How to Bullet Journal When Feeling Uninspired

by Pixie - March 14, 2020

Yay! You finally have a few minutes of uninterrupted time to make a new bullet journal layout! You open your beautiful bullet journal, flip to a new page, grab your favorite pen, and then all of sudden you don't know how to start. If you are thinking, "This is how I always feel when I try to make a layout!", then you have come to the right place.

How to Bullet Journal When Feeling Uninspired

I am not going to lie. I feel like this too sometimes. I open to a new page, and then I just don't know where to start. There are a few ways though, for you to get around this so you can create stunning pages and not just close your bullet journal and put it away for another day.

Today, I have some tips for you to stop feeling uninspired with your bullet journal. I hope you like them! Let's get right into the tips!

Bullet Journal Tips for When You Feel Uninspired

1. Find Inspiration

This is probably one of the really obvious ones. When you are uninspired find something to inspire you. Hop on over to Pinterest, or Instagram is really popular for bullet journal pages too! If you are trying to create a certain page, then search for ideas for it like "books to read bullet journal ideas" or if you just want to create a page and you don't know what, then search "bullet journal layouts" and you will find a lot of ideas.

You can also search for font and decoration ideas, just to switch things up. I like to do this because using the same fonts and styles all of the time makes me bored. :)

Keep a list of your favorite bullet journaling resources and blogs. It could even be a page in your bullet journal! Create a board on Pinterest to hold all of your bullet journal layout inspiration. Then when you are uninspired, you already have a board of bullet journal layouts that you like. Check out my bullet journal ideas board here.

2. Start Thinking of What You Want to do Before You Bullet Journal

Now sometimes, when you open your bullet journal, the ideas come to you right away, but most of the time I sit down and I have to think of what I want the page to look like. To minimize this time, start thinking of how you want your page to look before you open your bullet journal to make it.

I do this all of the time. When I think of a new layout I want to make, I don't sit down and start making it right away unless I already have an idea of what I want it to look like. Instead, I think about different fonts and styles I could use, I look at inspiration on Pinterest, and then I sit down to make it. Doing it this way saves me some time because then I am not sitting in front of a blank page wondering how to start.

3. Start in Pencil

If you don't know what to do, then just add something to the page in pencil to try it out. This way at least you aren't just staring at a blank page. Anything you add is not permanent so you can erase it if you don't like it.

I start out all of my layouts in pencil. This way if I think of something different, then I can change it up, just like that. It also minimizes mistakes, which might be the reason you are feeling uninspired in your bullet journal. Just add something to the page! Then figure out the rest! :)

If you are trying to save time though, I recommend just adding in the basic idea and then doing the rest without penciling it in beforehand.

4. Try out a New Style

Maybe you are just plain bored... so try out a new style to freshen things up. This is a really easy way to try out some new techniques in your bullet journal and to have some fun. You can do it in pencil, or if you just like to dive right in, you can use a white gel pen to cover up mistakes.

5. Buy Some New Stationery Supplies to Remotivate You

Any excuse will do, to buy new bullet journal supplies, right? If you are feeling uninspired to use your bullet journal, then analyze your supplies. Do you not like opening your journal? Does your pen squeak and dent your page? Maybe it is time for some new supplies to make you more motivated!

If you know you like your bullet journal basics, then buy some cute stickers or a thing of washi tape. I am all for that!

6. Make a List of Design + Layout Ideas

I keep a list of layout ideas in my bullet journal, so when I am feeling like bullet journaling, I can go to the page and pick out a layout I know I want to add to my bullet journal. Then if I don't know how I want to set up the page, then I can look for inspiration, but it narrows it down because I already know what layout I am doing.

7. Take a Quick Break

If you are bullet journaling, and then feel tired or frustrated, then take a quick break and do something which doesn't take up creative juices like reading a book or eating a small snack. What about baking cookies? Or completing a small item on your to-do list?

Any of these are great ideas to rejuvenate your creativity and then you can get back to bullet journaling!

If You Still Feel Uninspired...

If you have tried all of these tips, and you still feel uninspired, then just remember that it is okay if you take a day off from your bullet journal or even a week if you need it. If your bullet journal isn't working for you, then maybe it is time to try something new.

You could also cut down on the number of trackers you use, and you could start doing minimalist layouts if you feel like your bullet journal is taking up too much time.

Ultimately what it comes down to, is that you just need to just start your layout and put perfection aside. If you like your layout, then that is all that matters!

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If you have any other tips for bullet journaling when you feel uninspired, then add them in the comments! I would love to hear what you came up with. :)

If you have a second, I would love it if you shared this post with your friends! Thanks!

Tags : bullet journal, bullet journaling, bullet journaling and planning