What is the bullet journal system?
The bullet journal method, or “bujo” for short, is a planning method created by Ryder Carrol, to help you organize your tasks and intentionally plan your schedule.
Bullet journaling is a great way to keep track of your life. Inside the best bullet journals you will:
- Write daily focus or your daily thoughts
- Brain-dump your ideas
- Keep future logs
- Track your mood inside a habits notebook
- Track recipes inside an organized notebook
- Record your books reading
- and more.
Bullet journals can be a great way to improve your productivity, organizational skills, and motivation.
What is a digital bullet journal?
The digital bullet journal is NOT an app; it’s a PDF template for Goodnotes.
A digital bullet journal, also called a digital planner, is not an actual application. Technically it’s a PDF file with hyperlinked tabs to help you jump between the pages quickly.
You can use it on your iPad or iPhone, but you must import it to a note-taking app first (like Goodnotes 5) to start using it. And since it’s all digital…
- the bullets are easily erasable, so you are allowed to make mistakes (you can delete them without leaving marks)
- easily access your bullet journal anywhere you go, as long as you have your iPad with you
- add photos, sketches, and video recordings to your journal entries
- experiment with different templates, layouts, and designs. There is no need to be afraid of trying a new template every week.
So, if you are looking for a way to be more creative in 2023, using a digital version of bullet journal, look no further than the iPad. It is the best tool for digital bullet journaling, and it will help you keep track of your thoughts, ideas, and progress inside a digital planner.
iPad Pro for digital bullet journaling
There are so many reasons to use the iPad pro for digital bullet journaling!
- First, the iPad has a high-resolution screen that is perfect for keeping track of your projects and notes.
- Second, it is highly portable, meaning you can take it wherever you go.
- Third, it has several built-in features that make it perfect for use as a bullet journal, such as taking notes or setting reminders.
Finally, it is incredibly user-friendly, making it easy to use a digital planner and journal template.
5 Steps to get started
- Step 1: grab your brand new iPad (with iOS14+)
- Step 2: grab an Apple Pencil
- Step 3: install a note-taking app like Goodnotes, Noteshelf or Notability
- Step 4: download a PDF template for my premium collection of best bullet journals (or try my best digital planners templates for free)
- Step 5: import that PDF file to Good Notes and start digital bullet journaling.
There are many different ways to get started with a bullet journal.
Whether you decide to use a simple digital notebook, or buy the best bullet journals for iPad the most important thing is finding a system that works for you. Experiment with different methods and see what works best for you.
Best note apps for bullet journaling
I’m going to tell you about the best three note-taking apps for iOS that let you create digital planners.
These apps can be just as natural and easy to use as writing on paper, especially if you’re using a paper-like screen protector:
Goodnotes 5, Noteshelf and Notability
- Noteshelf is my preferred app for bullet journaling because it’s friendly and easy, and it allows me to set up an accessible favorite pens toolbar.
- The Notability and Goodnotes apps are also good options because they allow you to add photos and drawings to your digital journal entries.
Read the full side-by-side comparison between the best apps here:
7 BEST Bullet Journals
6-Tab Notebooks
Perfect for brain-dumping, work notes, student notes and more, this simple digital bullet journal for iPad features a 6-tab navigation (with hyperlinks) easy to use and organize your notes. Each tab is linked to TWO Pages that you can duplicate as needed.
A-Z Notebooks
Need simple Goodnotes Notebooks with a vertical navigation (with links) organized from A to Z? Then check this collection of minimal bullet journals.
DigiBujo Notebooks
It has an index page with 100 different slots, each slot linked to its corresponding section containing three-note pages. It’s extremely easy to quickly jump between sections or pages and find the notes you’re looking for.
So far, customers use my work templates to list meetings’ main topics through the year, daily gratitude themes or even list the team members’ names. You can try it too!
DATED Outline Planner – for iPad, fully-dated
The DATED Outline Planner is the Ultimate Digital Planner Template for iPad for Goodnotes 5, Notability and Noteshelf apps you’d need to boost productivity.
The real difference between the digital planner by Outline Planner and other alternatives on the market is its superb structure and content focused on work. It is a planner designed by a professional for professionals.
Projects Book – for iPad, Undated
The Project Planner is the best business planner template for iPad to write organised, searchable PROJECT NOTES. Best for entrepreneurs, team leaders and creatives to write notes and track progress for up to 20 projects.
Video Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/mz22UJaVyZo
Bookshelf—Book Tracker
This is a Digital Book Tracker Bullet Journal with hyperlinks for Goodnotes 5 and Noteshelf apps. Includes an INDEX grid to hold book covers. Each book cover inside the INDEX grid is linked to one review page and 1 notes page. Use the Review page to capture general details about the book, summary and quotes and the Notes page to capture insights, comments, lessons learned and valuable information to easily find later.
