The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future

A great introduction to bullet journalling. Very clear and thorough.

I enjoyed reading through the book, and thought there were some really useful takeaways. I have heard of the BuJo method before, so it was useful to run through and get a detailed breakdown of what it is and how it can work for you. One thing I will say is that I am a digital first person, all of my writing, planning, activity takes place online. I’m not sure that BuJo is easily transferable to the digital medium so it ultimately may not be as useful to me as it is to others.

I almost didn't buy this book, because of the other reviews suggesting that all the information is available for free online, especially on the author's webpage. It's true that all the basics are on the author's page and Youtube channel, and I went through it all before deciding to buy the book. You can start by yourself without buying the book, but you'll get so much more from the process if you read the book. The free resources tell you about that "what" but the book adds the all-important "why". i've tried lots of productivity approaches, like GTD and the Pomodoro method, and I feel much more enthusiastic about this method, partly because of its flexibility, partly because it forces you to think about why you're doing what you're doing. I would say half the book is a literature survey of various self-organisation and motivational methods, which doesn't aim to be a universal theory, but it covers a lot of familiar territory about collecting ideas into one place and regularly reviewing lists that will be familiar to anyone who has read "Getting Things Done" For me, the advantage over GTD is the flexibility of the approach, and the ability to make your system into an artefact, which is what your bullet journal becomes. The bullet journal generates a physical record of your life, while GTD is more forward looking. I'm not saying that bullet journals are better than GTD, but they may well resonate better with some people. In any case, yes, you can get a fair way with the free resources, but you'll get a lot more out of it if you read and re-read the book.

I've been a consumer of time management, life hack, prioritization, organizing, organizing for ADD, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral systems and books for literally decades. Throughout it all, I've been remarkably productive ---I've been an exec at a major entertainment company, a writer, an Emmy winning producer, a novelist with a Big Five, and on leadership committees for various arts organizations. I've struggled with prioritization my entire life, something invisible to most who know me. This system has been an eye-opener. I was initially put off by the "BuJo" nickname, by a photo of the young author in his buttoned-up persona, and by the rigidity of the artwork and look of the journal examples. As if I didn't know better than to judge only the surface of things! I'm embarrassed by this admission!. Well, I got over myself and gave this thing a chance. Hello! I now put it up with the only other time management tool I recommend: How to Get Control of Your Time and Life by Alan Lakein. Like that book, Ryder Carroll's system isn't just about managing time, it's about really understanding what you want from life, where you are going, and how you actually spend your time. . And if the surface look of the examples does not speak to you, look past the tiny handwriting and instead, seek out variations on youtube and find what works for you. I could not recommend this more highly. This book is nothing short of profound.

I am new to bullet journaling and embarking on my first one. The system was recommended to me by a friend, and whilst researching it and becoming more and more convinced it was the system for me, I discovered that the creators book was due for release. Brilliant timing thinks I; I can get the book AND a notebook all at the same time. I wish I had just bought the book for a fraction of the cost and bought the notebook elsewhere. The book is brilliant. I like Ryder's writing style. It made the book captivating, and very easy to read; I consumed it in just 3 evenings. It thoroughly explains the system, both for novice users, and for those that want to take their bullet journaling to the next level. There are lots of personal, and real life examples within from contributors, which illustrate beautifully just how flexible and useful this system is; not just as a tool for organising and planning your life, but also as a tool for reflection and personal growth. It really is what you make of it, and it can be as simple or as complex as you need. Anything can be incorporated it. I'm really quite blown away by it's scope and have an enormous sense of 'finally, a system that works like my brain!' The big draw back, is the Leuchtturm1917 notebook that came with it. It is the recommended notebook on the official bullet journal website and one that comes highly rated by many bullet journallers. It is a beautiful looking notebook. So beautiful it almost feels criminal to deface it with ink! Yet I'm struggling to understand why it has got such a good reputation. I can only assume that at some point in the last couple of years, the paper quality has changed enormously. The pages are very thin. When I say thin, I mean you can see a page with writing on it, through at least two pages. Therefore the ghosting on each page is terrible. I honestly can't remember the time I used any notebook where it was this bad. It makes the notebook completely unfit for purpose as a bullet journal. I've tried a few pens on a test page (see photo, showing the reverse of that page). All the pens I've tried were recommended highly by experience bullet journallers as pens suitable for bullet journaling in the Leuchtturm1917, with either minimal or no bleed through or ghosting. Wondering whether the issue was perhaps just the notebook that came in this set, I checked the Leuchtturm1917 reviews, but it would appear to be a very widely experienced issue. That being the case I'm really struggling to understand why this hasn't been addressed, and why Ryder Carroll would include the Leuchtturm1917 in this set. Very disappointing. With a great notebook, this review for the The Bullet Journal Method Collector’s Set would easily have been a five star, but with that notebook, I feel I'm being generous to give it a 3. Buy the book, but look elsewhere for a notebook that is up to the job!

The book is not necessary to bullet journal but I found it motivational and clarifying as a beginner to this excellent way of journalling.

Great way to organize your journaling but the book is fleshed out with some very insightful philosophical observations.

📝it's interesting that I read this book right after reading "Make Time." The Bullet Journal Method points out that we can't make time—we can only take it. Although we can't create more time, we can improve the quality of the time we use. This book not only teaches you how to bullet journal but, more importantly, provides insights into why you should do it and how it will benefit you. It will teach you about setting goals, focusing not on pursuing happiness but rather on meaningful tasks and objectives. A must read for those struggling with time management and consistency. ✍️ My Top 3 Quotes In the end it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln We must take it upon ourselves to grow. We grow by learning. And we learn by daring to take action. There will always be risk because we can't control the outcome. This is the way of life and it's unavoidable. What is avoidable however is being perpetually haunted by all the things that could have been if you have only dared. Begin by giving yourself permission to believe you're worth the risk. - p.129 f Happiness is the result of our actions then we need to stop asking ourselves how to be happy. Rather we should be asking ourselves, How to be. - p.141

Fantastic book. Found it useful and easy to adopt the principles shared.

I watched one of Ryder’s videos on YouTube before going on a rabbit hole of bullet journaling. I have been doing planner-ing and journal-ing in different ways, both digital and physical. I’m hoping to put BuJo to practice and see where it takes me.