How to Start a Bullet Journal: A Simple Setup for Beginners

To start a bullet journal, take any notebook and a pen and set up five things: a key for your symbols, an index, a future log for the year, a monthly log for this month, and today's daily log. That core setup takes about 30 minutes. Everything else, from trackers to decorations, is optional and can come later.

What a bullet journal is and why it works

A bullet journal is a notebook system that combines a to-do list, a calendar and a diary using short bulleted entries instead of long sentences. You write tasks, events and notes as they come up, review them regularly, and move unfinished tasks forward. The structure is simple enough to set up in one sitting.

The method was developed by digital product designer Ryder Carroll, who started looking for a simple way to stay organized in college and began sharing the system online in 2013. Its core parts, according to the same overview, are an index that lists what is in the journal with page numbers, a future log for long-term plans, monthly logs for each month's events and plans, daily logs for each day's tasks and notes, and a key at the front that explains your symbols.

The reason it works for so many people is that it is analog and flexible. There are no pre-printed pages you have to fill, so a quiet week takes one page and a busy week takes four. And because you rewrite unfinished tasks when you move them forward, you notice which tasks keep slipping and can decide whether they still matter.

What you need to start

You need only a notebook and a pen. A dot grid notebook in A5 size is a common starting point because the dots help you draw straight lines and boxes without dominating the page. A ruler or stencil and some skinny washi tape are nice extras, not requirements.

Two notebooks from our shop that suit a first bullet journal are the A5 dot grid and lined notebook with pen loop, which combines both page types and has two ribbon bookmarks, and the A5 hardcover dot grid journal with floral ivory cover, which has a thread-bound book block, an elastic closure and a pen loop. If you are unsure about size, our notebook sizes guide compares A5 with B5, A6 and TN-style formats.

For headers and dates, a brass journal stencil ruler (about 13 x 3 cm, in a letters or numbers design) gives you tidy lettering without practice, and a set of 3 mm gold foil skinny washi tape makes quick borders. You can find more tools in our stamps and journal tools collection.

How to set up a bullet journal in 30 minutes

Set up the core pages in this order: key, index, future log, monthly log, then your first daily log. The page counts below follow the Indiana University Libraries bullet journal guide, which lays out 10 setup pages and estimates about 30 minutes for the whole process.

1. Write your key (inside the front cover or on a spare page). Choose a symbol for each type of entry. A common set: a dot for a task, an open circle for an event, a dash for a note, an X for a finished task and an arrow for a task you moved forward. Keep it to five or six symbols.
2. Create the index (pages 1 to 4). Number the first four pages and title them "Index." Each time you add a month or a collection, write its name and page number here so you can find it later.
3. Set up the future log (pages 5 to 8). Divide four pages into 12 sections, one per month. Copy in birthdays, trips, deadlines and anything else you already know about the year. Add "Future Log, 5 to 8" to your index.
4. Make this month's monthly log (pages 9 and 10). On the left page, write the month at the top and list the dates down the side, adding weekday initials if you like. Write date-specific events next to each date. On the right page, write "Tasks" and list what you want to get done this month. Add the month to your index.
5. Start your first daily log (page 11). Write today's date and log tasks, events and notes with your symbols as the day goes on. When the day ends, start the next date wherever the last entry finished. No fixed page size per day.
6. Review and migrate. At the end of each month, look at open tasks. Cross out what no longer matters, move what does to next month's task list and mark it with an arrow. The library guide calls this step migration, and it is the habit that keeps the journal useful.

Budget your pages so the notebook lasts a year

Plan your page budget before you start: count the pages in your notebook, subtract the setup pages and 12 monthly logs, set aside a few pages for collections, and divide what is left by 12. That tells you roughly how many pages you can use for daily logs each month without running out early.

Here is a worked example for a notebook with 100 sheets, which is 200 pages, using the setup page counts from the Indiana University guide. It is planning arithmetic, not a rule, and you can adjust each line to your style.

About 12 pages a month works out to roughly three pages a week, which is plenty for short bulleted entries. If you know you write more, plan for a six-month journal instead, or choose a notebook with more pages. If you write less, you can afford weekly spreads or more collections. Either way, deciding up front is far less stressful than discovering in September that you have 10 pages left.

