temporarily cut out all digital tools for managing his workday schedule and solely used a bullet journal. “Though I’ve shifted away from that now, using a bullet journal empowered me to get out of a disorganized rut. I was able to track my habits, routines and make those changes.”
While it’s hard to imagine a day without Google cal, there’s something to be said about forcing yourself to be accountable for your own schedule, instead of just mindlessly adding more to your calendar. With a bullet journal you can track exactly where you’re losing time and where your daily tasks aren’t lining up with your short and long term goals. With space to evaluate the purpose of each tasks, if the meeting isn’t helpful — it won’t see the inside of your calendar.
Stress and Anxiety Relief
If you’re new to a bullet journal, at first glance it may seem like the opposite. Symbols, drawings, sketches and charts look more overwhelming than simple. But as New York Magazine explains, the bullet journal is “ a cornucopia of motor and cognitive tasks, some more demanding than others, that collectively help to relieve your brain from the stress of doing any one thing for too long.” The balance is alternating between “deliberate and mindless activities.”
The bottom line? Our brains need time to doodle, wander, think, sketch and daydream for maximum productivity. Our digital tools don’t make room for that side of productivity — but bullet journals have room for it all.
Get Out of Your Head
For Ben “more than anything, bujos are an amazing braindump.” Braindumps are a simple technique that allow you to get what’s in your head out on paper. Which means you don’t allow your thoughts to “clump” or irrationally create problems that aren’t there. Ben adds that “seeing how unfounded some of your stress and fears are on paper often cuts their power.” This allows you to relax, plan with a clear head and find solutions to your problems much faster.
If you search for bullet journals (especially on IG and Pinterest) you may be immediately intimidated by the #Pinterestperfect works of art and templates. But here’s the deal: a bullet journal can be as simple or complex as you make it. The point is not to overwhelm you, but to provide a dedicated space where productivity is nurtured wholly — by slowing down, examining our goals and letting our brains having time to creatively solve problems.
We’d love your feedback
Do you use a bullet journal? We’d love to see a snap of your favorite page in the comments below.
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-The CloudApp team
