Trapped in a YouTube Bullet Journal Vortex

Back in 2015 when I was off work because I was sick with mono, I passed the days with Pinterest and Netflix. I even ended up pursuing new hobbies, like wood burning, because they were the current trend. In fact, I overdid it so much with both Netflix and Pinterest that I’ve never really gotten back into either. Sure, I still periodically watch something on Netflix because a friend mentions a show or I open Pinterest to find a recipe I pinned during what I've termed "the mono period," but I don’t indulge in marathons all that much anymore.

Last week, however, while I was off work again, I found a whole new vortex in which to become trapped: the black hole that is bullet journaling on YouTube.

Wow. Seriously. Wow.

I mean, I had seen a few videos on bullet journaling over the past two years -- enough to know it was a thing, anyway -- but I hadn’t actually done a deep dive into it as a lifestyle (to call it anything less wouldn’t capture how encompassing it appears to be). There’s little question that the ornate style with hand lettering using brush-tipped markers is beautiful and appealing. But how does one find time to do that? Often the pages are sketched out in pencil first before being traced in pen or marker and enhanced with colour and, of course, populated with content. Custom calendars, spreads, and layouts. Collections of collections (movies, books, bucket lists, podcasts). Habit trackers, meal planners, mood trackers. Social media accounts and their reach. Doodle pages. It seems endless. And how valuable is it?

(Disclaimer: I am aware that the ornate version was not the intent of the original bullet journal method, but it’s become a phenomenon unto itself.)

I recently saw an ever-so-helpful post on Facebook reminding people that they have the same number of hours in their day as Beyonce and that it’s all in how you use your time. I'm not sure comparing oneself to Queen Bey is fair. I bet she doesn’t have to wash dishes or pick up groceries or spend hours on end arguing with telecommunications businesses to get good service at a decent price (an annual saga for many of us).

Still, I understand that we all choose how we invest our time. And I don't in any way judge those who choose to invest theirs in bullet journals. I just would truly like to understand how much time goes into creating these layouts, populating them, and revising them. And beyond that, do they work? Are people getting out of them what they want and need? I've seen a lot of flip-through videos where a layout is described as not having worked for the user or where the user just stopped filling it out part way through the month. More than that, is it really better than the plethora of digital solutions we already have at our fingertips? I already have a Fitbit that tracks my exercise, which I then track in Sparkpeople because I prefer their system. Do I also need to colour a block in my planner? 

I say this as someone who was a devout user of a planner for decades. I always purchased the academic year instead of the calendar year. I liked the week-at-a-glance layout. My preference was for coil bound. But even I -- who in grad school coached a university professor on how to use a planner effectively -- have switched entirely to an electronic calendar. It wasn't by choice -- I still prefer a paper planner. That feeling when you've found the perfect paper and your pencil glides smoothly across the surface as you write cannot be matched! And I still feel lost in August when I am not out shopping for this year's make and model. But, in our tech-based world, I just can't see a reason to duplicate my effort. I would either have to transcribe electronic calendars into analog or vice versa because at work we use calendar invitations. [And I'm aware that for some people it causes frustration if all of an individual's appointments aren't logged there when it comes time to pick a meeting date and time.] So, it just isn't practical.

Still, I love stationary -- and notebooks in particular. Heck, as you all know, I actually make my own as a hobby (for example, this one, this one, and this one). So I feel compelled to get into bullet journaling just to use up my notebooks! At least I did until I found a new black hole on YouTube. There are videos on how to use your notebooks. Clearly, I'm not the only person with this issue.

And so after several hours of watching videos of how to use up notebooks, let me draw the following conclusions to save you some time:
1) They basically just suggest that you expand your bullet journaling to multiple volumes, putting your collections into their own distinct notebooks (for example, a travel notebook, a one-line-a-day notebook, a gratitude notebook, etc).
2) Notebooks can also serve as a practice space for your bullet journaling (hand lettering, borders, etc).

Interestingly, none of the videos I watched suggested you turn an unused notebook into a recipe book -- I guess handwriting recipes is too old school even for the bujo fanatics.

So, what would I do with my notebooks?

I tried a habit tracker. I made a few pages while watching TV. Every time the pen slipped and resulted in a less than perfect line, a little piece of me died. This is not an activity for someone who is Type A or a "perfectionist" -- I abandoned it.

Next, I thought about this blog and how sometimes I find it hard to remember what I've already blogged about or to come up with a topic if I'm in a blogging mood. I decided a log of the posts and their topics at the front of the journal and a list of future blog posts at the back of the journal might actually be helpful. I added dates. When I decided yesterday to schedule a few old posts on Twitter as #ThrowbackThursday content, it was actually helpful -- easier to flip through than to scroll and search on Blogger. But, of course, the Type A in me isn't loving the experience. Somehow while writing out my blog titles, two pages stuck together and upon my final flip-through, I discovered two blank pages right in the middle.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Incredibly annoyed with myself, I sketched out the Blogger logo to fill the space, but will probably eventually take a glue stick to it so that I don't have to be reminded on a daily basis of my error.

I'm really not cut out for this. Too much Brain, not enough Heart for bullet journals maybe?

I think in the future, I'll use my notebooks for note-taking the way I used to in grad school.

I'm still buying the brush-tip markers though...