nathan545•1mo agoProlific Poster

TIL most of my bullet journal spreads were just decoration, not actual productivity tools

I read a study last week that said 84% of people who use bullet journals for more than 6 months ditch the fancy layouts and go back to the original Ryder Carroll method, which made me realize my monthly habit trackers with washi tape were just making me feel busy without actually tracking anything useful, has anyone else noticed their simple weekly log does more than a whole color-coded spread?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_william1mo ago

Oh man, that 84% stat hits different when you're staring at a month of empty habit tracker squares. So here's what I gotta ask - when you ditched the fancy spreads, did you find yourself actually checking in with your bullet journal more often, or did it just feel less satisfying to open? Because I swear my old color coded mood tracker made me feel like I was doing something important, but really I was just picking pretty markers instead of facing the fact that I was stressed all week. The simple list format forced me to actually write down what mattered, even if it looked boring as hell.

lopez.brooke1mo ago

Wait, 84%?! That cannot be right. Are you actually telling me 84% of people drop their habit trackers within a month? That is wild, @the_william, I need to sit down and process that number for a sec because I thought my own track record was just uniquely embarrassing. For me, it was the opposite of what you described. Ditching the fancy spreads made me check in WAY more often, actually. The minimal list felt like less of an event, so I wasn't scared to open it and see a blank square. But you are dead on about the color coded stuff being a distraction, I spent hours making my mood tracker look like a stained glass window and never once looked at the actual colors to see I was just sad every Tuesday.