Happy (Almost) New Year!

This is a popular time of year for people of all ages to make goals concerning habits or lifestyle choices. If you and your child want to make goals for the new year, a great way to keep track and check progress is by creating a bullet journal!

The Bullet Journal Method, created by Ryder Carroll, is a simple way to tailor a journal that fits you! No two bullet journals are alike because each person who uses one is different.

Want to create your own bullet journal? Start with these steps.

1. Start by choosing a notebook. It can be any notebook that your child picks. Number the pages.*
2. Make the first two pages an index.
3. Start creating! If your child is using this as a calendar to keep track of events, go ahead and a create a future log and monthly log. If this is being used as a habit tracker or journal, you can start with a daily log. My suggestion is go look at some examples of simple habit trackers on Pinterest or Instagram. Make sure you type in “simple” otherwise you will be sifting through a lot of very intricate trackers!

*Page numbers are essential for the index. For example:
Page 2-4: Future Log
Page 5-6: January
Page 7: Morning routines
Page 8: Mood Tracker

Here are some tips for success.

• Keep it simple. From personal experience, I have found that the more complicated I make my journal, the less I want to interact with it.
• Decorate. Most things in life are more fun when stickers, washi tape and markers are involved. Encouraging your child to decorate their journal will give them a sense of ownership.
• Invest the Time. Make a routine to sit down with your child every day to log their information. Depending on goals or habits you are tracking, this can take as little as a couple minutes.
• Be original. Have the kids choose what they want in their journal and allow your kiddo to take ownership of the journal. While you should certainly guide them if needed, make sure that your child gives their approval so they feel that this journal belongs to them.
• Review. When starting a new month, go back through the previous month and see if there are any items that are not completed. Decide with your child if that item is important to bring over to the next month or if it can be crossed out. Not everything is worth your time.

This is a super quick summary of bullet journaling. If you’re interested, I encourage you to look at other people’s spreads to get ideas.

There is no right or wrong way to create a journal.

Comment below if you have any questions or ideas! There are not a whole lot of ideas specifically tailored for children’s bullet journals, and I would love to know what spreads different parents are using for habit trackers.