It's time for another bullet journal feature!! This month we are focusing our feature on one beautiful bullet journaler, Jes of Digital Sabbatical. Jes will be sharing her bullet journal journey as well as some tips for beginners! Keep on reading!
Meet Jes of Digital Sabbatical
My name is Jes – female, 29, and of Filipino (Southeast Asian) descent. I love technology so much that I pursued a degree in Information Technology and forged a career as a Product Manager in the tech industry. I stumbled upon Bullet Journaling because I haven’t been able to maximize technology to aid my productivity despite constantly being around technology. A bit ironic but it worked out great – because here I am (thanks to Elizabeth), sharing my bullet journey to you all.
Jes’s Bullet Journal Journey | Digital Sabbatical Journey
In 2014, I was promoted to a managerial position. It was great, but it was extremely stressful and overwhelming. I couldn’t keep up with the deliverables, the meetings, and the people. I tried different methods like emailing myself to-do’s, recording an entire meeting, time-blocking, and productivity apps but nothing was good enough to keep up with everything.
I was drowning, and a lot of people could see that. A friend told me that instead of relying on apps, my phone, and my laptop, I should start writing everything down in my planner or plain old paper – not just meetings or deadlines but everything that I would possibly need and know. During that time, I didn’t follow any system, I was just listing every single thing down so that I could visualize it on paper. Since I was able to somehow organize my brain by writing everything down, I’ve always kept a pen and paper by my side.
In 2016, the same friend sent me a video of Ryder Carroll demonstrating the Bullet Journal system (bulletjournal.com). By that time, I was out of the aforementioned toxic job and had moved on to Product Management. I was still using a planner so I started adapting the bullet journal system bit by bit and tried to wait for the year to end so that I could officially migrate to a blank notebook in 2017. But in September 2016, I decided that I shouldn’t wait any longer since you can start bullet journaling any time of the year. I got myself a Moleskine A5 dotted notebook to officially start the process.
Needless to say, the Bullet Journal method has changed my life, and I try my best to share my journey through my blog, Digital Sabbatical and my Instagram.
Jes’s Tips For Bullet Journal Beginners:
- Bullet Journaling is not time-consuming. It’s supposed to help you manage your time and get things done.
- Don’t be afraid to start. If you make a mistake, it’s okay. Bullet Journal method is a forgiving system.
- Start with the basics (bulletjournal.com) – bullet journal is more of a method, not a type of journal
- Keep it simple! Don’t be pressured to have “nice layouts” like the ones you see on Pinterest – that is not the point of bullet journaling.
- Try to review your journal after each month
- The system is flexible. Revise your style/method. You don’t have to follow the method to the letter.
Thank you, Jes, for sharing your story and advice! I love the way different people bring bullet journaling into their life in such unique and wonderful ways!
If you like Jes’s planner or want to check her out, head on over to her Instagram Here!
If you are interested in becoming a featured bullet journaler, check out the details and apply here!
