New Journal Setup Pt.2

As I posted about last week, I have started planning and setting up my new journal before I finish my current one. This is because unlike my current journal, I’d like to have an organised front section that includes yearly spreads and goals so I don’t have to go hunting for them as I currently do. I like to keep everything pretty organised and regimented (even with something as free-form as a bullet journal) so hopefully, this will help!

I’m attempting to only tackle a spread a week so I don’t do it all at once but I did somewhat fail at that this week so I have two spreads to share with you today.

Firstly, I present my cover page! Unlike my current journal, where the cover and key are on separate spreads, I have decided to combine them here.

I use the original Bullet Journal Key, which revolves around (no surprise) bullet points that you can cross out or turn into arrows as you complete or move tasks. I really like this simplistic approach as it turns a simple dot into a useful tool. Any notes you might take, about anything really, are symbolised by a -, again nice and simple. An event (birthday, holiday, dinner reservation etc.) is denoted by an O. In my current journal I have expanded this slightly with coordinated colours, with a blue O denoting a birthday, for example. I’m not sure if I’ll carry this across yet, but I have room to expand the key if required.

As for my cover, I love geometric patterns and dotted pages allow even a graphic idiot like myself to draw some up without too much hassle. I went with green and gold here partly because the notebook itself is green so it fits, but also (nerd klaxon) because I associate geometric patterns with dwarves and I love the green stone of Erebor in the Hobbit movies (nerd klaxon ends!)

The second spread I completed this week is again not a double-page affair. In my current journal, I’ve been recording monthly statistics in my future log/calendar which is set up like this example in my new journal. While this has worked, I have had an issue for a couple of months this year so far where there hasn’t been the room and I’ve had to squish things in which I’m really not a fan of!

Instead then, with my new journal, I decided I’d have a page dedicated to these statistics, and here it is! I’ve included the three main things I track at the moment; Great Days (where I’ve checked everything off on my habit tracker,) how far I walked (miles not meters!) and average sleep- which wasn’t tracked in January as I had no fitness tracker.

I’ve got a bit of space leftover still so I may add something else if I feel I want to start tracking it; perhaps blog views or yoga sessions completed.

The second page here was quite a bit trickier. I have both a goals page and a 20 in 2020 page (which I really like the idea of but could not think of 20 things!) in my current journal but a lot of those goals have been quashed by the COVID-19 restrictions (goodbye European backpacking 😢*) so I thought the best approach would be to look at the goals I had and which ones would be achievable given the restrictions and changes that are likely to impact the rest of the year. I only have space for one more goal on here but I think that’s ok, there’s a lot to get to as it is!

Do you track statistics like distance walked or average sleep month-to-month in your Bullet Journal? What about goals, how do you deal with it when they are put completely out of your reach by events outside your control?

*Please note I am fully aware there are way worse impacts than holidays being cancelled as a result of the current pandemic, at the same time, however, I think as individuals we are allowed to be annoyed/upset/put out by however it has affected our personal lives and plans- as long as you can recognise that there are more important things at stake. Stay home and wash your hands!