Pages

31 March 2023

Free For All Friday No 751 by Laurie

I have tried and tried over for many years to use the Bullet Journal method, and have failed every time. The same things tend to trip me up again and again.

To be fair, for a couple of years I successfully used a modified version of the BuJo method, where my notebook was my daily inbox, and I put any lists or Collections in the back of the notebook. Of course I had to use a separate planner, because the BuJo method doesn't lend itself to the type of intensive day to day and forward planning I need. As long as I used the notebook just as my daily log, it was fine.

But whenever I try to use the actual Bullet Journal method with more of the components (Monthly Log, Future Log, Reviews, etc), I can't get past thinking my Filofax functions much better.

Of course there are pros and cons to every system. One pro of the Bullet Journal method is using an A5 notebook, which is much easier to carry around than most A5 Filofax binders (depending on ring size).

But the big con, for me, is having pages mixed around with each other in the bound book. Even with intensive indexing, I don't like lists and notes mixed in with daily log pages, monthly pages, reviews, various trackers, reference info, etc. I find things much more easily when my daily pages are all together in their own section, my trackers are in a designated spot, and my lists and collections are in their own categorized tabbed sections.

The other con, which is hard for me to get past, is not being able to move pages around in a bound notebook. My Filofax feels like so much less pressure. If I put something someplace, and decide it would be more convenient to have it in a different place, I just move it there. Or if I try a new tracker, form, review page, or whatever, and don't like it, I can modify or remove it, so there aren't a bunch of dead pages mixed in with the pages I'm actually using.

Here's a real-life example: In my previous FFAF, I wrote about the pages I like to keep within my monthly section. It's easy for me to find these month to month. If I write more than one page about something, for example Good Things That Happened This Month, or my planner reviews, I just add that page in my binder next, so the pages are continuous. But in a bound notebook, if I wanted to add something days or weeks later, that page would be out of sequence, later in the book. With techniques like indexing and threading I could see which pages follow what, but the result is still that pages are mixed in with other pages. I don't like it, and I prefer being able to add and move pages to keep continuous topics together.

One definite benefit of the Bullet Journal method is never wondering where to write something; you just write it on the page, and index it to find it later. In my Filofax I have a Notes tabbed section for my Inbox, and later I can move that page to the section where it needs to go.

Something I do find intriguing about BuJo is writing everything chronologically in the bound notebook, then at the end of the month reviewing what had my attention that month. Doing this month after month would create an interesting record. But the reality of my day to day life is, it's difficult for me to work that way, no matter how nice the resulting record is.

Many of the components of the Bullet Journal method are things I already do in my Filofax: Monthly Log and Monthly lists in my Monthly section; Daily Log pages; Collections in their own sections; Future Log in my annual overview pages; Trackers etc. I also use weekly pages for my main planning, and other reference pages that stay in my Filofax month after month or even year after year.

Have you ever used the Bullet Journal method, whether in a bound notebook or Filofax? How did/ does it work for you?

And as always on Fridays, feel free to ask and/ or discuss anything ring binder organiser related!

8 comments:

  1. I use both quite happily. A5 filo at work and bujo at home. Sounds to me like you are putting unconscious blockers up, but it really is worth persevering and soon will become automatic with no thinking needed. Xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. There are Bullet Journal inserts available for Filofax, may be that would help?

    https://philofaxy.blogspot.com/2019/05/bullet-journaling-in-your-filofax.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. I keep Rhodia for projects and project details, Filofax for daily routines and Calendar for schedulling. Only trouble is - I cant decide if to go horizontal vs vertical. What a surprise it is each and every year ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I completely empathize with being intrigued with the chronology of a bujo. It shows you where your focus was at that point in your life. Like you, as well, I need the flexibility of rings. I think what you're currently doing (dailies in a book, calendar/future planning/reference stuff in rings) is what you should stick to and try not to overthink it. A planner friend of mine uses rings for planning and day to day life, but a bujo set up for book notes, brainstorming, mind mapping, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The one revelation that I've adopted is starting every note /brain dump/ item with a small circle, then when I go back through the notes and decide on its action I put a symbol in the notes circle: diagonal line is 'done', a cross is 'done and logged in online job tracking system', an arrow pointing right is 'moved forward to either a section or calendar to work on. And because I rarely use highlighters if a night is the top priority I draw it's circle in boldly. This way when I keep returning to the brain dump/inbox I don't have to read every item again, just the empty circles which haven't been actioned yet. It's working great for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's very similar to what I do. I draw a circle when I have an action item. No matter what Filofax or Field Notes I'm writing in, or even, heaven forbid, a stray scrap of paper, I still know at a glance when something needs to be done. It's been working for me beautifully for about 6 years, and I have Ryder Carroll to thank for it. :)

      Delete
  6. Filofax works well for me, including a part working as a daily log. But the idea of ​​having everything in one place (I like space when I want to draw or put pictures) predominates, which is why I ended up preferring a Bullet Journal.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for all of your comments everyone! I'm happy anyone bothered to read my lengthy post! The comment at the top probably has a lot of truth to it, I think I get bogged down with things that I feel like should work for me (because they work for so many other people) but don't work for me for whatever reason. Also I try to go back to things that worked for me in the past but don't now because my circumstances are different.

    Steve thank you for the bullet journaling forms, those are very helpful! I will print and use those.

    ReplyDelete