Posts Tagged Bullet Journal

When I built my tiny house and started to simplify my life, it was because my life was out of control. My career had experienced a significant shakeup and I was in debt. I found myself between a rock and a hard place. I was struggling to figure out how to move my life forward. Clutter was weighing me down.

But through these struggles I learned a lot of ways to move my life forward when things got tough. I found tools to guide me when I couldn’t figure out what I needed to do next in life. I finally started to get my life under control and one of the main tools that helped me get on track was called the Level 10 Life Wheel.

I’ve found one of the strongest motivators for achievement is need. This fact seems obvious, but it’s often ignored. Many people set goals that don’t address their needs and then wonder why they aren’t motivated to achieve those goals. They ask why their life isn’t track or when they never seem to be getting ahead.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Wheel of Life assessment tool aka Level 10 Life Wheel, it’s a simple way of writing down and assessing the critical areas of your life that you’d like to focus on. From there, you determine where you stand in terms of satisfaction in each area, set goals, and track your progress. For me, it’s been a really useful to orient my focus to the areas of my life I need to improve.

Ready to get started? Here’s how to use the Wheel of Life assessment to reach a Level 10 Life!

Why the Wheel of Life Assessment Tool Works

Before explaining the nuances of the Wheel of Life tool, I thought I’d give you a little background on why it works.

For many people, goal setting becomes scattered or unfocused. We set goals because we think we need to or because we think those items are what we want, but we haven’t assessed the areas of our life and where we need to focus our attention.

You may think, “I want more money,” or “I want to get a new job,” but you aren’t looking at the reasons why you want those things. Similarly, without using goal setting tools and SMART techniques, you might miss the path to accomplish your goals.

As I said before, I came upon the Wheel of Life assessment tool because I was struggling to get a handle on several areas in my own life. After researching solutions, I realized cutting out all of the extra stuff in my life weighing me down was the key to finding success and fulfillment. I started my blog, and I started building my tiny house. It was a long road, but one that brought me a lot of satisfaction, and it came out of need.

When people set a goal like, “I want to get rich,” it doesn’t have the same motivating effect. The state of being “rich” isn’t really measurable—for some people, rich means being able to pay your bills with your paycheck. For others, it may mean buying anything you want at the grocery store and taking vacations a few times per year. Others may define rich as owning a private jet and a yacht.

But if you can pay your bills and you don’t have an urgent need for a yacht, are you going to feel motivated to do the work to turn yourself “rich”? If you do achieve the status of being “rich” does that actually solve the underlying drive and need we are truly seeking? If I had to guess the answer would be no. We must look at each area of our life and figure out what it is we want to at a deeper level.

For each of us, these areas might look a little different. But once we identify them, we can use the Wheel of Life as a goal-setting tool to track and move toward achieving a Level 10 Life in all areas.

How to Set Up a Wheel of Life

When I started working on simplifying my life, I found it helpful to divide up my areas of focus into distinct categories. For example, career, living space, relationships, time, and health. This allowed me to examine each area, identify where I stood, and pinpoint goals in the areas I wanted to work on.

I found the Wheel of Life tool very useful in determining how I should progress and what steps I should take next. The initial exercise is pretty quick, but it’s also super effective. The way I filled in each section of the circle let me quickly see where I was weak and what needed to improve. In some areas I realized I was doing pretty well, so I could just work to maintain there while I dedicated more time to areas where I was weaker. Of all the self-help tools I’ve found out there, this one was one of the best fits for me.

I’ve created a Wheel of Life template for you to use in your bullet journal. This will give you a good starting point, especially if this is your first time working on this type of life assessment tool. (Note: you definitely don’t need a bullet journal to work on the Wheel of Life assessment, but the tool lends itself well to this type of goal setting program.)

The wheel starts with a circle on the page. You’ll divide the circle into 6-10 wedges (like a pie). Divide each wedge into ten levels (hence, the “Level 10 Life” moniker. Each pie stands for an area of your life you deem essential.

Those are several examples of the areas, but you can undoubtedly choose anything that resonates with you. You may want to include your mental health, creativity, outlook/attitude, or another area aligned with your life. What’s important to you?

