The Bullet Journal is more than a notebook. It’s a method to track the past, order the present, and design the future.
In this session with the Omio Monetization tribe, we explored how bullet journaling helps us manage complexity, reduce stress, and regain agency. We didn’t aim for aesthetic spreads or artistic lettering—our goal was clarity through structure.
Workshop Slides
What Is a Bullet Journal?
A Bullet Journal (or BuJo) is a system created by Ryder Carroll to combine productivity with mindfulness. It’s built on rapid logging—an ultra-efficient short-form note-taking language that uses symbols to capture tasks (things to do), events (things that happen), and notes (things to remember).
Each entry type has its own symbol: a dot for tasks, a circle for events, a dash for notes. When tasks are completed, the dot becomes an X. When migrated to another page, it becomes an arrow. When scheduled for a specific date, it becomes a left-pointing chevron. When deemed irrelevant, it gets struck through.
But the Bullet Journal isn’t about writing more—it’s about writing with purpose.
Why It Works for Teams
In a world of Jira tickets, Google Docs, and Slack pings, it’s easy to lose the big picture. Bullet journaling brings it back.
During the session, we used it to reflect on our week through daily logs, set our focus with monthly logs, capture long-term tasks in future logs, design project-specific collections, and deconstruct big problems into small next steps.
This structure gave participants a sense of control and calm. One engineer mentioned: “It felt like clearing my mind and finally seeing where my time goes.”
Core Logs We Practiced
Daily Log
This is your anchor. Each day starts with a heading (e.g., 2025-02-19) and a short, structured log of tasks for the day, notes and insights, plus reflections both in the morning for planning and evening for review.
Monthly Log
Helps to list all key dates and major goals for the month. At the end of the month, we review completed tasks, migrate unfinished ones, and strike out what no longer matters.
Future Log
A place to drop future plans. It’s a queue—each entry waits until its month arrives.
Advanced Practice: Custom Collections
We explored how to create topic-based collections for career goals, product launches, technical research, and travel planning. Each collection acts as a dedicated space for evolving thoughts and tracking complex projects.
We also discussed deconstructing vague goals: taking something like “Improve documentation,” breaking it into specific topics, assigning concrete next steps, and tracking progress over time.
What to Try First
Start with these essential elements to build your bullet journal practice:
- Set up your daily log with the date and simple bullet symbols
- Create a monthly overview with key dates and main goals
- Add a future log for capturing items beyond this month
- Practice morning reflection (what matters today?) and evening review (what did I complete?)
- Experiment with one custom collection for a current project
Building the Habit
Reflection is one of the strongest aspects of bullet journaling. Build these reflection practices into your routine:
- Ask yourself each morning: What matters today? Why does it matter?
- End each day by reviewing: What did I complete? What did I avoid?
- Weekly: Look for patterns in your entries and adjust your approach
- Monthly: Migrate unfinished tasks and eliminate what no longer serves you
Over time, this builds trust—not just in your journal, but in yourself.
If you’re overwhelmed, scattered, or reactive, this is your sign to slow down. Set up your Bullet Journal today. All you need is a blank page, a pen, and a willingness to face what matters.
Want to run this with your team?
Send me a message, and I’ll share the workshop kit we used at Omio.