April Bullet Journal Q&A
Over on my Instagram account, I asked if you had any Bullet Journal-related questions and a bunch of people sent these in! (If you’re not already following along there, I’m @amytangerine. I would love to see you there too!) For my full answers and a look at how I set up my April bullet journal spreads, watch my latest Plan With Me video.
@meandmybutton asked: What are your thoughts on planning ahead? How many days and weeks do you prepare in advance?
Well, quite honestly, because I use my Google Calendar for set deadlines and meetings, I really only plan one or two weeks out in advance in my bullet journal. I like that I can always reference my google calendar on my laptop, my computer, or my phone so that reduces how much I need to write in my planner. I’ve found that combining analog with digital and using each for different kinds of tasks and plans works well for me and makes planning ahead less overwhelming.
@letteringbyusha asked: I would love to know where you get your inspiration from and what supplies you’ve been loving!
My inspiration really just comes from my mood at the time when I’m setting up these weekly spreads! As I’m working in my bullet journal, I go with what feels right and what I decide to do in the moment. I find that it helps to remind myself that I don’t have to decorate every page if I’m not feeling inspired as I’m working on it.
Here are the supplies I’ve been using in my bullet journal recently that are still available!
Yellow Journal | Pilot G2 Pens | Tombow Brush 96 Pens Set | Tombow Glue and Adhesive | On A Whim products | All The Things pouch | Craft Tote Illustrated Faith | Illustrated Faith Black Ink | Washi Tape Illustrated Faith | My Brush Letter Alphabet stamps | Washi Tape | Roller Date Stamp | Acrylic Blocks | Sweet Stamp Shop
Another thing that’s really great about the bullet journal system is that you can make it whatever you want it to be and use whatever you have on hand. For that reason, I actually used a bunch of old supplies that aren’t available anymore when I was working on this month’s spreads!
@rrrrachely asked: “What do you recommend when you have a full to-do list and you are not sure where to begin?”
To be honest with you, productivity has been something that I have had to keep at the forefront of my mind because I’ve had my own business since I graduated from college. I’ve tried many different systems that have worked for me throughout that time, but one of my favorites was the Get To Work Book. That particular system was really good for me because it provides room for three to-do list items that are the most important.
What I learned through using that system is that even if you dread those three important things, tackling them first thing helps you to get that out of the way so that you can do more fun stuff. For that reason, I really try to prioritize those three tasks.
Sometimes, I also set up little reward systems to encourage myself to finish my work! If I get those hard things done, then I’ll allow myself a little reward and do something that’s just for me. Whatever that thing that you love doing is, you can use it to reward yourself. You could get a manicure or a massage, go for a walk, or even create some art for no reason at all. I found that the system of incentivizing the tougher tasks really works for me.
@milafeijoo asked: “How do you figure out the spacing of your days ahead of time?”
Monday and Tuesday are usually my busiest days, so I’ve learned to leave the most space in the beginning of the week.
Sometimes, I add a section on my weekly spread that I title, “This Week”. That gives me a place where I can really highlight the priorities that stand out for the week and I can make sure there’s space to write those important tasks because they aren’t divided up by day. Then, I can write the smaller tasks and to-dos on each individual day. Because that extra section takes most of the weight, I usually don’t have to worry that I’ll fill up a day and run out of space for more tasks.
This works better for me because sometimes, things carry over for multiple days. If I am really doing it the “bullet journal way” where I’m constantly migrating the same task over and over again, I find that I prefer to keep that task in one spot for the whole week.
This is a good time to mention that there are really no set rules with this system. I like that when something in the basic system doesn’t work for me, I can adjust it! That’s just one example of how I’ve changed the system to make more sense for my working style.
@cindykwaldron asked: “Do you use one planner for all aspects of your life or do you use a couple different planners for family, business, personal, etc?”
I only use this one planner for all areas of my life. I’m personally just better at keeping everything in one place where I can pay the most attention to it and keep it up to date.
That’s it for today’s answers! If you have any more questions about bullet journaling that you’d like to hear me answer in a future Plan With Me video, leave them in the comments below!
Here is the full video where you can see how I’ve been filling out my bullet journal and hear more about my creative process.
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