Composition of a bullet journal

• Index – The index is typically placed at the beginning of the bullet journal and serves as a reference for locating specific sections and pages. It lists page numbers and titles of various sections or collections within the journal.^[8]
• Key – The key is an important component of a bullet journal. It consists of a set of symbols or signifiers that represent different types of entries and their status. Common symbols include: a dot (•) for tasks, an open circle (◦) for events, a dash (–) for notes. Additional symbols include: a star and a dot (*•) for important/priority tasks, a cross (x) for completed tasks, an arrow for tasks postponed within the month (>), etc.
• Future log – The future log provides an overview of upcoming months. It is typically used to record future events, deadlines, and long-term goals.^[9]
• Monthly log – The monthly log helps you plan and track tasks, events, and goals on a monthly basis. It often includes a calendar view with space to record key dates and appointments.^[10]
• Daily/weekly log – The daily or weekly log is where you record tasks, events, and notes on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis. The log typically includes space for each day or week, allowing you to jot down tasks, events, and any relevant notes.
• Collections – Collections may make up the bulk of a bullet journal, and organize information by content – these can be logs, lists, trackers, etc. Other popular collections include habit and mood trackers, fitness or diet trackers, a list of books to read, restaurants to try, etc.
• Migration – Migration is the practice of periodically updating lists to new lists, such as carrying over unfinished tasks from one month's log to the next. This helps users stay organized, productive, and on task by allowing them to prioritize what things need to get done, and what can be placed on hold. Migration can also refer to the process of moving into a new notebook. Migration has been described as the "cornerstone" of bullet journaling.

School

Many students have taken up bullet journaling to help them succeed in all levels of school – high school, college, graduate, etc. On YouTube, there are many "study with me" videos, which feature YouTubers studying, as well as sharing tips, tricks, and favorite supplies. Closely related are studygrams, which are Instagram accounts dedicated to studying and taking effective, organized, and aesthetically pleasing notes.^[14] Bullet journaling has been featured in many of these videos as a way to get organized and stay productive in school. In 2019, Study with Me: Effective Bullet Journaling Techniques, Habits, and Hacks To Be Successful, Productive, and Organized – With Special Strategies for Mathematics, Science, History, Languages, and More by Jasmine Shao and Alyssa Jagan was published.^[15] This book was inspired by the popular "study with me" or "studygram" phenomenon.^[15]

Work

Proponents of the bullet journal system have also used it to organize their work lives and careers since the system promotes productivity and is easily customizable.^[16] Bullet journals can be used to keep track of tasks, schedule appointments and meetings, manage projects, take notes, track how time is being spent, etc.^[17] Some have even used it to keep track of goals for annual reviews.^[18] Thousands of videos can be found on YouTube on how to use a bullet journal for work.^[19]

Finances

People also use bullet journals to track or log finances, as they can be used to track spending or savings goals.^[20][21]

Mental health

Bullet journaling to manage mental health has also become very popular, due to the tracking features of the bullet journaling system. Recording information over time in one place, it can lead to insights into users' moods, habits, mental health triggers, and more.^[22] Some people use bullet journals for goal setting or gratitude logs.^[22] Additionally, a bullet journal can be a designated outlet to work through strong emotions or difficult times.^[22] The act of writing things down can help people get thoughts out of their heads and make them become more objective and less stressed.^[23]