Minimalist vs. Artistic Bullet Journals - Which actually works long term?

I started with a super artistic weekly spread with doodles and washi tape, but after 3 months I burned out hard. Switched to a bare bones system with just dates and tasks and I actually stick with it now. Anybody else find that less decoration = more consistency?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilymurphy25d ago

Totally feel you on this one. I went through the exact same thing with my first journal - spent hours on fancy spreads and pretty colors, then just stopped using it after two months because it felt like a chore. It's crazy how quickly the pressure to make it look good kills the whole point of actually tracking your life. Now my weekly is just a simple list and a small habit tracker, and it's the first time I've stuck with something past six months. Definitely think the simpler approach wins for the long haul.

kaimiller25d ago

Man, that's the exact same story as me. I think a lot of people who get into it see all those pretty spreads on Instagram and think that's how you're supposed to do it. But the real trick is figuring out what actually makes you open the book every day. @lilymurphy, did you ever try to go back to the artsy stuff once you built the habit with a simple setup, or was it just a total no-go for you after that first burnout? I tried adding a single sticker to my weekly once and felt like I was betraying the whole system, ha.