Dot grid or lined: which layouts work on which paper

Dot grid paper works best for layouts with boxes, columns and calendars, while lined paper works best for text-heavy daily logs and lists. If you want one notebook that does both, choose dot grid, or a notebook that combines dot grid and lined pages.

10 starter collection ideas

Collections are pages for one topic that you want to keep together, such as a reading list or a trip plan. Start with two or three that you will actually use, add their page numbers to your index, and add more only when a need comes up.

1. Books to read and books finished. A simple list with the date you finished each one.
2. Habit tracker. A grid with the days of the month across the top and three to five habits down the side.
3. Meal ideas. Go-to dinners so weeknight planning takes seconds.
4. Gift ideas. Note ideas for friends and family as you hear them, all year long.
5. Trip planner. Packing list, bookings and places to see on a two-page spread.
6. Project page. One page per project with the goal, next steps and deadlines.
7. Brain dump. An unstructured page for anything that does not have a home yet.
8. Movies and shows. What to watch next and what you thought of it.
9. Gratitude log. One line a day, easy to keep up and nice to reread.
10. Year in review. A page you fill at the end of each month with one highlight.

When you want to make these pages a little more fun, a strip of tape or a sticker goes a long way. Our washi tape and sticker ideas guide has simple ways to decorate without spending an hour on a page, and the washi tape collection has slim and wide rolls for borders and tabs.

How to avoid perfectionism in your first bullet journal

The fastest way to quit a bullet journal is to treat every page as a showpiece. Keep your first month plain: pen only, simple boxes, no lettering practice. Add decoration later, once the habit of logging every day is in place, and remember the journal is a tool first.

• Do a test month on scrap paper. If a blank notebook feels intimidating, try your layouts on loose sheets first.
• Use one pen for the first month. It removes a decision every time you open the notebook.
• Leave mistakes alone. Cross out and keep going, or cover a messy page with a strip of tape or a note card.
• Set a time limit. Give yourself 10 minutes for each new monthly setup. If it takes longer, simplify the layout.
• Skip days without guilt. A bullet journal has no pre-dated pages, so missing a day leaves no blank page behind. Just write today's date and carry on.
• Review, do not redo. If a layout does not work, change it next month instead of tearing pages out.

If you are new to journaling in general, not just to bullet journals, our guide on how to start journaling covers habits, prompts and choosing the right notebook in more depth.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best supplies for journaling?

The only supplies you truly need are a notebook you like and a pen that does not show through its paper. For bullet journaling, an A5 dot grid notebook is a flexible choice. Useful extras are a ruler or letter stencil for headers, skinny washi tape for borders and a ribbon bookmark for today's page.

What are good things to put in a journal?

Good things to put in a bullet journal include a future log for the year, a monthly calendar and task list, daily logs of tasks and notes, and collections such as a reading list, habit tracker, meal ideas, gift ideas, trip plans and a gratitude log. Start with a few and add more as you need them.

How do I start a bullet journal as a beginner?

Start with a notebook and pen, then set up a key, a 4-page index, a 4-page future log, a 2-page monthly log and your first daily log. The Indiana University Libraries guide estimates this core setup takes about 30 minutes. Keep it plain for the first month and add decoration later.

How many pages do I need for a year of bullet journaling?

A notebook with about 200 pages comfortably covers a year for most people who keep short daily logs. Setup, monthly logs and some collections use around 50 pages, which leaves roughly 12 pages a month for daily logs. If you write a lot each day, plan for a six-month notebook instead.

Get your bullet journal started

All you really need is a notebook with enough pages and a pen you like. Browse dot grid and lined options in our notebooks and planners collection, add a stencil or a set of skinny washi tape if you want tidy headers and borders, and block out 30 minutes for your setup.

US orders ship for a flat $6.99 and free on orders of $79 or more, with delivery in 7 to 14 business days including 1 to 3 days to process. Pick your notebook from the notebooks and planners collection and set up your key, index and future log the day it arrives.