I Tried Bullet Journaling for 60 Days — 3 Reasons It Didn’t Work Out For Me
It’s not like starting something new found resistance from my mind. I have done digital journalling before using apps like Day One and Stoic. But when I decided to reduce digital distractions a few months back, I had to cut loose on some corners and decided to give analog journalling a chance. Hence, the Bullet Journal.
After two months of persistent effort, I realized — It was not working for me. And I think I know why:
1. Privacy Concerns 🧐
The fact that someone could just open up the Journal and read from it gave me sleepless nights. Okay, fine… it was just one night. But the thought lingered on. It prevented me from sharing more in my BuJo — the constant thought of what would someone think if they read about my goals or milestones.
Unlike my phone or laptop which is so well authenticated with a passcode or biometric like FaceID, the BuJo used to simply lie there next to my bed. It would take anyone with a curious mind and slightly less respect for privacy to open it up and start reading. That intrusive thought of BuJo-intrusion stopped me from sharing too much in that journal.
You could hide your journal or use some kind of lock on your journal notebook but that just seems like too much of an effort. And where there is too much effort in just planning, there is inaction while executing. Wow, that sounded really cool, let me write it down… umm, I meant — type it down. What did you hear?
2. The Plethora of Ideas 💡🎯💡
Pinterest is one great platform to go surf through some great ideas for any project that you are planning to undertake. It has a gazillion DIY Project ideas — which meant a gazillion BuJo ideas too.
To be honest, Pinterest boards are what helped me get started with BuJo, a month after buying the planner. I picked and plucked every page idea for my BuJo from Pinterest pins. It worked great… until it didn’t. In the second month of my journalling, I realized that the template I was using wasn’t working for me. It felt too clustered. So I went to Pinterest again and spent hours to choose a template for the next month. Because once you ink it out, it’s permanent and that thought scared me. I had to make a decision that would last me at least 30 days. The pressure was real.
On digital journaling apps, you don’t have to think much. There is a built-in template for most entries so take it or leave it. I know some might argue about customization and if that helps you in your productive lifestyle, kudos to that. But for others, like me, going with a set template is much easier and actually helps devote more time to planning and getting things done.
3. The Forced Transition 🧑💻 ⇨✍️
The biggest reason of all, I feel, was probably the forced transition. I forced myself to pen-and-paper journal while I was planning a digital detox. I decided to replace the usual apps I use on my phone — like Calendar and Reminders with the Bullet Journal. And, that was a wrong decision to make.
The Calendars and Reminders app on my iPhone (and even Mac) have been my go-to for the past many years. Using them had become less of a habit and more of a mindset. It wasn’t as easy as disabling an Instagram account for a few days. Also, it helped me stay productive. So cutting it out of my routine felt like a crime… to me, for me, by me.
Next, is probably the difference between my normal typing speed on my Mac keyboard or even my iPhone and my writing speed. No doubt, I am way faster on a keyboard. So putting down ideas in a BuJo was much more difficult for me. I wrote them down slowly and as a result, I had to process them in my mind and many times, I forfeited, thinking of it to be too lame or embarrassing of a thought. This didn’t happen while using DayOne on my Mac where I would go typing on and on without thinking.
Also, digital journalling apps allow you to add photos that go with your text entry. That is much more difficult to do in a Bullet Journal unless you have a Printer to print photos from your phone. Guess what? I have one and I still didn’t do it. It was way too much work than just selecting from your photo library on your phone’s digital journal.
😱 Am I giving up on Bullet Journalling altogether?
Yes. For now, I don’t see myself journalling in my BuJo anymore. But I am not giving up on journalling altogether. I am still using Day One and Stoic as my digital journals. These apps are free to use on one device but if you want cloud syncing across several devices, you have to pay. Since I like my Journal in one place only, the free version is more than enough for me.
By the way, Apple’s native Journal app is making a debut soon and I am hyped to try it out. Stay tuned for its review.
✌️Conclusion
This conclusion is going to be a bit philosophical: There is no one-fit journaling app for all. So don’t force yourself. The forced transition didn’t work for me, not even during my digital detox. I kept my BuJo up-to-date for two months just for the sake of consistency. Yet, nothing good came out of it. I didn’t find myself reflecting on previous journal entries in these last two months.
Instead, use what suits your habits and needs. What will help others stay productive might not help you at all because someone else’s routine and lifestyle may be way different than yours.
With that thought, I will be taking your leave for today. But you sure let me know, what are your thoughts on Bullet Journalling. Also, which appeals to you more — physical or digital journalling?
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