The art of bullet journaling is growing in popularity. This article provides examples of simple bullet journal pages and layout ideas.
The art of the bullet journal is growing in popularity. You might see them all over your
Pinterest feed. Because I love to stay organized, I decided to make one and eventually started writing about it on what is now known as ElizabethJournals.
I spent 2016 trying to do all those extravagant designs that look absolutely perfect. After a few months of using the journal, I realized that I never really used many extra pages, trackers, and features.
Since then, I have been working towards simplifying my journal to have only the necessities. I love art and being creative, but having each page be creative and artsy was time-consuming.
As a full-time student, a part-time employee, I did not have time to do my bullet journal and include so many pages that I’d never use.
Detailed Key Page
This first page is one of my favorites. It is the key page design I used for 2016, and I wish I had decided to keep it for 2017. It’s relatively artsy but doesn’t have to be.
This page is tidy and pleasing to look at. It is also incredibly customizable. If you don’t like the icons I use, you can replace them with your own, use fewer of them, or omit them completely.
My favorite aspect of this page is the simple little key design I drew at the top. The Time Pilot-Tumblr hugely inspired this design.
Plain Key Page
This design is my key page at the time of writing this article. It is not as pretty as some, but it is a lot simpler. Honestly, the only real reason I like this page is its functionality.
There isn’t much to it, so it’s straightforward to use. The key page is simply
a list of colors or symbols you use and why or when to use them. Because it is simplistic in function, it makes sense to keep it visually simple as well.
Washi Tape Page Tracker Key
This spread is a simple page that utilizes washi tape. Essentially this page is just another key page but makes navigating through your bullet journal way easier.
The tape folds around the edges of the pages so you can find what you are looking for without shuffling through pages.
Simple Index Page
The index page is one that I liked but did not end up utilizing. I stopped using it, not because it wasn’t useful, but because I did not leave enough space to fit every page into it.
Further, the positive of having this page is knowing where everything is all at once. The con is that my notebook does not have numbered pages, so I had to write them all in manually.
Year At A Glance
I absolutely love this page. It is super simple and a great reference. There really isn’t much to it!
Minimal Monthly Calendar or Overview
This is exactly as it sounds, a simple bullet journal calendar—no frills.
Monthly Calendar Habit Tracker
I currently use this method for a calendar and monthly tracking because I am running out of my current notebook pages. It is a hybrid of the
plain monthly calendar and the third
monthly habit tracker design.
Gratitude Tracking
This is a monthly page idea that I no longer use because of limited notebook space. However, it is a hugely helpful page to have and is super simple to do. All it is is a
plain monthly calendar with a grateful header of your choice.
Additionally, you can leave the page blank and add items of gratitude however you'd like.
Monthly Habit Trackers
Here are just a few different and simple ways you can track habits on a month-to-month basis. Most of these trackers utilize a grid system.
However, the beauty of a grid system is you get to choose what gets added to the grids upon the partial or full completion of a habit on each given day of the month.
Minimal Weekly Log Pages
This page is a plain and compact weekly to-do page. It is my most-used page because I use it daily. Easy to do up because it is only 8 small boxes.
Further, this concept is easily altered to fit your style or needs. You can keep the eighth square, or replace it with something else.
Books to Read
This page is only useful for readers. It is one of my most artsy pages, but it is straightforward. I draw rectangles at different heights and sizes; there is no pattern.
Wishlist
The wish list page is perfect for people (like me) who want, or need, more stuff than they can afford. It simple with some decor below the header. However, the heading can be designed, but it doesn’t have to be.
Collection Tracker
Not everyone has a collection to track, as I do, but I include this page because I love it so much! Further, the purpose of this page is to track which Disney classics I already own and which ones I need to complete my collection.
Movies & Tv Show Tracker
This collection or habit tracker is such a popular type of spread!
It can become very difficult to keep track of the shows and movies you want to watch. So, this spread makes it hugely easy and simple to keep track of!
Not interest in tracking what you want to watch? You can also use it to track what you have already watched!
How do you create your bullet journal? Simple or Artistic? Dot journal or grid lines? Hardcover, softcover, or leather-bound? Let me know in the comments below!
Do you love simple bullet journal layouts? Check out more minimal style bullet journal inspiration.