Don’t spend too much time worrying about getting it right; follow your gut feeling. I found it was helpful to do the categories fairly quickly. If I couldn’t think of it in a few minutes, it must not be vital to me.

Once you’ve chosen the components, you’re going to go through the wheel and rate each category based on where you are today on a scale of 1-10. How satisfied are you with each area? Where do you feel you’re at? Assign it a number, and then color in the pie piece up to the level. Once the wheel is colored in, you’ll get a very clear idea of where you are and how each piece stacks up against the other.

I like this goal setting tool because it helps you visualize your problem areas. If work is a three and everything else is at an eight, then you know your career needs improvement and focus. For example, when I did the Level 10 Life assessment, I realized I wasn’t spending enough time on creative activities. This gave me a clear area I could work on, so I laid out a plan to weave in creative activities into my life. I knew it was a weak point for me, and this tool really helped me understand where I stood.

The Wheel of Life tool helps bring you clarity. You’ll destress your life by eliminating activities that aren’t moving you toward what you want. You may find your career is fully filled in but at the expense of your friendships. Think about what you could do to shift your schedule and make time for your social connections.

What the Wheel of Life Tells Us

The Wheel of Life gives us a snapshot of where we are in terms of satisfaction with our experience. The goal of a Level 10 Life is to live so we’re fully satisfied in every single area. Bloggers and bullet journalists have found the next helpful step is to assign a goal in each area to bring you closer to a level 10 satisfaction.

Now, I think it’s also helpful to look at the areas you’ve rated highly—even those you’ve rated at 10. We often fail to grow in areas of our life where we get too comfortable. So, even if certain areas seem great, you may still want to set goals to maintain those areas and keep them up. Don’t become complacent.

Honesty is also fundamental to your assessment. Many people, including myself, have a strong desire to do everything “right.” We want to prove (even to ourselves) we’re satisfied with all aspects of our life. We worry about what we should answer as opposed to answering the truth.

Remind yourself this is a life assessment tool to help you know where you stand in your life and help you figure out what areas you want to work on. It doesn’t mean your life is terrible, or you’re failing in an area. If we’re being honest the fact that you’re stepping up and doing something to improve your life sets you apart, most people are lazy and content being miserable. This process simply means you may want to shift your focus to those areas needing additional attention. There are no right or wrong answers, and even motivational speakers and lifestyle gurus would probably admit they aren’t living a Level 10 Life in every single category.

If you’re overwhelmed by setting goals in all areas of your Wheel of Life, pick the areas you’re the weakest in and focusing your efforts there. Set two or three actions you will take in the next few weeks or months to improve in those areas.

What I like about the Wheel of Life tool is that it tells us a lot about our blind spots and the areas where we need to put in additional effort. It also helps us realize the areas of our life where we derive the most satisfaction. It gives a beautiful visual representation and map to follow to reach our version of a Level 10 Life.

I recommend using the Wheel of Life assessment tool on a monthly or quarterly basis. Monthly is an excellent place to start. If you feel you aren’t staying on track, you may want to start checking it weekly. If you feel like you need a little more time, stretch out your checks to once a quarter (especially once you’ve built up momentum).

Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to living a Level 10 Life in every area. Get started with the Wheel of Life assessment tool today.

Your Turn!

• What categories are most important to you?
• What goals will you set today based on your Wheel of Life assessment?

If you’ve started your bullet journal, you’ve probably wondered what bullet journal symbols you should use in your key. The symbols you use in your bullet journal key let you codify different items in your tasks to quickly identify where you’re at with tasks.

The Genius behind bullet journal symbols

When I first came across the concept of bullet journaling, I was like “great another journaling how to, whoop-de-doo”. Then something caught my eye…

It was how they took the symbols and then modified them to keep track of how things progress. Why does that matter? One downside to paper journals over digital is that you can’t “edit” things. This comes into play when you want to monitor a to-do list.

Before I started with my Bujo, the best you could hope for was a checkbox . If left blank it was incomplete. If checked it was done. But what about other states of completeness? It was only an either-or option.

The way the bullet journaling approaches it, you can neatly “edit” the symbol to have multiple states (which we get into down below) by adding to the base symbol. It was simple, elegant, functional and looked good at the same time.

