Review: The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll

Review: The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder CarrollThe Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll
Published by Portfolio in October 2018
Format: ebook
Source: Library
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three-stars

For years Ryder Carroll tried countless organizing systems, online and off, but none of them fit the way his mind worked. Out of sheer necessity, he developed a method called the Bullet Journal that helped him become consistently focused and effective. When he started sharing his system with friends who faced similar challenges, it went viral. Just a few years later, to his astonishment, Bullet Journaling is a global movement.

The Bullet Journal Method is about much more than organizing your notes and to-do lists. It's about what Carroll calls "intentional living:" weeding out distractions and focusing your time and energy in pursuit of what's truly meaningful, in both your work and your personal life. It's about spending more time with what you care about, by working on fewer things. His new book shows you how to...

• Track the past: Using nothing more than a pen and paper, create a clear and comprehensive record of your thoughts.

• Order the present: Find daily calm by tackling your to-do list in a more mindful, systematic, and productive way.

• Design the future: Transform your vague curiosities into meaningful goals, and then break those goals into manageable action steps that lead to big change.

Carroll wrote this book for frustrated list-makers, overwhelmed multitaskers, and creatives who need some structure. Whether you've used a Bullet Journal for years or have never seen one before, The Bullet Journal Method will help you go from passenger to pilot of your own life.

I have never considered myself a bullet journaler. I’ve read about it on the official bullet journal website. I’ve watched tons of bullet journal YouTube videos. I’ve looked at many #bulletjournal photos on Instagram. However, I’ve never been able to really stick with the full system for more than a month. When The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll released, I knew I wanted to read it. I have so much interest in this planning method that I knew I wanted to know more.

I wouldn’t say The Bullet Journal Method is only about how to bullet journal. Yes, it does discuss the various parts and what not, but I thought it also delved a lot into goal setting and personal growth. Ultimately it was all of the goal setting and personal growth talk that ended up making me give The Bullet Journal Method three stars. Ryder Carroll is a fantastic writer. I enjoyed his humor. I just didn’t need the goal setting and personal growth discussions. I found myself getting very bored reading those sections. I just wanted to know more about bullet journaling, and how it can help organize my life.

For me personally, I found all the parts about the bullet journal helpful. It truly cemented the fact that it’s a system I need to try, and for 2019, I’m planning on taking the bullet journal and doing my own thing with it in a traveler’s notebook system. (There’s just no way I can mix both work and personal plans and notes.) Reading about the different sections and the user’s testimonies were fantastic. I really enjoyed hearing why bullet journaling helped various types of people in various walks of life. It made me see that maybe it could work for me if only I gave it a good try.

I do wish The Bullet Journal Method had a bit more examples. I felt like a lot of the spread examples were the very creative bullet journal spreads that everyone sees on Instagram. While I know creative bullet journaling is an artistic outlet for a lot of people, it can also be a deterrent for people that enjoy more minimalistic spreads. I think a good balance of examples between creative and minimalistic would have been beneficial.

I would love to know if you bullet journal or plan in a planner? Have you read The Bullet Journal Method? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or on any of my social media channels. I’d love to chat!

three-stars