Use these 5 quick bullet journal layouts the next time that you find yourself short on time. From daily and weekly spreads to a simple and beautiful memories page, you will find a spread that fits your needs and your schedule.
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I’ve been hardcore slacking lately. My weekly spread is empty, there’s nothing but crickets on my blog, and I’ve been distant from social media. I’ve literally had zero time to plan, so, I’m over the moon about today’s guest post. Eli from ProductiveStyle has been so amazing and has put so much effort and thought into this post. So, I’ll introduce her and let her take it from there.
Eli Brook is a teacher, doodler, planner, and journalist. Although her background is in technology, Eli loves all things creative and is passionate about finding new ways to be productive.
She is the author of the Planner Doodles book series (Floral, Christmas and Halloween editions are available on Amazon), host of the Draw With Me Challenge and co-host of the Plan With Me Challenge on Instagram and Facebook.
Hi, I’m Eli from ProductiveStyle! I’m thrilled to be able to guest post here on The Petite Planner and share some time-saving spreads with you!
I love to share productivity and creativity tips online, as well as through books, and classes! One of the most common responses I’ve heard when enthusiastically sharing about creative journaling, planning, and bullet journaling, is that there just isn’t enough time in the day.
Often new planners are concerned that they will have to spend hours creating perfect spreads, or that they will need to be talented artists in order to be effective. Thankfully these misconceptions couldn’t be further from the truth. With just a few minutes of planning time, you can actually find missing minutes in your day, become more organized, and have MORE free time instead of less!
Here are five quick spreads that I use when I’m crunched for time. These will help you get a handle on your day without sinking hours into planning. In fact, basic versions of each of these can be created in less than 10 minutes!
SPREAD 1: Carnation Daily
Materials
- Floral Planner Doodles Book
- Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pen
- Tombow Dual Brush Pens
- Leuchtturm 1917 Medium Dot Grid Journal
- Ruler
Directions
To create this spread, I started with a simple carnation doodle with an extra long stem. This one is from the Floral Planner Doodles book, but there are many many great simple floral doodle tutorials available at the Petite Planner and other places online! Your centerpiece can be as simple or complex as you would like!
After doing the floral doodle, I used the stem as a timeladder and numbered it with hours in the day. From each hour, I marked in appointments for the day. Then I added a header with the date, a to-do list, a motivational quote and a simple grid to track steps and water intake.
I love using this spread because it can be as simple or as complex as you would like it to be. The clean lines help keep me on track on days full of meetings and appointments!
SPREAD 2: SunRay Schedule
Materials
- Helix Circle and Angle Maker
- Staedtler Pigment Liner Pens
- Tombow Dual Brush Pen
- Leuchtturm 1917 Medium Dot Grid Journal
- Ruler
Directions
To create this spread, I started by tracing the outline of the Helix Circle and Angle maker on half the page, then, holding it in place, made a half circle with the largest compass slot.
Next, I marked increments around the outside every 10 degrees. Finally, I used a ruler to take these marks to the edge of the paper in a sunburst pattern.
This spread can be used to keep track of how time is spent (just add color coding), appointments (add numbers and use the rays to record what you’re doing throughout your day), or any number of other activities.
SPREAD 3: Daily Doodle Motivation
Materials
- Staedtler Pigment Liner Pens
- Zebra Mildliner Pens
- Leuchtturm 1917 Medium Dot Grid Journal
- Whale Doodle Tutorial From @DrawWithMeChallenge Instagram
- Ruler
Directions
This is actually a fairly old spread. It was created based on a quick drawing tutorial from the first month of the DrawWithMeChallenge! You can substitute any doodle that makes you happy here!
To create the spread, I just added a box on the bottom half of the page to track my daily to-do list, then I divided the header to create a place to record the number of steps I walked that day. A water tracker runs down the side, as well as the date.
Since this spread is so quick to create and can be customized with whatever fun doodles I have time for, this is my go-to daily planner page for super-rushed days!
SPREAD 4: Weekly Stripes
Materials
- Helix Circle and Angle Maker
- Staedtler Pigment Liner Pens
- Tombow Dual Brush Pens
- Leuchtturm 1917 Medium Dot Grid Journal
- Ruler
Directions
Next up is a simple, but stylish weekly spread. To create this, I added 7 circles using the largest circle stencil on the Helix Circle and Angle Maker throughout the page. Then, I added stripes of varying thickness behind each of these with a ruler and Tombow Dual Brush Pen. Finally, I added a few boxes in the extra space to track ideas, lists, to-dos, etc.
I love how this spread is so quick to create, but still looks bold and crisp. There is space at the top to customize with a lettered date, doodles, washi, or whatever you would like!
SPREAD 5: Sunflower Memories
Materials
- Floral Planner Doodles Book
- Staedtler Pigment Liner Pens
- Tombow Dual Brush Pens
- Leuchtturm 1917 Medium Dot Grid Journal
- Ruler
Directions
One of my favorite things about planning and journaling is the ability to capture all of the great memories I have. It’s so easy to become so rushed that you forget to stop and appreciate all the good things that happen in life. I love to keep a memories page in my journal and either write or doodle my favorite events from each month.
To do the page, I just create a few scattered horizontal lines on the page. Next, I add an outside border, and then divide them into sections. For this particular version, I used one a sunflower header image from the Floral Planner Doodles book. You can use any number of doodles or simply a handwritten header to complete the page.
This layout has become another go-to during busy times. It is quick and simple to create, yet helps me stay focused on positive things in life. I love how the boxes on this page remind me of film strips!
I hope you have enjoyed these quick and easy to make spreads! If you like quick spreads, check out ProductiveStyle’s blog and Instagram for more quick 10-minute spreads! A YouTube series on the Productive Style channel is also coming soon!
For more great basics be sure to also check out Erin’s new Back to Basics series on YouTube!
Books by Eli:
Floral Planner Doodles: https://amzn.to/2u9pD7x
Christmas Planner Doodles: https://amzn.to/2udIOx5
Halloween Planner Doodles: https://amzn.to/2uchD5E
Where to Find Eli:
ProductiveStyle Blog: http://www.productivestyle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/productivestyle/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProductiveStyle
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/prodstyle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Productivestyle