Everything you need to know about creating the perfect Bullet Journal

Is this diary system the answer to all your problems?

Have you started your own Bullet Journal? If not - then why not?

All you have to do is type 'Bullet Journal' into Instagram and you'll be met with over 3,000,000 pictures of ridiculously pretty, perfectly colour-coded, meticulously organised diaries. While they look like dreamy, no two are the same, making every single one completely unique.

Why? Because everything in it is created by yours truly. That's right - all those beautiful swirls and lists you see on social media are made with just a pen and some imagination.

So what are you waiting for? It's time to find out how you can create your very own Bullet Journal.

What is a Bullet Journal?

The Bullet Journal is a system created by Brooklyn-based designer Ryder Carroll, who spent 20 years developing the method so he could stay organised. Essentially, it’s a modern Filofax – a place to dump all your thoughts, organise yourself and also involve your creative side.

So how do you do it, and does bullet journaling work? Basically, it's a coded system for organising your thoughts, but it's essentially a DIY journal that admittedly takes a little effort to perfect and create. The journal itself can be any notebook you like. It's the system that's the interesting part

Firstly, watch this video for an overview - these are the basics, and might not seem hugely inspiring just yet.

How to Bullet Journal

1. Get the right notebook. That's all you need, because with this system you ditch your twenty million half-started notebooks and put everything in one place. One notebook with everything in it. The popular choices are Moleskine or Midori Traveller Notebooks.

• Buy now: Moleskine notebooks at Amazon (UK) | Amazon (US)
• Buy now: Midori Traveller Notebooks at Amazon (UK) | Amazon (US)

2. You can make you own rules in terms of what goes in and how you use it. There’s a basic formula for keeping track of things (see the video above) but you can include lists for tracking my meals, meditation, exercise, downtime - the possibilities are endless. And that's the beauty of this system - you personalise it.

3. Get planning. Invest in some nice pens, a ruler, a mechanical pencil (you will mess up when you start) and go online for inspiration - there are tonnes of videos and Pinterest boards about Bullet Journaling to get you inspired and send you on the way to creating your own bespoke diary.

Bullet Journal ideas

Looking for Bullet Journal inspiration? If you're a Bullet Journal beginner and want some help getting started, here are some excellent Instagram accounts to follow.

@bulletjournal

@b.bulletjournal

@bulletjournal.ideas

@pages2plans

@my.life.in.a.bullet

@journalspiration

@bonjournal

Need more inspiration? Watch this video from another Bullet Journal fan, Amanda Rach Lee, on how to get super organised with your new Bullet Journal:

Now you know where to buy a Bullet Journal notebook and how to create the journal of your dreams, there's only one thing left to do: start.

So what are you waiting for?

Happy Bullet Journalling!