Here’s an example of how your base symbol is modified as you need it:

Using Bullet Journal Symbols To Make The Most Of Your Key

Bullet journals are a great way to bring some intentionality to your life. By using a tool like a bullet journal, we can begin to master how we spend our time, stay focused on the important things, and keep important items at the forefront. Like any system, the bullet journal is just one way to manage your time. Continue reading our post on how to manage a busy schedule using a bullet journal.

What is unique about a bullet journal is it’s more than just a way to organize yourself, it gives some structure to common ways we like to organize that, in my mind, really helps you master your productivity. The system helps address a lot of the shortcomings of a paper planner over a digital solution while giving you the tactile feel of a journal or planner.

Basic Bullet Journal Symbols

The most common symbols are To-Do, Started, Completed, Canceled, and Migrated. It’s important to note that your To-Do symbol is your “base symbol” meaning you start every item with that and then it’s modified to your needs.

• To Do: The starting symbol often a dot, circle, or square.
• Started: this is something that you have begun work on, but it’s still in progress.
• Completed: A task that you have finished. Who doesn’t like checking things off your list!
• Canceled: Sometimes you decide something doesn’t make the cut for your limited time.
• Migrated: When you have an item that you didn’t complete, but moved to a new to-do list.

How To Figure Out What Bullet Journal Signifier Is Right For You?

The power of bullet journaling is that it’s very flexible and customized to your needs. With that said, it is just a matter of figuring out what is right for you. Below I have a lot of bullet journal symbol examples for you to get inspiration from, but before that, a few words on figuring out what’s right for you.

1 There is no one right way

A bullet journal is just as unique as you are. Its flexibility means you can build a Bujo that’s right for you. It can be tempting to see what others do and copy them – I’m certainly guilty of spending hours looking at stunning spreads on Pinterest too – but in the end, find what works for you and don’t feel like there is one right way.

2 Experiment with different symbols

There are many different ways to do symbols. Most often people start with a base symbol of a dot, a circle or a box, but you find what works for you. I have my own unique way of doing things that won’t work for most folks. The great part about bullet journaling is if you try something, you can switch it up each time you migrate your tasks forward. That means you can try new things weekly/monthly until you come up with the perfect mix.

3 Start simple, then layer in more

When people start, they often go overboard with symbols thinking more is better. This is definitely a place where we want to use only enough to cover 90% of cases. Too often people start making complex symbols in their journal for edge cases, things that only happen a few times vs every day. Start with things that you use every day, then expand as certain needs start coming up over and over again.

Bullet Journal Symbol Ideas

Appointment Symbols

Events should use a unique signifier that stands apart from your normal symbols so that it’s clear they have a specific time and place that they need to occur in. I tend to use the little clock symbol because I use a base symbol of a dot. Then I add the two little clock hands from that dot, then circle the whole thing. That makes it clear when it’s an appointment, not just a task because I purposefully don’t keep a lot of meetings, so it’s important to make it really obvious when I need to be somewhere.

Migrated tasks symbols

A core part of bullet journaling is how to migrate tasks. Below is a little gif I made to show how migration works. The genius part of this is when you get most of the things on your to-do list completed, you can migrate them forward to a new weekly spread to start with a cleaner list. This lets you focus on the remaining tasks that you need to complete.

Important Tasks symbols

A list of tasks is great, but a list that is prioritized is even better. Symbols that let you highlight important items on your to-do list are a great way to manage this. While I think digital organization options have an edge here (you can reorder lists easily) you can use these signifiers in your Bujo to keep an eye on what is important and then reorder when you migrate tasks later on.

Canceled Symbols

When you’re trying to get stuff done, it’s often the case that it’s just as important to know what you aren’t going to do vs what you will do. Saying “no” is a powerful time management technique that you should take seriously. You can use these for to-do list items or events. Just remember these are for things that are no longer going to do, as opposed to things that will be migrated. The latter are things you still want to do, just not now.

Ideas Symbols

Sometimes you just need to get something out of your head and onto paper so you don’t forget it. That’s what these are for. I find that if an idea is floating around in my brain and I can’t focus on what I’m doing because I’m so enamored with the idea, writing it down somewhere safe lets me move on. So if you want to keep track of things, use these bullet journal symbols to keep track of your next brilliant idea.

