Have you heard of bullet journaling? It’s a planner/journal in one system developed by Ryder Carroll and has since flooded the internet. I have used the bullet journal system pretty consistently since 2015, I think? Many bullet journal bloggers, Instagrammers, and YouTubers have absolutely gorgeous journals and I love looking at pictures or watching videos for inspiration. But, I have limited time and artistic talent. My bullet journal falls far more on the minimal, practical side of the scale. They started out as literal lists and have evolved a bit since then. If I’m really busy and haven’t had time to create my layout, I will simply make a to-do and menu list for the week and then write in each day as it comes. Bullet journaling can be that simple and I don’t think Ryder Carroll can take too much credit for that (other than maybe proposing standardized symbols).
Today I’m sharing 5 weekly layouts that I’ve used over the past few years. All of the journals pictured are Tekukor A5 journals and most layouts are drawn with Sharpie art pens or a Zebra F-301 ballpoint. I occasionally use some color or washi tape but most of my layouts are just with one main pen and then a pen or pencil to fill in the details each day. A lot of the elements have stayed the same but it’s fun to play around with the best way to layout the information I need each week.
Flipped Vertical Layout with time blocking
I was surprised to find out how long it’s been since I used this layout! This page is from way back in November 2019! It makes full use of the journal by turning it sideways. I have space at the top for a dinner menu, household chores, school plan for the week, notes/quotes, a small monthly calendar, and a weekly to-do list. My school plans have since migrated out of my bullet journal. You could use the top area for anything that’s important to you. Below that, I’ve blocked out a section of 5 rows for each day with an hour-by-hour view and space on the right to record things I was thankful for that day. As you can see, I didn’t use my journal a lot this particular week. Some weeks are like that and it’s OK.
Horizontal Layout with time blocking
This layout is very similar to the first layout. I have a header with the date for the week and each day time-blocked with a gratitude column. I again have a small calendar so I can see the month at a glance. Here I’ve started dividing my tasks into “priorities” and “other”. I have a meal list and a bit of space that I used for a random note. The vertical layout above provided more space for more notes/trackers/etc but this layout was what I mainly used throughout 2019 and into 2020. I still go back to it if I have a busy week with a lot of events that I need to schedule my tasks around.
Simplified quick layout
In 2020 this layout (with some slight variations) became my go-to layout and still is the most common one I use. Along with the rest of the world, I had fewer events to manage and this layout is fast to draw as there are few lines. I have a header with the date for the week at the top of the left-hand page. Along the left side, I have a small month-at-a-glance calendar followed by space for each day of the week. This is where I write events that are happening or any tasks or notes that are important to notice at the beginning of the week. You can also see small vertical lines on some days- this is my habit-tracking system. I have 6 habits listed at the bottom of the right-hand page. If I completed the habit that day, I put a vertical line- the first box on the line for the day corresponding to the first habit in the list, etc. Also on the right hand of the right page, I have my food plan, weekly priorities, and other tasks. The rest of the pages are left blank until I need the space. Each night I write down things I’m grateful for, draw the header for the next day, and make my to-do list for the next day. I often use part of the right-hand page for a quote as I rarely need all the space.
Compact time blocking
I was kind of bored with my layout a few months ago so I went looking for some other ideas. I’ve used this one several times and I like the compact, open look of it. I have a header with a small month-at-a-glance calendar and the date for the week. Then each day has a column. One row is for habit tracking (similar to the vertical lines on the previous layout). The next row is to write down the dinner plan. Then 3 rows to write the top 3 priority tasks for the day followed by a time-blocking section with 1 row per hour. I block out events at the beginning of the week and fill in the rest day-by-day. When the page is all filled out, there are little weather doodles next to the big letter signifying the day of the week. At the bottom of each column are 5 rows for my gratitude practice. The top of the right-hand page has a quote (in this case, the catechism question for the week that I wanted to read each day). There is a column on the right-hand page where I again have my priorities, habits, and other notes. The priorities box is split into 2 sections so I have space to write down my 3 personal priorities for the week and also what I need to focus on for work.
Horizontal Boxed Layout
This is a brand-new layout that I haven’t used yet but I like the look of it so far. There’s a large header space where I’ve put the date followed by horizontal boxes corresponding to the days of the week. I have put events and day-specific tasks in the boxes. Then on the left, there is space to plan out food for the week and a habit tracker. Each day has a space in the middle of the page. I’ve drawn in 2 columns of 3 dots for Monday. My top 3 priorities for the day will go there with personal tasks on the left and business tasks on the right. Below that, I can write more tasks if needed or just use that space at the end of the day to write down things I’m thanking the Lord for or journal a bit. I will also record the weather for the day below the letter label. On the right side, there is the ubiquitous month-at-a-glance calendar, priorities box, notes box, and a quote box. Next time I draw this layout I will put the date and day of the week in the top of the horizontal boxes similar to the simplified quick layout. I also will not draw a box for the quote and may move it to the top depending on how much space I need to list other tasks or notes.
And there you have it- 5 of my favorite bullet journal weekly spreads. I hope you found something to inspire you if you have a “BuJo” (and if you do, send me an email and tell me about it.). Have a great week friends!
