The Bullet Journal Method

Author: Ryder Carrol
Format: All
Source: Purchased
Rated: G- Self Improvement
Rating: ÝÝÝÝÝ

Some years ago, I took a class on the Franklin Planner system.  It was a printed agenda kind of thing.  Later it merged with the Stephen Covey organization and became Franklin-Covey.  The organizational principles had their roots in Ben Franklin’s 13 Virtues that Mr. Franklin wrote about in Poor Richard’s Almanac in the mid-1700s.  It was converted into a method of list making and general organization.  The mechanics of the Bullet Journal (BuJo) are similar. I think Solomon really had it right,

“That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.”  (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NKJV).

I know it may sound odd that I gave “The Bullet Journal Method” (BuJoM) a five bookmark rating when the mechanics are not particularly innovative.  Bear with me a moment and I will explain.  The basic needs and actions of people remain

The Bullet Journal Method

the same now, as they did four thousand years ago.  Solomon could not drive through a McDonald’s or Mexican food stand on his chariot at two in the morning for a munchie run, after a full day of being a wise king.  But He still needed to eat.  We send emails and make posts to communicate.  

The medium has changed, but the root need has not - we need to communicate.  We still get in a vehicle to go places, we look to stores of knowledge to get answers.  We just do it faster today than in Solomon’s time. His Google consisted of scribes and scholars, ours is close to the total of all knowledge. Some of it is even true! 

What makes the BuJoM so different is the way it starts to deal with our motivations.  Learning how to dig down and find out what IS important versus trying to react to things that may, or may not, be important.  In that regard it is exceptional.  There are practical exercises to help you tell the difference between the two. 

Making a list and checking it twice is not just for Santa Claus.  But in that review time, you can look at what you did or more importantly did not accomplish.  Ryder takes you through how he developed what he does and the why behind it.  There are so many things I never would have thought to write down, that I see now are important for me to record, just for my own use.  Recording this stuff gives me a chance to see what is important.  It is amazing to see how much time we waste on certain things.  Things that in the long run really are of no consequence.  Things we right now think are important, but an objective look shows they really are just vanity.

This book, from a secular perspective, walks you through how to start to determine what you need to do next. Is there anything magical here?  No, not really.  But how often have you looked at a task, that “again” was not completed?  Asking what the consequences are of never doing that task is a liberating experience.

How to ADHD _ The Bullet Journal

I got turned on the BuJo from a Vlog on “How to ADHD” on YouTube.  The link is to the left (click picture). But this only scratches the mechanics.  It does not teach you how to become wiser.  The BuJoM starts to touch on the process of growing your personal wisdom.  There are all kinds of different types of wisdom out there.  Some are larger than yourself.  But the one that helps you clearly decide on what you do is not taught.  It is developed over time, by trial and error.  Only errors you make count in that wisdom, though learning from other’s mistakes can be helpful.  In the end, you need to make a few mistakes to learn.

Universal wisdom like “spit to the leeward side of the boat” can be learned by watching others.  But what makes you tick, or excites you, that is a lesson you can only learn by experience.  BuJo helps you catalog the experiences you have, gives you a chance to review them and decide to keep or discard what you learned to find the next step.  You can’t learn that from a video because only time and experimentation will give you what you need.

  

The Bullet Journal Method guides you through the experimentation process so you can learn to apply them for the rest of your life.  There is nothing new under the sun, but sometimes it is good to look at what has been done to be sure you are getting better, not worse.

Studies show that using a writing tool like a pen or pencil connects with the brain.  It seems that trying to do this self-reflection via a keyboard loses something in the translation.  Yes, you may have to learn to write legibly, that is a challenge for me, but it is well worth it.

If you are looking for a way to evaluate and track your life, I can recommend the BuJoM.  It really is not so much new as complete.  Given the chance, you will surprise yourself with what you learn.