The Pros and Cons of Bullet Journaling. Is it really worth doing it in 2023?

Bullet Journaling was something that I looked forward to, then suddenly it became a chore. Maybe it was the amount of time it took, or the spreads I had to keep up with.

Of course, bullet journaling isn’t for everyone. It works for some people and goes with their planning style. And for others, it’s too complicated and time-consuming. So, in this post we’ll go over and cons of bullet journals.

Pros Of Bullet Journals.

• Keeps everything on track(it is a planner after all)
• You feel proud of your artwork and designs
• And, there’s that feeling of victory that you already accomplished one of your goals for the new month(if you do monthly pages)
• You get introduced to an awesome community of bullet journal enthusiasts.
• And there is so much inspiration on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.
• An amazing way to record your life on paper
• All you need is a pen, a book, and maybe a marker.
• You can customize the journal to your needs, and your planning style.

• You have the feeling of your life being together, and that it can be all handled with your bullet journal on your side.
• Some customizable papers you won’t get anywhere else: habit trackers, mood trackers, favorite songs, planning, tracking assignments, etc.
• Portable, and it’s a gadget-free tool
• You can express your thoughts much better on paper
• In class or work, instead of going on a digital planner and getting distracted you just pull out your bullet journal. No distractions here!

Cons of Bullet Journaling.

• Really time-consuming, especially if you don’t practice drawing much
• Can be expensive, if you want good markers/pens
• For me, it was mentally draining, since at the end of the month I would always stress that I didn’t do my bullet journal for the upcoming month
• Sometimes I would create pages, and then forget about them
• Having to track daily, could add stress
• If you lose it, all your notes, tasks, and basically your months of hard work are lost. Even worse, if it ends up in the hands of the wrong person. You could’ve written your passwords or important information in it. Someone could have your literal phone book.
• For me, my artwork and daily tasks feel private. I’m not a fan of someone looking through without me there. There’s no password for a bullet journal.
• I would sometimes compare my artwork/design to others and that wasn’t helpful at all.
• If you use brush pens or use water to blend the paper, you bullet journal will get poofy.(telling you from experience)

Conclude

As you can see, the bullet journal has its pros and cons(as all things do). One of the main reasons I’m doubting the bullet journal process is the impact it had on my mental health. Not only would I stress about it, and beat myself up for not finishing the layouts fast enough, but it drained my time. Instead, you could try meditation, a peaceful practice that will allow you to take a few minutes to yourself every day to slow down and calm down. Find out more about the benefits of the Thomas Cothren Fresh Start page.

I would start looking at layout inspiration and outlining, but before I knew it, I needed to do other things. People say if you really want it, you wouldn’t be making excuses, and that you would make time for it. But I don’t think I really want it anymore.

There are other higher-priority activities that I need to spend my time on(like my blog).

And on the matter of keeping track of my tasks, I’ve recently started using ClickUp.

Also if you have any pros, cons, or questions about bullet journaling, I would love to hear them.

Take care. (⌒∇⌒)

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