3 Unconventional Ways to Remember to Use Your Bullet Journal

Life get’s busy and we sometimes forget to use one of the most valuable tools we have, our bullet journal. Here are 3 unconventional, but effective ways to remember to use your bullet journal every day.

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School is starting again. Schedules get hectic. And so it’s not uncommon for certain things like your bullet journal to fall to the wayside. You forget to use it for a day or two and then you start to feel like what’s the point now? 

First of all, even if you do miss a day or two or a whole week in your journal, it’s not too late to jump back in. You don’t have to give it up completely just because it didn’t work for a short time. I wrote an entire post on how to jump back into your journal after a break if you are currently in this situation and want to reignite your bullet journal flame.

And once you realize how important your bullet journal is in keeping your life organized and balanced, you’ll want to find a way to stick with a routine of using it. Even if you have the best intentions, sometimes life happens. So, this post will give you 3 unconventional, but effective methods to use your bullet journal consistently.

Remember To Use Your Bullet Journal Consistently

Just because I help people organize and get creative in their bullet journals doesn’t mean I haven’t fallen off the planning wagon. I have, on a few occasions. And I used these techniques to help me jump back in and stay consistent with it.

These might seem a little overboard. But that’s why I titled this 3 Unconventional Ways to Remember to Use Your Bullet Journal. While they may seem crazy, if you’ve tried everything else and it hasn’t worked, these extra techniques may be exactly what you need.

Post-It Note Reminders

This takes very little effort and can be extremely effective in reminding you how important your bullet journal is in your life. Write yourself a brief note on a Post-It and then stick it somewhere you will be sure to see it first thing in the morning. For me, this is on the freezer door because my coffee pot sits right next to the refrigerator. And I never go a single morning without coffee.

What should you write on your note? It could be something as simple as “bullet journal”. Or you could write a brief explanation of how using your bullet journal helps you. These simple analog notes can be the small push you need to grab your journal, fill in your trackers, and plan out your day in the morning.

Really need a boost? Try using multiple Post-It notes in different places in your house. One on the fridge, one on the bathroom mirror, one on your computer, etc. For some people, one note may not be enough to remind them of the importance of their journal. But if you are repeatedly seeing this little notes throughout your home, you will remember that it must be important if you took the time and effort to create all of these reminders.

Alarm

Do you think I’m crazy yet? I know. Setting an alarm on your phone to remember to use your bullet journal? Really? But, it works and it’s obnoxious enough to get you into the habit of doing it. For me, this method works best in the evening.

Set your alarm for half an hour before you typically go to bed. Most people at the time are relaxing, watching TV, reading a book, scrolling through Facebook or Instagram. So, this is the perfect time to take a few minutes to fill in your trackers and plan for the following day.

Set your alarm so that it goes off every day. This way you don’t have to remember to set it each day, and then there is no excuse for missing that half an hour of planning time. After a while, you won’t need the alarm because you will be in a routine and can turn the annoying buzzer off completely.

Premeditated Placement

Before you head off to work or school, what items do you need? Coffee, clothes, keys, your phone, etc. Where do you keep these items? Now, pick up your bullet journal and take it to the resting place of one of these items.

When I have used this method, I placed my bullet journal in my closet on the shelf where I keep my undergarments. I was forcing myself to look at my bullet journal every morning. And every time I did this, I found myself carrying my journal back out to my desk to plan for the day.

This method forces you to make a decision. You can either try to ignore your journal which you will likely feel slightly guilty for doing, or you can pick it up, knowing that it will only take a few minutes to plan and fill in trackers.

The Most Important Tip to Remember to Use Your Bullet Journal

Even with all of these extreme measures and reminders, there is one factor that wasn’t taken into account. That is your reason for doing it. Why do you keep or want to keep a bullet journal?

Finding this out is absolutely critical. Because even if you were to tape your journal to your TV or lock your phone in a safe saying you won’t touch it until you use your journal, if you don’t want to do it or don’t have a reason to do it, you just won’t.

So how do you find your reason?

What is it about bullet journaling that is so appealing to you? Is it the creative freedom, the organization? Think about this seriously and even write down your reasoning. Then, try to think of anything that makes you dislike your journal. Does it take too much time? Does the pressure of making it perfect hinder you from creating spreads or doodling?

If you have a lot of negatives, your starting point will be to re-evaluate your method. Maybe you spend too much time filling in too many trackers. So, stop using all of them and focus on the few that are the most important. If lettering and doodling seem like more of a burden than fun activities, try something less stressful. Snag some washi tape, stickers, or stencils and start with that.

Or maybe you’ll find that the bullet journal system isn’t for you, but that you still want to keep a planner. There are a lot of open layout planners that have room for creativity and flexibility, while still providing some structure. Check out the Scribbles that Matter Planner or the Happy Planner.

In the end, it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing. It matters that you find a method of planning and creating that works for you and that feels good to you.

I hope this post has helped you to see some fun/funny methods to remember to use your bullet journal. And I hope you find a method that works for you. Tell me what system you use in the comments below (creative bullet journal, minimalist bullet journal, dated planner, undated planner, etc.)