20 Things To Put In A Bullet Journal That Are A Must
Starting a bullet journal is fun and exciting, you’re filled with all this information and ideas but at some point, you’re bound to end up wondering what to put in a bullet journal.
In fact, this actually quite normal but from my experience with bullet journaling, these 20 things should definitely be included in your journal – the ‘must-haves’. What are they? Well, a bullet journal should contain pages such as daily spreads, monthly spreads, goals, gratitude lists, interesting finds, birthday lists, habits, and more.
Here you’ll find wonderful ideas of things to put in a bullet journal that will have you grabbing your pens and getting started!
1. Daily Spreads
If you’re planning to use a bullet journal to be more productive, having a daily spread will be incredibly helpful to keep you updated throughout the day.
There are many themes you can use to decorate your spreads but sometimes it’s best to just keep things simple for these so you don’t have to spend too much time decorating or drawing every single day.
2. Monthly Spreads
If daily spreads are not something you want to keep track of then having a monthly spread will be more helpful in terms of keeping up with things you need to do, appointments, places to be, etc.
You can also include a monthly overview at the end of the month just to review your progress for the month and this will show you things you need to improve on or pick up on areas that are lacking.
3. Cover Pages
It’s exciting to start a new month with a fresh theme or picture that separates the old from the new. It’s like starting a new chapter each month.
Some bullet journal artists love to use the cover pages as an introduction to the month’s themes.
You can always draw flowers on this page, write the month, and continue decorating the next pages with whatever you have chosen.
4. Goal Tracker/Overview
Here’s another page to add to your bullet journal that will benefit in the long run and that’s having a goal tracker. You can keep this simple or try a creative way to keep track of all your goals like what we’ll show you in a bit.
There are two options for this:
1. Create a goal tracker spread that will track multiple goals
2. Create a goal overview page that discusses each goal in detail at the end of the month
You could do both of them or just one, it doesn’t matter. All you have to do is pick the best one that you think you’ll keep up with.
5. Gratitude Lists
It’s easy to get lost in moments where frustration runs high or when feelings having taken a huge hit, having a list of things you’re grateful for can really bring you back to the moment of what’s important.
These tiny reminders are a great way to get to yourself and understand why things happen as well as give you hope for the future.
You could also try gratitude prompts in which is slightly different. Here you will not be listing many things but instead discussing each aspect in detail.
Here is some gratitude prompts you can include in your bullet journal:
- Three things that make you happy
- Three obstacles you’re facing and what you’re learning from them
- What are the most important things you’re looking forward too?
- List three things that made you smile recently
- Write three silly or weird things you’ve encountered this week
6. Interesting Finds
This page should be dedicated to anything that you find interesting. Maybe you’ve discovered a new ice cream flavor you love or surprising news you found out, write them down.
You can also include interesting places you’ve seen or places that seem interesting. Anything that catches your eye, use this page to collect your thoughts and ideas.
7. Birthday Lists
Let’s be honest here for a second, sometimes we forget our friend’s birthdays. It happens when you’re always busy or just that kind of person who forgets things easily.
Keep track of all your loved one’s birthdays with just a quick spread at the beginning of your bullet journal. You can always flip back and see which upcoming birthday you need to remember in order to be better prepared.
8. Habits
It’s equally as important to keep track of your habits just as how you may do so for your goals. When you check your habits consistently, you’ll be able to increase self-improvement and focus on things that actually matter.
There are many habit tracker ideas on Instagram and Youtube that will show you a creative way to keep track of everything in one place.
Whether it’s exercising, doing yoga, going to the gym, completing your homework, making your bed, or even drinking water, use those boxes to make sure you never miss a day.
9. Affirmations
These pages are crucial if you want to boost our self-esteem and feel better in general. Mental health is a real thing and we often have to take care of ourselves so that we can function at our best.
Dedicate a single page (or a few) to write down affirmations that will inspire, motivate, and make you feel good about yourself and the things you do.
There are a few types of affirmations but a daily or morning affirmation page will really improve the way you think and feel on a daily basis.
10. Yearly Overview
Similar to a monthly overview as discussed above, a yearly overview is great to have at the beginning and end of the year.
It’s a great way to layout your thoughts, ideas, and mission for the year to serve as a reminder of what you wish to accomplish.
At the end of the year, you can include a page that shows everything you’ve achieved or done and also, things you’re proud of.
This will help inspire you to be ambitious next year and move over things you hadn’t completed in the previous year.
You’ll also be able to measure your past achievements and practices to your current ones.
11. Vision Board
Making goals is easy, anyone can do it but making sure you accomplish these goals is a tough task to achieve. Not everyone will do so but sometimes all it takes is a quick reminder to get you back on track.
That’s why you need a vision board that will serve as a reminder of what you need to do to achieve these dreams.
Rather than making plans, visualize the things you want to have in your life, and eventually, you’ll find yourself working harder than before.
12. Budget Planner
This one was sort of new to me but much-needed addition to any bullet journal. Keeping track of your spending and budgeting is crucial if you want to save more.
I love this particular video that shows you brilliant ways to budget in a bullet journal. There are great spread ideas and she’ll show you step by step on how she manages her finances:
13. Favorite Quotes
This is another fun page to include in any bullet journal. Here you get to explore your creative side while writing down quotes that mean the world to you.
This page also motivates me to read more to find new quotes for my bullet journal that will touch me deeply in some way. It’s easy, straight forward and definitely makes your bullet journal more interesting, even if you’re running out of ideas.
14. Recipe Bank
When you’re always on the go, having a proper schedule and meals set out for the week in the form of meal planning spreads will benefit you in so many ways.
Keep a few pages of your journal to store the ‘go-to’ recipes you’re probably going to use often.
It’s also a great way to write down great recipes to try for later.
15. Books To Read
If you’re a huge lover of books, you’re going to be pretty excited about this page idea! Every month, you can set out a page to write down books that you really want to read.
You can also include a section where you discuss which ones you read as well as include a star rating system to keep track of which ones you read.
16. Brain Dump
Untangle your messy thoughts with the use of brain dumps. All you have to do is write down every thought that pops into your head without analyzing each one. Don’t read any of them until you’ve completed the entire list.
We’ve recently created a complete guide to brain dumps if you find this idea interesting.
It really helps calm your racing thoughts while making sense of thoughts that seem troublesome.
17. Progress Chart
Having a progress chart in a bullet journal is fantastic for keeping track of your outcomes.
If you’re on a mission to succeed and make sure that you’re where you want to be, for example, if you want to lose weight you can keep a weight loss tracker that will list all the goals you need to hit off.
When you use a progress chart, you’ll be accountable for making sure you finish what you start.
18. Chore Chart
I’ve found having a chore chart or checklist is really helpful in making sure that no spot gets left. There are many different ones you can try depending on which cleaning routine works best for you, so make sure to browse Instagram for some ideas.
19. Wish List
Is there anything you wish to buy soon? Something you’ve desperately been wanting for a long time? Write them down. When you create a wish list, you have all your desires listed. This way you can create an action plan to somehow get those items you want.
20. Summer Bucket List
Do you know how when we’re in winter we think of all the things we can’t wait to do in Summer? But then summer comes and we’re lost for ideas!
Create a summer bucket list to keep things interesting during the holidays and make the best out of the hot season.
Also, be sure to check out these July Bullet Journal Ideas to create the ultimate summer-themed journal you’ll really love!
Conclusion
Finding creative things to add to your bullet journal is easy. There are plenty of ways to spice things up and have fun again simply by trying out these page ideas.
What did you think of these ideas? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below as well as some of your favorite ways or things to put in a bullet journal.