Bullet Journal Set-Up 2019

Today I want to share with you my Bullet Journal Set-Up for 2019!

First of all, let me say that I started using the Bullet Journal system for tracking my daily tasks a few years ago and I have found that it is the single most helpful tool for my reinventing and repurposing business.

Let’s get started!

The Leuchtturm 1917 is My Journal of Choice

There are so many journals available for bullet journaling now, but when I first began my bujo journey, this was the most recommended journal.

Plenty of Pages

I have searched for alternatives and other options but I haven’t been able to find another journal with quality paper that has a lot of pages. The Leuchturm 1917 has 249 pages (I like the dot grid), the most I have been able to find in a journal. Since I like to have a full year in only one journal, this is the best option for me!

Quality Paper

The journal is high quality, 70 gsm paper that is acid free and ink proof. Be careful not to let a marker go too slowly across the page as you write because it will bleed through. But I find that when I write in a regular speed, I don’t have bleed through problems. It is also the perfect size, A5 measuring 5.75″ x 8.25″ It fits perfectly in my purse so it can go everywhere with me!

You can read more about the Leuchtturm 1917 here as well as seeing the color choices. This year I chose Navy. I know it looks like royal blue in the image, but trust me, it is a true, deep navy!

Writing Supplies

The pen I use for everyday use is the Pentel EnerGel Liquid Gel Ink 0.3 Needle Tip. Wow! That’s a mouthful! But this pen is worth it’s name. It never bleeds through and the 0.3 Needle Tip is perfect for the small scale writing I do in my bujo.

Drawing and inking simple designs in my bujo are easy with the Sakura Micron Pigma pens in .01, .02, .05 and .005.

First Things First

Remember the title of this post: Bullet Journal Set-Up 2019?? Well, let’s start with the year! The inside front title page includes a designated space for the name and address of the owner. I also decided to try my hand at a little design using ‘2019’ as the focus. This was my first attempt at this style. After completing the sketch, I inked it with a Pigma Micron .05.

After I had inked it, I realized that it would have looked better with more floral and leaf sketches and omitting the outline of the ‘2019’. More of the floral sketching would have made the numbers more prominent so, I wouldn’t have needed the numbers outlined.

I am learning to let go of perfection :). There was a time in my life that I would have covered over this mistake and aimed for the perfect look. But life is just too busy for that kind of nonsense! I might add more florals and leaves over the next few weeks. We’ll see 😉

The Layouts

Turning the page, I penciled the layout I wanted for the yearly calendar. This spread will give me a place to jot down events and appointments for the future. Because future appointments will come up, do not skip this layout if you are creating a Bullet Journal!

The two page spread has plenty of room for all twelve months. Each month has it’s own little mini calendar and space below to add appointments or events that come up through the year. This page is invaluable to the bullet journal system when planning each month.

Let me mention the pencil I love using. It is the Zebra M-301 0.5 lead size. The layouts and sketches in my bujo are done in pencil first. That way I can make any corrections before they are permanent. Well, at least that’s the idea ;). I also love the Pentel Hi-Polymer Eraser for fixing my mistakes. It erases cleanly unlike the pink erasers.

Dates to Remember

Birthdays and anniversaries could be included in the yearly spread but I like to have those dates separated out from the year-at-a-glance spread. Here, I have all twelve months with plenty of space to fill in names and dates of the birthdays (and anniversaries) I want to remember.

Books to Read

Next up in my bullet journal set-up 2019 is my reading plan. I found this little design on Pinterest and saved it to my Bullet Journal board. Follow along Pinterest for more ideas about Bullet Journaling! The little bookshelf design grabbed my attention and I knew that I wanted to give it a try! I used a simple version of a reading tracker last year and it was so good to look back and see that I had read thirty books!

I am aiming a little higher for this year. 😉

When I am finished reading a book, I will add the title to the binding of the books on my shelf.

The Bullet Journal is my Most Important Business Tool

Using the Bullet Journal system has helped my business so much! This mileage tracker spread has helped me to, well, track business miles. 😉 Each month as I travel for work, I just jot down the mileage for that trip. At the end of the year, I have it all in one place. Hubby is always happy when he asks for these numbers during his annual tax prep ;

The close up shows the simple outline for each month. A Tombow Dual Brush Marker (color #N95) was used to create a shadow on the side of each box. I used it at an angle on the right and bottom edges of the black outline. It adds a fun little touch to a ho-hum job like tracking miles!

Social Growth

One of my business goals for 2019 is to grow my blog, meaning to have more people read my blog and all the help that it provides to the reader. Offering free tutorials for the home decor DIY’er is a desire of mine and the best way to reach those who need help is through social media.

Here is my plan to grow my social accounts. At the beginning of each month, I will fill in the numbers. Hopefully, this will help me to see what works and what doesn’t work 😉

Nuts and Bolts of My Business

This next spread in my bullet journal set-up 2019 is for the nuts and bolts part of my business. Inventory management. This part of business is one of the most difficult aspects for a home decor business owner like myself. Purchasing at yard sales, auctions and estate sales can be fun. But what’s a girl to do with all that good stuff until I get to the task of reinventing and repurposing??

Inventory Management

That is where this list comes in handy. After each purchasing trip, I label each piece with blue painters tape indicating the cost, the purchase place, a brief description and the date it was purchased. That item goes into a small storage area so that I always have projects to work on as items sell in my booth.

The bullet journal is a reminder of the pieces I have tucked away in our storage area. All the same purchasing info goes on this running list. As I complete a project, I highlight it in yellow. This helps to know what projects are finished at a glance.

This list is reviewed each week as I plan what projects I will work on in my workshop.

Mistakes Happen!

BTW you will notice that I spelled “Reinvented” wrong! The funny thing is I didn’t see the misspelling until I added this image to this blog post!! A piece of washi tape covered it up and I re-wrote “Reinvented Delaware!”

Speaking of mistakes, this little bottle of Liquid Paper in Ledger Buff comes in handy for those mistakes that need correcting. 😉

The Rest of the Year

Having all that information towards the front of the journal makes it very easy to get to as my bullet journal fills up throughout the year.

Now I can start adding my monthly spreads and my daily spreads. Usually I also include a weekly spread, but I might try using only a monthly and a daily spread.

The cotton illustration was inspired by one of my favorite artists, Shayda Campbell. She has easy tutorials for the novice sketcher like me on You Tube and of course on Instagram 😉

Last but not least by any means, is my Christmas Card list. This is the last page in the journal of my 2018 bujo and I will copy the list over to the last page of my 2019 bujo. This is the perfect place for this list because it will be needed towards the end of the year!