Week 41: Design (The Bullet Journal Method Book Club)

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Hello Sunshine!

In this section, Ryder goes over the concept of wenniger aber besser, which translates to “less, but better.” This was one of the concepts I had written about in The Essential Challenge for the Bullet Journal Challenge back in June 2016. I remember telling Ryder about this concept before writing the article that we later published on the official Bullet Journal Blog. It’s nice to know that the concept stuck in Ryder’s mind and he wrote about it in the book. :)

Resources:

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Design

Pages 244 - 249

Welcome to week 41 of The Bullet Journal Method Book Club!

Design is one of those things that might a little intimidating about Bullet Journaling. “If you’ve searched for “bullet journal” or “BuJo” online, you may have seen the elaborately illustrated interpretations people have created. They’re gorgeous - motivating to some, but intimidating to many others. People assume they can’t Bullet Journal because they’re not artists or because their handwriting is too sloppy. Allow me to lay those concerns to rest. The only thing that matters in BuJo is the content, not the presentation. If you can elevate both, then my hat’s off to you. The goal when designing our Collections is to maximize their functionality, legibility, and sustainability.” Here’s how to do that.

Functionality:

“Distill your design down to the essential so that you’re only focusing on what is meaningful. If you find beautifying your notebook is essential to maintaining your motivation and productivity, then have at it. Just remember, collections are tools that are meant to help you progress toward your goals, not stand in their way. Collections should always favor function over form. It’s how well a Collection helps you execute its underlying goal that matters. Every iteration of your templates should undergo some scrutiny. What worked? What didn’t? What little thing can I change to make this work better for me? By keeping your templates lean, it becomes easier to identify opportunities for functional improvement. Keep it simple. Keep it focused. Keep it relevant.”  What works? Do that.

Legibility:

Consider improving your handwriting to make it more legible to you. Play around with how you write - whether all caps, cursive, or slowing down. Legibility also applies to the actual content on the page. Give it room to breathe. “How we frame our information will go a long way toward increasing legibility, comprehension, and our sanity. We only make room for what matters.” What matters to you?

Sustainability:

“Maintaining Collections takes time and energy, so it’s important to make sure they’re worth the commitment. Most accounts of people falling off the Bullet Journal wagon turn out to be people who spent too much time decorating their pages. There’s nothing wrong with decoration - unless it becomes a drag. That means the balance is off; if you don’t feel the reward is worth the effort, simplify. The good news is that you’ll naturally be able to weed out unsustainable Collections during your Monthly or Yearly migration. If you haven’t updated a given Collection, you’ll know that it’s not adding much value to your life. It’s okay to let it go. Over time you’ll figure out what layouts help you think more clearly, be more focused, and allow you to make meaningful progress. Not only are you becoming more intentional about what you’re doing, but also how you’re doing it. This is how Bullet Journal helps you learn how to design your own tools for continual improvement.” Make it work for you.

Discussion:

  • Are your Collections functional and functioning for you?

  • Is your handwriting legible to you? Are your pages legible as a whole to you?

  • Are your current Collections sustainable? What works? What doesn’t? What could be improved?

Action List:

  • Take notes on this section in your Bullet Journal to reference.

  • Consider the current functionality of your Collections. Examine what works, what doesn’t, what could be improved, eliminated, or added.

  • Improve your handwriting little by little if you want to.

  • Improve the spacing in your Collections to improve legibility if needed.

  • During your next Monthly or Yearly Migration, consider which Collections are sustainable. Which have you not updated in a while? What have you learned from your Collections?

Your thoughts:

Share your thoughts about this week’s topic in the comments below. Feel free to respond to this week’s discussion points.

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