Communications Symbols

How often have you though this “oh shoot, I meant to email ____” or “I really need to call ____ and ask them about”. That’s what these symbols are for. Keep in mind these are symbols for later in the game once you’ve honed in on your basic bullet journal symbols, but if you’re someone who does a lot of correspondence these might be perfect for you.

Work Specific Symbols

When it comes to the work we do, there are some specific things we do very often. For me it’s writing blog posts, creating an email blast, or posting on social media. All these things come up a lot for me and so they derive their own specific symbol. Here a few examples of other symbols you might use in your work.

Bullet journal symbols for life

Work-life balance is important so don’t just think about how your bullet journal can be used for work, but also for your life outside of work too. Think about the big things you spend your time on and also what your main goals are. For me it’s time with family, working out, and reading a good book.

Using Colors to further organize your bullet journal key

We can add another layer of organization. If you’re like me I wear a few hats. For some people, they like to break out work between different clients, for family life vs work life, or different major projects.

However you decide to codify your key, using a standardized set of symbols for your lists adds another layer of organization to any page in your bullet journal!

Your Turn!

• What symbols work for your bullet journal?

When you start out with a new bullet journal, it can be overwhelming to figure out what pages you should include. The beauty and trouble with bullet journaling is that it’s so flexible you can do anything, which then begs the question: if you can do anything, what do you do?

1. Start With The Basic Bullet Journal Pages:

There are a few key pages that all bullet journals need to have, we outline them here. These pages are the core of any bujo and make the whole system work. The basics are:

• A key – a set of bullet journal symbols to codify your tasks
• An index – a place to catalogue your pages
• Collections – Think a focused list
• Spreads – often a way to keep track of things weekly or monthly

2. Next Figure Out What You Already Do

The best way to figure out what you should put in your bullet journal is to look at what you’re already doing. Many people jump to what they WANT to do, but humans are funny, it’s hard to change habits. First, focus on what you already do and your current needs, then you can figure out where you aspire to be.

Open up your current calendar, planner, or whatever you use and see what is there. Start to write down what you see as your major items. Look for patterns, things that come up a lot, or things that often get lost in the shuffle. You can create a collection in your new bullet journal just for this! Write down what you see as needs here.

If you don’t have any system yet (why would you be looking at bullet journals otherwise?) open up your email inbox, then look at who you email most. What types of things do you notice about that?

• What meetings do you often have?
• What projects or tasks came up in the last 30 days?
• What meeting invites did you receive?
• What tasks result from your top 5 people you email?

You can do this with your text messages on your phone, social media messenger apps, the bills you get in the mail, etc. Pretend like you’re an anthropologist analyzing the pieces of your life to figure out what you do day in, day out. Add these to your collection.

3. What Else To Include In Your Bullet Journal?

Next, think about beyond what you already do and think about what you’d like to aspire to be. I’d suggest starting with only 1-3 new things. Remember that we aren’t really good at changing behaviors and besides, its best to start with a few goals that we really nail, then move on to a new one. Studies have shown this to be way more effective.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What would my ideal day look like?
• What do I want more of in my life?
• What do I want less of in my life?
• If I didn’t have to worry about money, what would I do?

Once you answer those things, figure out what goals you have, choosing only 1-3 goals. Write those down and think about a spread that might support that goal. How can you document your progress on that goal?

4. Putting It All Together

Take your list of things you already do plus the things you hope to do. These will outline what your new bullet journal needs to do for you.

Once you you know what your Bujo needs to do, start looking for bullet journal spreads that meet those needs.

Now that you’ve figured out what you need, check out some ideas for bullet journal pages.

When I first discovered bullet journaling, I spent hours looking at other people’s amazing designs. Soon I was looking for some tools of the trade to try it out myself. Being a technical-minded person, I, of course, wanted to understand the “how” of the bullet journaling process. What was the best method? What was the best paper and journal type to use? What were the best pens for bullet journaling?

Beginning bullet journalers may feel at a loss for how to begin. For a breakdown of the bullet journal process, please check out my post on How to Start a Bullet Journal and Master Your Productivity. Once you understand the bujo basics, choose your preferred supplies. In future posts I’m going to share the best journals and supplies, I’ve found, but here I thought we’d start with the most important tool: the almighty pen.

