Why I’m Sticking With A Seasonal Bullet Journal

This summer, after much internal debate, I decided to test out a seasonal bullet journal. My reasons for starting were plenty, but the biggest reason was because I go through notebooks a lot faster now than I ever have, and I wanted to keep some form of consistency. I also wanted to go back to combining my bullet journal (which I used for tasks and plans) with my long-form journal, instead of carrying around two separate notebooks. The timing worked out beautifully, and so I jumped in: one notebook, three months. Summer in my notebook.

Honestly, it worked out so well that I decided to continue my seasonal notebook idea for the fall, too. And there are a ton of reasons why.

I am embracing my need for more “fresh starts.”

One thing I’ve come to learn about myself is I love that fresh start feeling. For me, purchasing and using a brand-new notebook always feels like a new beginning. It’s a great chance for me to check in with myself, update my mindset, and revamp anything that hasn’t been working.

When I was in school, I would do this once a year with a planner: in September. In college, twice: September and January. Post-education, when I discovered bullet journaling, it shifted to July and January. And as for my long-form journal, it was often whenever I felt like it. Occasionally, I challenged myself to fill a notebook. But I regularly got bored and changed books whenever I found something prettier.

Basically, my “fresh start” feeling was all over the place.

Recently, I’ve noticed an itch to move into a new notebook after only 3 or 4 months, and 6 months felt like a stretch. I would lose interest in writing in my notebook because I felt “done” with it, like I wanted to move on to something new.

Instead of fighting the need to stick with one thing for 6 months or a year, I decided to just embrace this part of myself. Using a seasonal bullet journal for only three months at a time is my way of acknowledging my needs while satisfying my enjoyment of collecting and using new notebooks.

I already think in terms of seasons, so why not journal and plan that way, too?

I’ve been planning in my bullet journal in terms of quarters for a long time. I used to start quarter 1 in January because I started a new notebook in January, but really, I realized I think more in terms of seasons than quarters. I mean, I even have Pinterest boards just for seasonal inspo!

For my seasonal journal project, I’ve decided to start each book in the month the new season starts: June-August for Summer, Sept-Nov for fall, etc. I then plan out all my intentions for that season based on the holidays and traditions I usually focus on around that time of year. For example, spring and summer tend to have a lot of outdoor, exploration, and relaxation goals, while fall and winter tend to focus on holidays, gatherings, and indoor hobbies.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Megan Portorreal (@meganportorreal)

I like the idea of pulling one notebook off my shelf that encapsulates an entire season for me.

This is a big reason why I wanted to combine my bullet journal and my long-form journal once again. I really liked the idea of having all my thoughts from one season in the same place. The first half of the book has all my tasks and plans, and the second half of the book has all my journal entries. Since I use a blank notebook versus a planner, I can add collections and trackers anywhere I want, and thread them all together in my index.

This was a realization that hit me after writing my prose collection in 2022. I had to revisit all of my old journals and cross-reference many things, and realized it would have been so much nicer to have everything in one place, with an index for easy searching by season. We all go through “seasons” in our lives, and I’m taking that literally in my journals.

Ultimately, I want to be able to grab a notebook off my shelf and say, “Everything I went through and worked on in the fall of 2023 is all in here.”

The flexibility of a bullet journal meets my needs better than a formatted planner.

I used planners for years before bullet journaling was even invented, and the one thing that always bugged me was the lack of flexibility. Sure, it’s nice to have something already set up for you, but I would rapidly grow bored with the layouts all looking the same. I’m also a writer first and foremost, so I would quickly run out of space for all my notes and tasks, and found myself limiting what I wrote down, afraid of running out of space. I never have to limit myself in my bullet journal. Whatever layout I need, I can create. However much space I need, I can take up.

Don’t get me wrong: planners can be great. In fact, I use a planner for my day job because I have simpler needs for work and want everything set up so I can just jump right in. (I do, however, capture important work events worth remembering in my bullet journal, just not day-to-day tasks.) It really depends on what your personal needs are, for now and the future. But I’ve found that staying in an empty dot-grid notebook for my main notebook/journal is what works best for my mindful lifestyle and interests.

Later this week, I will share my actual setup for my fall notebook (spoiler alert: I am finally switching from a standard A5 size to a slightly smaller B6+), so check back soon!