Why I started a bullet journal — and so should you
Lilah Raptopoulos on the cult, tech-free productivity system
By Lilah Raptopoulos
Google “bullet journal”. Actually, don’t. I do not want to scare you away.
For readers who have never heard of the cult productivity system, a quick Instagram search will reveal elaborate paper diary pages created by more than 4m strangers: intricate illustrations, complex layouts, borders painted lovingly in watercolours.
Some pages have tiny boxes in which people track how often they exercise, hydrate and meditate. These self-defined “Bujo-ers” debate the perfect pens and notebooks, and the advantages of something called “washi tape”.
But bullet journals are not only about aesthetics: they are also about making you more productive. And in my case, it worked. I entered the Bullet Journal community on January 1 a sceptic. A month in, and I am hooked.
The website, built to introduce the Bujo-curious to the process, describes the bullet journal as “the analogue system for the digital age”. There is a breezy testimonial from Rebecca L: “It fundamentally changed my life”. All you need is a notebook and a pen.
At first, I rolled my eyes. Notebooks don’t change your life.
