Are you trying to get back to bullet journaling after a long absence? Me too. I want to get back into it, and know that I need to, because it was the only method of keeping a planner (aka my life together) that’s ever worked. So to give you ideas for jumping back into bullet journaling. I’ll include the things I do to ‘get back on the wagon’ after an absence, no matter how long.

I know I’ve neglected this blog and so many other things, including my planner and bullet journal. But I knew I had to give myself time. It is time to adjust to the new reality in my life and time to form all the changes in my life. Because heaven knows I’m burnt out.

If you’re trying to get back in the swing of things after a long unintended break, we are in the same boat. I believe everyone will agree that the past 12 months have been life-altering in some way, form, or fashion. For me, I became the sole income earner in our household. My husband lost his job early in April, and boy has it been a struggle for me.

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Let’s stop for a minute, and I have to say kudos to you. Yes, you, the one reading this post. Kudos to you for holding your head high and taking that next step when you don’t feel like you can go on. Good job for making it this far in whatever struggle you’re going through. Because I feel it, the struggle is physical, emotional, spiritual, all the -als. (is money an -al word? If not, it should be!) All of this nonsense has hit us in our wallets, too.

I crave something consistent in my life. I yearn for some element that I know I control no matter what. Then it came to me. I wanted this before I started bullet journaling. It’s the same feeling! I need to return to my roots when I discovered this method. The process and implementation may change, but the fundamental approach is there.

I decided to include a page called “Give Credit Where Credit is Due” in my bullet journal this year. It’s a page where I write down the good things that I do and often write them off as ‘luck’ or try to downplay accomplishments.

When You Get Back to Bullet Journaling

Your bullet journal might not look like it did when you left. Meaning, you might not need to include the same things you did before quarantine, and our lives were turned upside down. That’s when I get overwhelmed and don’t know what I need to do. Here are some tips to help you get back to bullet journaling – modified now to fit your current needs.

#1 – Go Back to the Beginning, The Basics

Start over. Start again. That’s my first tip to get back into bullet journaling when you’ve lost the momentum for a while. Remember when you first started with your planner – what did that feel like? What were your ambitions and intentions? Even if the method changes, your overall purpose might be the same.

For instance, for me, I have a few items on my weekly schedule. But I have many to-dos, and I love to record the random thoughts and my past experiences. I also use my bullet journal as a creative outlet. None of those things have changed for me.

So the way I carry out the bullet journal might be a little different, but I intend to do the same thing with it that I started.

How to do it:

Take an inventory of the reason behind your bullet journal. Have your basic needs changed? What do you need to track?

P.s. Don’t feel guilty for starting a new book. Chances are you have an empty notebook in a drawer or shelf calling your name. Use the opportunity for a fresh start.

#2 – Review and Eliminate – Include Just the Essentials

If you haven’t done so already, make a list of the things you need to track. Review your list and make sure that you do not include items just for the sake of including them. If you did them in the past, great. You don’t have to do them now if they don’t fit your current needs.

I’ve learned over the past year that when I feel overwhelmed, I have to eliminate anything that isn’t necessary. So if you used to track 20 habits every day, and now the idea of monitoring that many habits seem entirely overwhelming – stop. If you feel compelled to track habits, start with one or two or even the top three. Ease back into it. Make them habits you will work on. After all, tracking habits is a habit as well.

Take Away: Your bullet journal should never be overwhelming. It should absorb all of those to-dos, those thoughts, those schedules running amok in your brain and give a central place to maintain them. That gives me a sense of relief, and I hope it does for you, too.

If you don’t feel relief and instead feel stressed when using your notebook, well, then it might be time to change the way you’re using it. Eliminate the things that stress you out. Streamline your process. Focus on using the book to your advantage instead of creating an obstacle.

#3 – Add Pages or Trackers Back in Slowly

Once you’ve figured out which essentials you need to track or include in your bullet journal, start adding the other items back in, one by one. Add a new habit next month—experiment with making adjustments to your bullet journal to help you get back into it.

Remember: if it doesn’t feel like it’s working and it feels more like you’re fighting with your journal, don’t do it.

#4 – Make Your Bullet Journal Convenient to Use

If you have to dig around for your bullet journal, chances are you won’t use it. An essential part of getting back to bullet journaling is to make it convenient. Set it out at night, so it’s the first thing you see in the morning. Review your to-dos, review your schedule. Make your planner a part of your plan. Nothing will ever help you if you don’t use it. So make it convenient to use.

#5 – Craving Something? Include It.

Alright, you’ve now done some heavy elimination in your quest to get back to using your bullet journal. You started at the beginning, revamped the reason for using this hunk of paper in your purse. You’ve reviewed the reasons why you want to get back to bullet journaling and eliminated every unessential thing (and maybe added in a few items).

Now you’re itching to add some fun back in. Do it! Don’t try to limit yourself if you feel like you want to include it in your notebook. This sort of craving isn’t going to add pounds to your hips. But it is going to add joy to your planner. If you can’t tell by reading my blog or watching my YouTube channel, I don’t use my bullet journal for function only. Don’t get me wrong, it’s functional for keeping track of the things I want, but it is a lot of fun. I know I wouldn’t have stuck with something so long if it weren’t fun.

Make sure you include the fun things that you crave. Live life, thrive! Don’t just survive.

Tip #6 – Review (Bonus Tip!)

Lastly, here’s a bonus tip. Review what you are doing. Make a record of the new things you tried and rate them or evaluate how they served you. Add a short note of what you’d like to change, improve or include for the next month. You can even make these notes throughout the month, so your review is effortless when planning the next period or month. Allow your bullet journal to be dynamic and to change with your needs. Get back to the way you need your bullet journal to be and let it conform to your life instead of you conforming to it.

Conclusion

I hope these tips can help you get back to bullet journaling and make the most of those blank pages so you thrive, not just survive.

• Why Use a Future Log (in the middle of the year)
• Starting Over in the Middle of the Year
• 2021 Bullet Journal Set Up
• Essential Handlettering Supplies for Beginners
• What is Bullet Journaling – The Basics + Infographic
• How to Set Up a Habit Tracker in your Planner
• Product & Book Reviews
• August 2021 Plan With Me – Start Fresh at Any Time

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand