2017: New Year, New Bullet Journal

2016 was a rough one. There have been a lot of challenging things going on in the world, making it hard to stay positive. Despite all the bad, I still found some good in 2016 because it was the year I discovered Bullet Journaling! With a new year stretching out ahead of us, all fresh and new, it's only appropriate that I also move into a brand new 2017 Bullet Journal gifted to me by my very best friend.

So new and pretty!

While I've only been Bullet Journaling for seven months, I do feel that I've gone through quite a journey. From super basic layouts, to highly structured spreads all covered in washi tape, I've made a lot of stylistic changes. I loved how cute my previous spreads were, but I kept finding it harder and harder to just get something onto paper. (You can read a bit more about that here.) I kept delaying creating a collection if I couldn't figure out a good layout or how I'd want to decorate it. The nagging urge to buy more and more washi tape was incessant. Bullet Journaling was rapidly becoming about aesthetics rather than it's usefulness. A change was in order.

So, with my 2017 Bullet Journal comes the latest evolution in my personal Bullet Journaling style: minimalism.

The Plan

I did quite a lot of planning before I put pen to paper in my new Bullet Journal. I can't even begin to guess how many different ideas I gathered from Pinterest and Instagram! In the end I decided to use the same basic "layout" (if you can even call it that) for every collection I add. The name of the collection goes in the top left if it's on the left page, or the top right if it's the right page. Each letter in the collection name is two boxes high, one box wide. That's it. Every collection design for the year; done.

I've been trialling this approach for a few weeks before showing it to you and I already have this amazing sense of freedom. When I come home at night I don't feel like I should be working on my Bullet Journal just for the sake of working on it. I don't stress about my layouts for the next month or for new collections. My toolkit has been reduced down to four items. And best of all, whenever I open my Bullet Journal I feel this great sense of calm. That serenity is exactly what I began this Bullet Journalling experience in pursuit of.

Now let's buckle up for my 2017 Bullet Journal walk-through!

2017 Bullet Journal Walk-Through

Future Log

First up, my super sleek future log.

Retrospection and Goal Setting

A big part of the new year for me is reflection and goal-setting. My next two pages help me do just that. I use a slightly modified Level 10 setup (from Hal Elrod's Miracle Morning) with only 5 categories. I can rate my current progress on each category and on the page opposite, set goals so I can improve.

2017 Bullet Journal Year Goals New Year Resolutions

The two pages after are also part of my yearly goals, but they get a little more specific. I have a reading log page to help me get to my goal of 20 books this year and a finances page to help me pay down my mortgage quicker and save for travel.

2017 Bullet Journal Reading and Finance Goals

Cleaning and KonMari

Next up are a couple essential collections for me. My cleaning schedule and my Kon Mari progress checklist. My Kon Mari checklist has always been pretty simple, but this cleaning schedule is a pretty big departure from my previous layout.

Fitness and Health

Just like probably 99% of the world does in January, I am renewing my focus on health and fitness. I have worked out around five days a week for the last few years, but lately my progress has plateaued. These two spreads will help me track my progress and log any health related information (i.e. prescriptions, check up dates, etc.)

2017 Bullet Journal Health Info and Measurements

Planning and Lists

The next spreads are basically themed wish-lists. I have a page of places I want to travel to someday, a list of purchases I need to plan and budget for as well as an ongoing list of house projects.

2017 Bullet Journal Travel List and Purchases List

New (Unfinished) Spreads!

Finally, I have two new collections. To continue my trend of minimalism, I want to focus more on minimizing my physical stuff. I have A TON of makeup that I need to pare down, and my wardrobe could definitely stand a little culling as well. These spreads are going to be where I log what I end up with. I hope they'll help me make more conscious decisions about purchases in the future, or even prevent some purchases altogether!

And that's it! Like I said, I kept everything incredibly simple this year. So far I'm the happiest I think I've ever been with my Bullet Journal. Be sure to check back soon to see my new January monthly layouts!

My Bullet Journal Tools

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