My old journal from 2018 is just a notebook full of checkmarks

I keep seeing people get so stressed about making their spreads perfect and artistic. My first bullet journal was just a basic Moleskine with rapid logging, no fancy themes at all. The whole point was to get things out of my head, not create art for Instagram. Has anyone else gone back to a simpler system after feeling overwhelmed?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_robin3d ago

Totally get that. My current journal is just a bunch of scribbled lists on cheap paper. What was the main thing that made you decide to pick up the simple notebook again after seeing all the fancy stuff online?

sandragrant3d ago

Remember when bullet journaling felt like a fun tool instead of homework? I started buying fancy pens and stressing over monthly themes, then realized I was spending more time decorating than actually getting things done. Now I just use a basic grid notebook and a single pen, and my to do lists actually get finished. What's the most time you've wasted trying to make a spread look perfect before giving up on it?

karen_hill32d ago

Funny how this happens with so many hobbies now. It starts as a simple, useful thing, and then social media turns it into a performance. You see it with cooking, where a weeknight meal needs ten special ingredients and perfect lighting for a photo, or with exercise, where people buy all the gear before ever running a mile. The tool becomes the focus, and the real point gets lost. Going back to basics is often just remembering why you started in the first place.