A new decade is fast approaching and I’m ready to get back into bullet journaling by setting up my bullet journal for 2020.
Yes, I said “back into bullet journaling”.
I fell off the bujo wagon sometime around July 2019. I got so involved in creating beautiful spreads for Instagram and YouTube that the enjoyment of creating just disappeared for me. I totally lost sight of why and how I should be using my bullet journal, which first and foremost should have been as a productivity tool. Sadly, I think this is a trap that many bullet journalists fall into.
For a month, I was using a super cheap Kikki K diary (super cheap because I bought a 2019 diary in August). And then I ordered a Hobonichi Weeks. Which was adorable! I found a love for cute stickers and sticker kits.
But the last month or so, I started to miss keeping a bullet journal. And I had an itch to start creating spreads again. So I’ve set up a brand new bullet journal for 2020.
My 2020 Bullet Journal Set Up
For 2020, I decided to use an Archer and Olive dot grid journal. It’s just so beautiful with it’s red cloth cover and gold edges, I couldn’t resist.
I’ve also decided that this year, I need to keep it simple. Just the spreads and collections that I know I will use. I will only go with a set theme if I feel like it, instead of forcing myself to stick with a theme because that’s what looks good on social media.
I’m also going to try and utilise stamps, stickers and washi tape more in order to make setting up my pages easier.
If you prefer to watch my 2020 Bullet Journal Set Up, you can scroll to the end and find the video there, otherwise, read on!
Year at a Glance
Always useful in any sort of planner or diary is a Year at a Glance, which is just a full calendar. For the heading I used a Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen. For the yellow I used a Tombow Dual Brush pen.
Pro Tip: Make sure you have a calendar handy when you’re writing out your year at a glance, either on your phone or an actual printed calendar. And make sure you refer to it regularly so that you don’t make mistakes with your dates. There’s nothing worse than realising you messed up February and all of the following months once you’ve finished!
Next to the Year at a Glance, I added a simple 2020 Cover page to welcome in the new year. This was created with my favourite Staedtler Pigment liners. I used a circle stencil to create the curves and a ruler for the straight lines on the numbers. I then finished off with some Gold Coliro Paint, which has given this a 20s Art Deco vibe.
Bullet Journal Index
I reserved 2 pages for my Index. And I’ve done nothing fancy with it except add a heading. My intention is to split each page into two so that I will end up with 4 columns to list my index items. I’ll add to my Index as I start adding to my bullet journal.
If you’re wondering whether you need, or should add an Index to your bullet journal, then check out this post.
Future Log
My future log, where I’ll do all my future planning i.e. noting down all future events, tasks and appointments, is also simple.
To create these pages, I used Prima Watercolour Confections in Pastel to first lay some colour across the top of the pages. Once this was dry (you can use a hairdryer to speed up the process), I used some Clear Floral Stickers on top. Since the stickers are clear, you can see the watercolour underneath and it looks like I drew these flowers myself!
Next I added black boxes using Staedtler Pigment Liners and wrote the months using a White Gelly Roll Pen.
Pro Tip: If you intend on laying down black and then writing over the top with a white pen, make sure you use a black pen that isn’t water-based, otherwise the white will just absorb the black colour from underneath. So avoid using black pens such as the Tombow Dual Brush.
For my future log, I’ve only done 4 pages with 2 months per page. So in total my future log is only 8 months long. This is because I don’t expect my notebook to have enough pages for a full year.
Birthday Tracker
Initially I had intended to note birthdays in my future log, but then I realised I didn’t have a full year in my future log, so I’ve created a separate spread to remind me of upcoming birthdays.
The tracker itself is simple. I divided a page into 12 boxes, one for each month. But I decided to use the opposite page to practise my lettering and add a quote which signifies that this is a Birthday Tracker.
(Black Lettering: Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen; Colour: Tombow Dual Brush Pens)
Personal Goals and Business Goals
These pages may be two of the most important pages in my bullet journal right now. Here I’ve created areas for my Personal Goals and for my Business Goals. Each one is divided into 3 sections – to have, to be and to do.
These will be any and all goals I have. Even the grand “only in my wildest dreams” goals. I will possibly recreate and update these pages every quarter, or at least halfway through the year.
As with my Future Log, I used watercolour paint to add splotches of colour and then lettered over the top.
Finally, I created a quote page to keep me motivated throughout 2020. “Don’t stop until you’re proud”.
I used a Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen to create this.
And that’s all I’m including in my 2020 bullet journal set up for now. If you want to watch how I put it all together, here’s the video!
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October is literally a sleep away so I thought I’d give you a close-up of my monthly set-up in my bullet journal. I’d love to do a Plan With Me video for you but I don’t have the equipment to produce a decent video, and quite frankly, I don’t have the time. Maybe one day I’ll be able to record one, but for now we’ll just have to make do with a blog post!