ANNE Frank, once, wrote in her diary: “The finest thing of all is that I can at least write down what I think and feel, otherwise, I would suffocate, completely.”
Nowadays most youths are likely to share their thoughts on social media with their followers instead of taking pen to paper. Lately however, the trend of bullet journaling as a hobby, has caught on among a younger crowd.
A bullet journal is an analogue system to keep track of things and unclutter the mind by organising related tasks and writing entries in short sentences in a journal, which also brings back the joy of writing by hand.
One proponent of the bullet journal is model and motorsports beauty queen, Nur Liyana Mohamunny or Yana, 30, who shares her bullet journaling journey, experience and ideas via Youtube and her Instagram account @thelittlebujosteps, to inspire others.
The Downtown Motorsports Queen title winner in 2013 is also a talented artist. She decorates her journals with creative themes, while her hand-drawn colourful art and illustrations, doodles, as well as paper-cutting art on each page, inspires others to pick up the hobby as well.
“‘The bullet journal is a system that helps to track the past, order the present and design the future’, as said by Ryder Carroll, the father of the Bullet Journal system. It has helped me to be aware of matters I focus on, be it personal health, work tasks, and even captures, a moment in life,” said Yana.
BuJo (short term for Bullet Journaling) is functional as a notebook, diary or a simple to-do list book and also serves as a creative outlet to express art.
“I would encourage people to start bullet journaling to give attention, space and time for themselves. There are countless ways to improve or change yourself with the help of this system. My advice is to find your “Why?” and take the time to understand what works best for you,” said Yana.
Why has it become a big trend on social media?
I personally think the reason why BuJo has been trending lately is probably because more people are starting to realise the importance of prioritising themselves in a fast-paced world. On a day-to-day basis, there is just too many things to focus on and sadly, but truthfully as well, most of the time these things are mere distractions. Once, a person understands and applies this highly customisable system into their life, it will definitely bring about more positive outcomes than negative ones.
How does jotting down thoughts and feelings benefit a person?
From personal experience, jotting down and keeping track of matters not only act as a reminder, but is also a motivator for a person to accomplish more in their life. A better way to start applying this system into your life is to start with intentions. If your intention is to improve yourself in any part of your life, such as waking up early, brushing your teeth twice daily or even spending five to10 minutes a day reading a book or an article you are interested in, then applying this system to keep track of your progress will be beneficial as you will be able to see, what this small changes in life can lead up to.
Why did you decide to start a bullet journal and share it with others via social media?
Honestly, I am a very disorganised person but after getting to know the system, I have become better at getting things done without leaving many things behind. I also had trouble getting things done when I am emotionally affected. I am easily distracted and unmotivated. However, jotting down my feelings and the reasons behind those emotions, helped me to understand myself better and in a way, it has given me the ability to figure out a better way to work around those negative emotions.
I really wanted to share my own Bullet Journaling journey with others with the hope of inspiring others to also take good care of themselves. We may not realise this, often, we spend our valuable time on others without giving our selves much attention. I truly believe in this quote that “to be able to love or care for others, you need to love or care for yourself first”.
So, I told myself, if I could share my flaws openly, then maybe, someone out there will be able to relate with me and hopefully, they would want to take little steps to change themselves, for the better. Personally, I feel the bullet journaling system not only helps to get daily tasks done, but it also becomes a tool to go in-depth with yourself, because jotting down in your bullet journal means you are spending time to really just focus on yourself. Instead of just writing down mundane tasks, make it a point to have a section or two to prioritise your own wellbeing. It can be as simple as a “Home-Spa Night” or “Eating my favourite cake”, essentially anything that can make your day worth going through.
What are your future plans?
Besides challenging myself artistically in my bullet journal, one of my main future plans is to create or rather craft handmade bullet journals, along with themed accessories or stationery. If there is an opportunity, I would love to work alongside self-care specialists to come up with a bullet journal system that mainly focuses on that topic.