I’ve broken down the 16 best pens for bullet journaling. I also conducted interviews with top bujo bloggers and got their take on the best supplies as well. Here is a comprehensive list of every writing utensil you need to create beautiful, artistic, and functional bullet journals!

Best Pens for Bullet Journaling

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Black Pens and Markers

While colored pens and markers are very popular for bullet journaling, it really all starts with your basic black ink. Anja from Anja Home responded to my survey with, “Besides my bullet journal notebook, I couldn’t live without a black ink pen.”

There’s a misconception that bullet journaling needs to be fussy and overcomplicated. As you well-know, I’m a simple guy. I’m all about minimalism and simplification, especially when it comes to organization and work. You don’t need artistic talent or even great handwriting for bullet journaling. Truly all you need is a black pen and paper.

So here are the best basic pens and markers for bullet journaling.

1. Staedtler Pigment Liner, Black

Amazon rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

These pens are quite popular for bujo fans. Blogger, Little Miss Rose writes her most popular bullet journal supplies are, “All my pens! But if I had to choose one, it would be my Staedtler Pigment Liners. They don’t tend to smudge and are waterproof.”

This set of 6 Staedtler Pigment Liner pens (for the price of 4) comes with 6 different widths, ranging from .05 mm to .8 mm. They’re perfect for outlining, shading, shadowing, and more. Strong, steady lines are easy to master with the varying widths of these pens—the ideal simple black liner pen for bullet journaling needs.

One Amazon reviewer writes: “I love these pens. I originally bought them for my bullet journal, and I ended up using them for that purpose and more. I love them for any kind of writing or note-taking. I love that this pack came with six different tip sizes. I enjoy writing with each tip size for different circumstances and needs. I keep my pens in the case they came in so I can easily take them all with me in my bag. You know you have a pen obsession when you carry them with you everywhere you go. The case also snaps into its own little stand, which is nice if you are switching between pens frequently. I have used these in my Leuchtturm1917 dotted journal – there is ghosting but no bleeding.”

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2. BOXUN Calligraphy Brush Pen

Amazon rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars

These liner brush pens are another perfect set for bullet journaling. There are four different size tips in this set (two brush tips, one medium, fine, and ultra-fine), making it versatile for all outlining, shadowing, etc. If you want to learn calligraphy or lettering for the first time, these are great beginner-grade pens.

My friend, who is an avid bullet journaler, recommends these because she’s also learning calligraphy and loves them for both applications. They provide smooth, super-rich black color that doesn’t pool or smear.

A fan on Amazon writes: “I ordered these along with a hand lettering and calligraphy book. I don’t have much experience in art, but I do use other markers to create illustrations. I would say these pens aren’t professional grade but are exactly what I needed to learn how to hand letter for the first time. The various sizes made it easy for me to experiment with what I liked best as I was learning. I will definitely keep these around for various lettering crafts.”

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3. Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen

Amazon rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Calligraphy brushes and pens are perfect for bullet journaling because of their versatility. You can draw hard, fine lines and soft brush strokes with the same pen. These Tombow brush pens are perfect for fine line calligraphy or shading and outlining. This 2-pack of soft and hard tipped pens are a definite necessity for your bullet journal.

Amazon reviewers seem to feel the same, writing: “There honestly isn’t any competition when it comes to brush pens. These two Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens are all you need for calligraphy and illustration. The hard tip pen is blue, and the soft tip pen is green. I use both for calligraphy, but I prefer the soft tip for darker/heavier lines and the hard tip for thinner, delicate lines. Either way, you need a steady hand and control over pressure to get good quality lines. Both pens give you good control, but overall, I prefer the soft tip more. Both pens feel great when you use them. The lines are dark and do not bleed easily, and it makes you feel just THAT much more professional. I highly recommend these pens, and I will probably buy another set after mine run out of ink!”

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4. Faber-Castell Wallet Pitt Pen Nibs

Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Another popular pen, these artist-quality Faber-Castell Pitt Pen Nibs, come in a variety of tip sizes and use pigmented India ink that is archival, meaning the ink will last and last on paper. They’re a reliable set of jet-black pens perfect for simple journaling needs.

