The Bullet Journal Method is a flexible, pen-and-paper organizational system created by Ryder Carroll that blends a planner, to-do list, journal, and note-taking system into one notebook.
It’s called “bullet” journaling because it uses short bulleted entries instead of long paragraphs, making it fast to use and easy to scan later. The system is built around three main types of entries:
- Tasks → Things you need to do (marked with a dot •).
- Events → Things that happen (marked with a circle ○).
- Notes → Ideas, thoughts, observations (marked with a dash –).
From there, you organize everything using four core parts:
- Index – Table of contents for your notebook.
- Future Log – Big-picture plans for the months ahead.
- Monthly Log – A spread with a calendar and a task list for the month.
- Daily Log – Rapid, bullet-point entries for each day’s tasks, events, and notes.
The method also uses a migration process: at the end of a month, you review tasks. Incomplete tasks get either rescheduled (migrated forward), moved to a more appropriate list, or intentionally crossed out if no longer relevant.
It’s popular because it’s:
- Customizable – You can make it minimal or artistic.
- Mind-clearing – Everything is in one place.
- Flexible – Works for goal setting, habit tracking, creative planning, or just basic to-do lists.
