Inspired by changing seasons, my bullet journal theme for September features simple color-changing leaves. Instead of summery, willow branch leaves like August’s plan with me, I used color (green, yellow, orange, red, and a bit of purple) in just a few places to show the transition from summer to fall.
Here is an overview of the pages in this month’s set up. I hope this September Bullet Journal Plan With Me gives you some inspiration for layouts, products, and other ideas you can use in your bullet journal.
I’d love to know if any of these ideas spark your creativity or give you an ‘ah-ha’ moment. Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates.
Supplies Used For This September Plan With Me
- Tumbitri Meri 220 Page 160 GSM Notebook
- Zebra Zensations Technical Drawing Pen
- Zebra Mildliner Markers
- Chalkola Acrylic Markers (get 10% off through this link)
- Helix Circle Maker
- Circular Vellum Habit Tracker (coming soon in my shop)
- Productivity Stickers (coming soon in my shop)
- Foldable Portable Watercolor Set (not seen, but used later)
- Correction Tape
September Plan With Me Video
- Initial Flip Through Before The Pen/The Plan: 00:00
- Welcome Page/Monthly Log Inking: 03:16
- Welcome Page Quote: 04:33
- Tracker Page (Habits, Productivity, Mood, & Goals): 06:11
- Color Blends with Acrylic markers on Goals Page: 08:35
- Weeklies: 12:23
- Idea Bush (alternate brain dump name): 17:20
- Journal Page: 18:08
- Acrylic Marker Blends on Welcome Page: 19:41 (my favorite part!)
- Final September Plan With Me Flip Through: 20:08
Welcome Page / Monthly Calendar Log
Combining the welcome page and monthly log page worked perfectly for this minimal leaf branch theme. Monoline text and a quote begging September to bring us something good before she fades away rounded out the ‘Hello September” welcome on the bullet journal’s left-hand side.
Instead of a monthly calendar with rows and columns of boxes, I opted for a horizontal monthly log.
If you’ve never used a monthly log in a bullet journal, the idea is to keep the minimal design and write events connected to the date. I like to draw a line out from the date to write an event and other minimal details about the event. In this case, I’ll use the top section for family events and the bottom section for my events.
The progression of pictures on the monthly log above shows the different stages throughout this September Plan With Me until finally, I add in events and transition the monthly log from a creative planner to a creative and functional planner.
The only thing I didn’t think to add initially was a mini-calendar so I could visualize which date fell on a particular day of the week (i.e., 1st is a Wednesday, 18th is a Sunday, etc.). But that’s a simple enough fix, and I added the mini calendar later.
My notebook came with this handy ruler, I love a good ruler, and *this* is a good ruler. Check out the notebook review post here.
The color-changing leaves are my very favorite part of this spread. Instead of using watercolor markers, I used acrylic markers. You have to work quickly with acrylic markers, but I’m surprised at how well the markers blended. I also LOVE how vibrant the colors are and that they don’t bleed through the page.
Habit Tracker & Goals
If you track habits for home and work, you might consider splitting your habit tracker into two sections. For September, I split my habit trackers into two sets this month: personal & blog related. You might recognize my favorite circular habit trackers.
Around the outside, like a wreath, are 30 days of productivity and mood tracking. Each leaf around the circle coordinates with the day of the month, to easily match the date and the mood/productivity for the day.
Using the same idea from the monthly log, the goals page fades slowly from summer to fall as the colors transition from green to yellow to red to purple. Adding a black outline around the leaves gives a more whimsical feel to the spread, which I always love.
Functional & Aesthetic Fall Weeklies
Even though each week has a different design, they all have common elements that tie the designs together. It’s my favorite way to create weeklies if you’ve seen my plan with me posts/videos. I can’t seem to settle on one design. Maybe that’s why I like bullet journaling so much is that I can change it up and never get bored.
I loved my one line per day spread from August but decided to include a one-line per day for each week during September instead of having a dedicated page for the short journal entries.
Each day throughout the weekly spreads is separated by leaves or vines. Though I’d love to add color for each spread, I left it black and white. If I have time one day or need to doodle away some frustration after work, adding color is such a perfect way to relieve stress.
While I’m on the phone at work, I find myself doodling, so I could fill in the leaves there if I wanted to as well.
In addition to the weekday plans, the one line per day, I included a productivity tracker, meal planner, and notes section for each spread. This September plan with me turned out to be very efficient and ready to support my ambitions! I already love using my blogger productivity stickers I created to track my blogging activities.
Productivity Tip
Tip: If you are struggling with feeling productive, add a productivity tracker to record the things that you do. I think you’ll be surprised at how much you are actually doing. If you find that you’re procrastinating a task, you might find the motivation to check it off if you get to visually track that you’ve done it.
September Plan With Me Essential Pages
Rounding out the month are some other essential pages for my bullet journal plan with me spreads: the brain dump page and my journal page.
The brain dump page is called “idea bush” this month. I love coming up with alternate names for the term’ brain dump’. Check out my post “Different Names for Brain Dump,” where I share 150+ name alternatives. I’ll have to add ‘idea bush’ to the list. I also love to coordinate the name of my brain dump page with the plan with me theme of the month.
Simple leaves in fall colors embellish the journal page. Little dots around the leaf doodles add some fun detail and dress up this simple spread even more.
Your Plans?
I hope that this September finds you well, and my plan with me spreads provide you a creative muse to follow May your month bring you something good before it fades away. We all need something good in our lives.