On Amazon, one reviewer wrote: “I love these pens for sketching, and this pack is a great sampler. Highly recommend if you want to experiment with different art styles and pen techniques. They last a good long while, and the packaging can be used as storage if you want (it has a closable flap up top). The ink is a nice dark black, and the variety of brush tips is fun to switch between – half are smaller, technical pen types, while the other half are larger and more brush-like.”

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Colored Pens

Many journalers love using colored pens for their bullet journals. It’s easier to track your goals, progress, and activities when you use a color-coded system. Additionally, the color is beautiful and makes your bujo stand out.

I personally find it’s more motivating to use something that looks nice and is easy to read. Color-coding your bullet journal really helps increase the functionality. In my survey, Sylvia from Mommy Over Work wrote that her top bullet journaling supply was “Colored pens! I love items that combine functionality with aesthetic, so having a variety set allows you to color-code your writing.”

5. Crayola Super Tips Washable Markers

Amazon rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Crayola markers are reliable, washable, don’t bleed through paper, and last for quality use. This 80 count set includes 42 unique colors, 25 duplicates of the favorite colors, and even scented markers! It’s a perfect set for both children’s coloring and adult bullet journaling, so it’s a multi-purpose set.

A friend of mine has these, and she loves them. She uses them for her adult coloring books as well as bullet journaling and says they’ve lasted for over a year.

Another blogger from Planning Mindfully says these Crayola Super Tips are her favorite!

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6. Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens

Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

These medium-point felt tip markers are another bullet journaling favorite. They’re smudge-proof, waterproof, and won’t bleed through the paper. The .7mm tip is the perfect size for precision lines with bold color. They’re also perfect for note-taking and coloring.

Amazon featured this promising review: “I bought these for my planner and was pleased to see that they don’t bleed through the paper. All markers worked perfectly; none were dry or empty like other reviews. They dry pretty quickly, so I haven’t had any issues with transferring or smearing. Love these!”

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7. Fineliner Color Pen Set

Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Vibrant colors and a fine-point tip make these markers ideal for journaling, note-taking, color-coding, and even basic doodling. They’re slim and comfortable in your hand and write smoothly with no bleeding through the page.

According to some of the reviews, they don’t last as long as other pens but are really ideal for bullet journaling.

One reviewer on Amazon writes: “These pens are gorgeous. The colors are vibrant, and next-to-no bleed through or bleed out. I absolutely love colored pens and have bought many, many brands, and these are better than any I have used. The value is remarkable. I like them better than Sharpie and Papermate fine point markers. None of the markers were dried out, as I have experienced on multiple occasions with Papermate markers. The colors are vastly different from each other, and the packaging description is pretty spot on. Will absolutely be making these a staple in my collection!!”

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8. ZEBRA Sarasa Porous Pen

Amazon rating: 4 out of 5 stars

These fine-liner pens are colorful, write like butter, and are perfect for drawing, journaling, or everyday note-taking. Zebra is an excellent brand for journaling pens because of their long-lasting quality. Color-code your journal, calendar, notes, etc. with the bright, vibrant colors and create perfect lines with the reliable fine-point tip.

The reviewers on Amazon highly recommend these pens: “I LOVE these pens! They are excellent “scratchy pens” – they write wonderfully, the colors are vibrant, and make taking work notes so much better. I’ve already bought some for myself and another pack for a friend as a gift.”

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9. Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens

Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

These ultra-fine point pens are .3mm, making them perfect for intricate, fine lines and designs. The tip is metal-clad, reinforcing the fine tip for steady penmanship. The barrel of the pen is an ergonomic triangle shape, making it ultra-comfortable in your hand.

On Amazon, these Fineliner pens receive rave reviews: “These are gorgeous pens! All of the felt tips were functional – not dried out and not too rough on the pages. I use these mostly in my Leuchtturm1917 journal. There is some bleed through on thin papers, such as the sheets in that particular journal.”