Also features:
→ Wish list pages
→ Authors’ details pages
→ Reading log (day, title, pages and time)
Memory Lane—Scrapbook
The DigiBujo is a custom digital planner template for bullet journaling that allows you to quickly jump between sections and find the notes you’re looking for.
This is an amazing photo journal for digital scrapbooking to capture your best moments in pictures.
Best Goodnotes Scrapbooking Journal for iPad (PDF template) with an INDEX linked to 100 stories. Each story page includes space for photos and notes and you can duplicate the page as needed.
Why need a digital bullet journal?
Be creative with a digital journal
A bullet journal template can help you keep track of your activities by organizing them in a way that is easy to understand. It can help you be creative and artistic with your content and help you see everything that is happening around you.
Not to mention that a digital planner allows you to use digital stickers (like a digital washi tape) to make your day more fun!
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
A digital bullet journal would be even more helpful due to its flexibility and ease of use. With a digital bullet journal, you can quickly write your daily log and delete or move that content to another page without leaving any marks.
11 Steps to create best bullet journals
If you can’t find a good template from my best bullet journals collection, then create your own following these steps.
- Download a digital bullet journal app like GoodNotes, Notability, or Noteshelf from the AppStore
- Create a new digital notebook template to use as the bullet journal (ideally using a lined or dotted paper)
- Decide how you want to organize your journal. Some people like to use a monthly log, a weekly spread, or a daily spread. Start brainstorming ideas for your bullet journal system. What do you want to track? What are your goals? What are some things you want to remember? Are you going to use it as a habit tracker?
- Set up the section for your notebook. Create a dedicated section for each area of your life that you want to track. For example, you could have a section for work, a section for personal goals, and a section for your daily thoughts.
- Add a Table of Contents (or Index) to easily find the pages you’re looking for. Ideally, the first page of the notebook will be the index page.
- Create a Legend (or Key) to capture the colors and symbols you’re going to use for each type of entry (task, event, appointment, idea etc.) and the status (started, completed, migrated, canceled)
- Then, start filling in your journal’s sections with whatever you want! Track your goals, to-do lists, ideas, future log, project, and anything else you can think of.
- Be sure to date each entry to keep track of your progress over time.
- Use the app’s built-in features to add photos, digital stickers, and audio recordings.
- Experiment with different layouts and designs. Don’t be afraid to try something new every week.
- Sync your notebook across all of your devices to access it anywhere.
Like the physical bullet journal, with these best bullet journals templates you can express your creativity every day.
You can also export your journal templates as PDF files to print them out or share them with others when you’ve finished writing.
When to write in a bullet journal?
We’re all different, so the digital bullet journaling routine is based on personal preference.
However, I recommend you update your journal regularly, perhaps once a day or 2-3 times a week, depending on your goals. It will help you track your progress over time and ensure that your journal remains up-to-date.
Best day-times to check with your digital bullet journal
The best times to check in with your bullet journal are typically in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
Checking in with your journal first thing in the morning can help you set your intentions for the day ahead.
Checking in during the afternoon can help you reflect on how your day is going and make any necessary adjustments.
And checking in before bed can help you wind down for the evening and reflect on your accomplishments for the day.
Experiment with different times and see what works best for you. Keep in mind that you make your rules, so if checking in with your journal once a day is enough for you, that’s fine!
I always check my journal in the afternoon.
When I come back from the lunch break, I usually check my daily progress and list the tasks I’ve done, and I will then work on adjusting the overall schedule for the following days (if there’s a need for that).
Bring life to your digital bullet journaling and make it one to remember
I know it! You will be happy to find the digital bullet journal!
Is there anything more creative than using a digital journal template?
Yes, there are other actions to help with your creativity. Yet journaling is a soft, gentile action that you can try today.
Actually… today, anyone using an Apple tablet can start a digital bullet journal template.
Ready to start bullet journaling?
To start using digital planners for journaling on the go, you will need:
– An iPad with a note-taking app installed (like Notability, Goodnotes, or Noteshelf)
– An Apple Pencil (and a screen protector to enhance the handwriting experience)
– A digital planner template like my DigiBujo100 (available when you signup to my Vault, or as a single purchase from my Etsy shop)
Not sure if digital planning is for you?
Let’s find out – I have some digital freebies templates for you! Just create an account to my FREE Vault with Demos. Lastly, no matter the source of your digital templates for iPad, make sure you’re using lag-free digital planners (optimized PDF planners) to avoid the lag when writing or scrolling the pages.
