The Bullet Journal Method: Track Your Past, Order Your Present, Plan Your Future

by Ryder Carroll

The Bullet Journal method consists of two parts: the system and the practice.

to be more productive we need a way to stem the tide of digital distractions.

the Bullet Journal method keeps us mindful of why we’re doing what we’re doing.

Intentionality is the power of the mind to direct itself toward that which it finds meaningful and take action toward that end.

If intentionality means acting according to your beliefs, then the opposite would be operating on autopilot. In other words, do you know why you’re doing what you’re doing?

Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

We need to reduce the number of decisions we burden ourselves with so we can focus on what matters.

Keep in mind that each task is an experience waiting to be born, offering a glimpse into your potential future.

To dare in life is to make yourself vulnerable to the possibility of failure.

We try and fail to fill that void with things, which does little more than weigh us down even further. That’s why it’s vital to seek out what shines forth for you.

When not set with intention, goals can be knee-jerk reactions to something ugly or painful in our lives.

Of all the challenges you’ll face along the way, endurance often proves to be the most cunning and lethal adversary.

The thought of beginning something new can be alluring, especially if what you’re currently working on is dragging out. Resist! Living intentionally is about focusing on what’s most important now.

Once complete, a Task turns into an accomplishment.

Celebrating your victories isn’t just about patting yourself on the back; it trains you to identify positive moments, which allows you to discover—and enjoy—more of them.

Studies show that we need about five compliments to balance out every negative remark made toward us. That’s because we remember negative events more intensely than positive ones. Introducing a gratitude practice—a simple process of regularly taking stock of what you’re grateful for—is a good way to counteract your negativity bias by fostering an awareness of the positive things in your life.

Chances are you’ll find yourself quickly running out of obvious things to be grateful for, such as health, home, family, friends, dogs, etc. The trick is to avoid repurposing the things you’ve listed before. That’s when things get interesting. It’s when we exhaust our stock answers that we begin to dig into our daily experience for material.

you can’t be grateful for everything, but you can be grateful in every moment.

The fact that they acted like a ding-dong doesn’t make them wrong . . . and just because you were offended does not make you right.

Though goals provide direction, they focus on outcomes that are ultimately out of our control. This is why we break our goals down into small actionable steps:

We can use the same approach for tackling our challenges using our Bullet Journals. Start a new Collection and give it a Topic that names the problem: “I can’t pay rent.” Now ask yourself why. Write down the answer. Now, challenge your answer by asking why again. Do the same for the next answer, and so on, up to five times.

With our list of reasons clearly laid out, the next step is to figure out what our options are. Naturally, this is done by creating another list. You can do this on the facing page of your “I can’t pay rent” Collection.

Now we’re making some progress! Each entry is a path forward. Now, with your options clearly laid out before you, pick the one that excites you the most—the one that shines forth.

As W. L. Sheldon purportedly wrote: “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

The goal when designing our Collections is to maximize their functionality, legibility, and sustainability.

The benefits of long-form journaling are well documented, especially when it comes to stress reduction and combating anxiety.