“The pens are shaped with three angles; as someone with joint problems, I’ve found this extremely helpful in minimizing pain when I write. This function also helps the pens click back into the container. The container’s lid has a pop-back function that lets you stand the entire case upright for easy organization while you write. They are made very well, though I did notice my most-used colors’ felt tips were smushed a little after prolonged use (I’m talking a few months of heavy use). Overall, these are quality pens in brilliant colors, and I would buy more from Staedtler.”

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10. Sharpie Art Pens

Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

I will personally vouch for the perfection of Sharpie pens—these are my go-to felt tip pens for writing, doodling, journaling, basically any note-taking. You can get these pens in an 8, 12, 16, or 24-count set. They come with a hard case so you can keep them organized while using them. Sharpie pens are designed with the well-known Sharpie quality, but with no bleed-through on paper.

There are quite a few Sharpie art pen fans on Amazon too: “I’m a full-time writer and am always on the hunt for a good pen. I have standards, and most pens will skip, run out of ink too quickly, lack a variety of colors, hurt my fingers, or tear the pages I’m working on. It is incredibly frustrating to be mid-scene/note-taking/brainstorming to have your pen die on you or be finicky.”

“Enter the holy grail of pens: Sharpie.”

“These don’t bleed through the page for me, and I even use them in my bullet journal I keep (Leuchtturm1917). They are my staple, and I routinely buy back up packs of these, so I always have my favorite colors on hands–the dark green is a beautiful color. These are also excellent for marking up manuscripts during revisions. The only color I don’t use is the yellow because it’s too light and not easily legible. If you’re looking for a great pen that is trusty and sturdy and won’t bleed, I highly recommend these, especially if you’re a writer. I’ve used these exclusively for the last two years, and I’m never looking back!”

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11. Pilot FriXion Clicker Retractable Erasable Gel Pens

Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Remember the hype of erasable pens back in the day? You were the coolest kid in class if you had magic pens. Well, Pilot FriXion pens are the modern-day cool kid’s erasable gel pen. These pens are reliable, smooth pens that last. This pack comes with multiple colors, including basic black. Use for bullet journaling, everyday note-taking, planner art—they’re so versatile, and if you screw up, erase and continue!

Devotees of FriXion pens highly recommend them: “Love, Love, Love!! I have purchased these pens over and over! I am a 4th-year college student, and these have truly helped me organize my notes. They are so great for color coding, and I love that you can erase because I know for a fact if I wasn’t able to, my notes would be so sloppy! I have recommended these to other students and friends, and they too have loved them. The pens do write like a gel pen, so you have to be careful to let the ink dry a little before going over it with a highlighter, for example. I would also suggest trying not to erase hard as you will either rip your paper or make it all wrinkly! Overall, these are my favorite!”

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12. Pilot FriXion Colors Erasable Marker

Amazon rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars

If you are amazed by the existence of erasable pens, wait until you hear about erasable MARKERS. Yes, that’s right—FriXion markers are erasable, vibrant, and have the perfect fine-to-medium point for smooth and versatile writing.

A note on FriXion pens: the ink erases due to heat created by the friction of the eraser so that ink will reappear in the right temperatures (-10 degrees Celsius, or 14 degrees Fahrenheit). Pop your journal in the freezer and watch the ink appear! Likewise, don’t leave pens or your journal in a hot car, as the ink may disappear under heated conditions.

An Amazon reviewer writes, “I was recently introduced to FriXion pens. I bought these to use on my Everlast and Wave notebook, and I’m pretty amazed. The markers are sturdy with a fine tip that produces vibrant color. They erase using the rubber tip on the cap, a FriXion eraser, or a hairdryer. I’ve printed off several of my toddler’s favorite cartoon characters and let her color them with these markers, and she is amazed when I use the hairdryer to make the ink disappear like magic for her to color again. Definitely saves a lot of paper since she LOVES to color. They are definitely worth the money, in my opinion.”

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13. Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens

Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

InkJoy pens are one of the most reliable pens I’ve found. The vivid color ink dries quickly, eliminating the risk of smearing. The fine point is perfect for smooth writing or journaling, and the pen grip is comfortable. They’re super versatile for use and they last, making them a great go-to pen not only for bullet journaling but any note-taking!

