How to Boost Productivity with a Bullet Journal

Digital calendars and to-do lists are necessary, but going analog can get your head in the game. Here’s how a bullet journal can be a huge help for finding focus and direction

There are dozens of productivity apps and digital planners out there. Using one of those is a modern necessity. The bullet journal — AKA “BuJo” — won’t pop up reminders on your phone or let you invite people to Zoom meetings. Still, it can be an effective tool for people who run complex freelance gigs or small businesses — or anyone with work (or a life) that requires them to motivate and pick a direction.

Here are some ways to boost productivity with a bullet journal.

Why Use a Bullet Journal?

According to Ryder Carroll, the creator of the BUJO system and author of The Bullet Journal Method, using a notebook, in this way, to plan your day, track your to-do lists, and keep an eye on your goals, helps you to stay true to who you are and who you want to be. It may not remind you to make a phone call at a specific time, but it will help you sort through the chaos, the myriad choices pulling at your attention, and help you focus on what you want to do.

“We can’t be true to ourselves if we don’t know what we want, and more importantly, why,” Ruder says in The Bullet Journal Method. “So that’s where we must begin. It’s a process that requires the steady cultivation of our self-awareness. This may seem very woo-woo, but it can be as simple as paying attention to what resonates with us, what sparks our interest—and, just as importantly, what does not.”

That might seem like a lot to ask from a blank book, a pen, and — maybe — some stickers. But it is very effective.

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You have probably journaled. But what makes it possible to boost productivity with a bullet journal is that it is an organization system that is part meditation, contemplation, and journal, and part planner. It is not tied to any particular format or brand of notebook. (Though Carroll has published his own official editions, which are quite nice.) It is a way to structure your thoughts with an eye to deciding what action to take, focus your attention, come up with a plan, and record what happened. You can use any journal you like for this. Many people, myself included, like a dot grid because it allows you to draw neat, tidy shapes and then gets out of your way.

BUJO elements

A bullet journal is built around a few core concepts:

1. Rapid Logging

The system relies on what Ryder calls “rapid logging,” a way of jotting things down quickly using short bullet points and symbols. Tasks are usually noted with a dot (•), events with an open circle (○), and notes with a dash (–). This visual shorthand makes it easy to scan a page and see what’s what. Jot a phone number, a meeting action item, or an idea. Then mark it with your code (you can change it to whatever you like or even use stickers or washi tape) so you can glance to see what you need to do with that data.

2. Migration

One of Carroll’s central insights was the power of migration: periodically reviewing your tasks and moving uncompleted ones forward to the next day, week, or month. This forces you to reconsider whether something is truly worth your time and prevents lists from becoming stale. Sometimes, you will get so tired of moving a task that you will do it so you don’t have to, or decide you are never going to do it because you don’t want to, and change your plan. This is one of the more powerful ways to boost productivity with a bullet journal.

3. Collections

Collections are themed pages where related notes or tasks live together. For example, you might create a collection for books you want to read, meal plans, or long-term project milestones. You might track your workouts or diet. These sit alongside daily or monthly logs, but they give the journal a customizable structure. There are some beautiful ideas out there on how to draw these, and it is fun to play with charts, sprints, and trackers.

4. The Index

Most bullet journals begin with an index page, where you record what’s inside and on which page. This makes the notebook searchable, especially as it fills up with a mix of lists, plans, and ideas. If you like the idea of an index, choose a notebook with numbered pages. Alternatively, you can put tabs on pages you want to reference frequently and skip the upkeep of an index.

The BUJO Structure

While no two bullet journals look exactly alike, many users follow a general structure:

• Future Log: A bird’s-eye view of the year, with space to note important dates, deadlines, or goals.
• Monthly Log: A calendar-style page paired with a task list for the month ahead.
• Daily Log: Short entries for each day, listing tasks, appointments, and quick notes. Some people prefer weekly spreads instead.
• Collections: Personalized pages, such as habit trackers, reading lists, travel itineraries, or budgeting sheets.

Because you’re designing the pages yourself, you can do what you want. Don’t want to write down your collections? Don’t. Use a digital calendar to track distant events? Skip that future log. Maybe you are like me and want more places to jot down ideas and fewer to keep track of appointments. You do you.

Make the BUJO yours

The appeal of the bullet journal system lies in its balance of structure and freedom.

1. Flexibility: Pre-printed planners are demanding. If you don’t participate every day, you have to carry that empty page around. A bullet journal doesn’t care. If you don’t need a weekly spread, don’t make one. If you ignore the whole thing for a month, so waht? If you want a page to track workouts, spending, or a new goal, or create a meal plan, do it.
2. Mindfulness: The act of writing things down by hand helps with focus, intention, and memory. Taking a few minutes to contemplate your tasks — and to accept that those undone tasks might not be important — refocuses your to-do list under the lens of your own goals and desires. The act of giving space to your dreams, life goals, and hopes puts them on the plan, giving them as much weight as the minutiae of work, family, and home.
3. Creativity: Taking time to grab some markers, colored pencils, and washi tape is fun, relaxing, and creative. Drawing pages, adorning them with stickers, and discovering new washi tapes is pleasant. It isn’t a distraction from your productivity and goals. It helps you stay focused on them, even if you are coloring a mandala or drawing a cartoon of how you hope your week will go.
4. Simplicity: Because you create the structure — choosing from a near-infinite number of templates and ideas or creating your own — the structure grows with your plan. Your book can be full of taped-in memories — crossing sometimes into junk journal territory — or an uncluttered, distraction-free planning tool.
5. Recording: It is a record of what happened. When you fill the notebook, store it and start another. Label the binding or cover. In the future, you can glance back and see how far you have come.

You don’t have to be an artist

Because bullet journals are often shared online as works of art, you might think you need to be a skilled artist to do this. You don’t. In fact, Carroll’s original system was designed for speed and efficiency, not as a creative outlet. It was about keeping track of chaos. His goal was to boost productivity with a bullet journal. The aesthetics are a bonus. It is easy to see how busy I am by glancing at my bullet journal. Is it full of drawings and stickers? I had time to think and relax. Is it all notes, tasks, and reminders? Those were busy days!

Another misconception is that bullet journals are time-consuming. Sure, drawing an elaborate spread can take hours, but you don’t have to do that unless you want to and have the time.

The BUJO People

The BuJo method has grown into a global phenomenon with millions of practitioners. Entire YouTube channels and blogs are dedicated to sharing “plan with me” videos, new layout ideas, and creative inspiration. Social media platforms have amplified this culture, turning pens and notebooks into strategies to boost productivity with a bullet journal and a form of self-expression.

The community also fosters accountability and support. People share not only their successes but also their struggles with organization, mental health, or motivation—and how their bullet journals help them manage those challenges.

Get after it!

Starting a bullet journal doesn’t require much: just a notebook and a pen. (Maybe some stickers and a cup of coffee.) I prefer dotted notebooks because they provide subtle guidance for writing and drawing, but lined or blank pages work. The key is not to overcomplicate things at the beginning. Once you’ve built a habit, you can experiment with different spreads and add collections that suit your life.

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