The Amazon reviews support the hype on these pens as well: “These Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens ROCK! I have an obsession with pens, seriously! I’m left-handed and fellow lefties reading this know the struggle of Gel pens and our left hands. Nothing but smeared ink, colored hands, and smudged writing – but not anymore. A coworker had bought a single one of these paper mate pens and let me try it, within 30 seconds I was hooked. First of all, the ink dries quickly, so I didn’t smudge it at all. Ever. Second, they write so smoothly. Third, the colors are vivid and bright, and fourth, the pens feel nice in your hands! I have to hide these pens from everyone else because they are always trying to run off with them.”

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Highlighters and Markers

Highlighters and markers are also popular supplies for bullet journaling. You can use highlighters to emphasize certain items on your list. Markers are useful for drawing, adding color, filling in grid trackers, and other bujo activities.

Again, while highlighters and markers aren’t critical to bullet journaling, they make the process more aesthetically pleasing and fun. I definitely heard popular reviews of highlighters during my bullet journal supply survey.

14. Zebra Pen Mildliner, Double Ended Highlighter

Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

When it comes to highlighting markers and pens, I LOVE these double-ended pens. One end is a broad-point highlighter, and the other end is a fine point, perfect for journaling and fine, steady lines. The color of these pens is a perfect mild hue, making them ideal for layering colors (without bleeding or smudging).

On Amazon, reviewers recommend these for bullet journaling, writing, “These markers are great for bullet journaling. Unlike a highlighter, these “mildliners” provide a soft, pastel-like color that looks neater and less overwhelming on the page. They also come in a wider range of colors. I use them to create simple headings on my bullet journal pages or to color in drawings. The grey color is especially cool for a really subtle effect. The other great thing about these markers is that they feature two ends, one a traditional, blunt highlighter end, and a finer point on the other end for detail work. You won’t regret buying these if you are a bullet journal fan or even a student or academic who uses highlighters while reading.”

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15. Stabilo BOSS Original Highlighter

Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 Stars

These pastel highlighters are perfect for your bullet journal creation. The highlighters feature a chiseled tip for wide lines and fine lines. The highlighters are designed with an anti-dry out technology, so you can leave the cap off or up to 4 hours without ruining the marker. This set adds the perfect touch of light pastel color to your bullet journal or planner. You can get a dual set of pastel and primary-colored highlighters here, as well.

On Amazon, these are commended for multiple applications: “These are beyond excellent. For researchers or anyone else who highlights text, some regular highlighters are too dense and sometimes too dark. You can’t read the text you highlighted. But with these Stabilo Pastels, you can read the text easily. You can color-code your high lights in a way that can’t be done with darker-ink ones. Also, the pastel color is pleasing to look at, not off-putting like the fluorescents that are too bright and jazzy for the serious researcher. I give Stabilo an A+.”

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16. Feela Bible Gel Highlighters

Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

These highlighters are designed to highlight the super-thin pages of the Bible perfectly. Reviewers recommend them because the ink is vibrant, the color is bold and stands out, but the ink is gentle and doesn’t bleed through the pages at all. They’re designed for use on light, thin paper, so they’re a perfect option for bullet journaling, using vibrant, intense colors without ruining other pages.

One Amazon reviewer writes: “I use these for Bible journaling, but they would be excellent for a student or anyone needing to emphasize passages they want to remember. These highlighters do NOT bleed through the paper, and there is very little shadow or ghosting on the other side of the paper. These are smooth writing and no grainy looking spots when you highlight words. They glide across the paper seamlessly and deliver a consistent color layout. I love the peach color, which is a new one, and the two greens that are different hues, as well as the blues and purples being different hues. It is a real plus to have colors that vary from similar brands.”

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Other Supplies for Bullet Journaling

Throughout my survey, the other important item (besides a high-quality journal—more on those in a future post) that kept coming up was a ruler. Many bullet journalers mentioned it was so important to use a ruler to create straight lines, grids, and charts in their journal.

So, as you can see, a ruler is another vital tool for creating bullet journals.

Again, bullet journaling is as straightforward or as complex as you like, but like any task, it’s easiest if you use proper tools. If you’re ready to start bullet journaling, I recommend exploring the many pens and tools to help you create a beautiful journal that you’ll love to use!

Your Turn!

• What’s your favorite pen for bullet journaling?
• What bullet journal supplies are your must-haves?