Flowers in Buckets

Turn your Bullet Journal into a Bucket Journal!

So, first off, if the term "bullet journal" is new to you, you may want to  start here with this video by Ryder, the creator of the Bullet Journal method: How To Bullet Journal. But in short, a bullet journal is a simple, customized planner that is designed to help you get organized and be more productive.

So now, onto the whole bullet to bucket journal transformation. It all started with my "happiness theory": the idea that we can categorize EVERYTHING that's truly important to us into 3 buckets. And that the key to true contentment is not in just filling those buckets, but keeping the 3 buckets in balance.

In my post, Buckets of Happiness, I talk about my original theory about the 3 different categories that I feel are critical for genuine, deep happiness. The concept was focused on the things we need to have in order to reach that level. But then I realized it's so much more powerful to focus on the actions we can take, the things we can do to keep our buckets full and in balance. So I devised a journaling system that would serve as a physical reminder of my 3 buckets; a place where I could keep track of the things I do to give each one the attention it needs.

The 3 Buckets: As Simple as A B C

The first bucket, or bucket ‘A’ stands for Achieve.  The things that go in this bucket are related to the things I consider work, my obligations; what I do for a living, taking care of my family, and even things I do for my physical wellness. In a nutshell, bucket A holds the things that help to provide our physical comforts as well as a sense of worth and purpose.

Next, there’s bucket B, where the B stands for Breathe. In this bucket I place the things I do for myself, activities that offer me a sense of inner peace and emotional wellness; things that help me to be mindful and present.

Finally, there’s bucket C, where C stands for Connect.  These are the things I do that help foster my relationships with others; everyone from family and close friends, to my neighbors and acquaintances. Having positive, healthy connections with others is extremely important to our overall happiness.

The Need for Balance

Most people are great at filling up one bucket and some can even manage two, but keeping all three in balance can be a bit of a challenge. Life can get hectic, and it’s easy to get caught up in the small stuff and forget to focus on what’s really important. You probably know people who are extremely successful in their careers, but who are so busy that they either rarely have time to enjoy their success with their loved ones, or who neglect themselves and end up with stress-related health issues. Or maybe you know people who are always able to make time for the things they enjoy doing, but who have a hard time focusing on the things they need to do for financial success.

The Bucket Journal Solution

The magic behind the idea of sorting things into buckets is that it's easy to see when one area is being neglected. 

My ACHIEVE journal section is primarily focused on 2 things: productivity and wellness. I decided the bullet journal layout was perfect for this, especially since it is meant to be customized to meet your needs. This section is a little different than a "standard" bullet journal (if there even is such a thing) because it's divided it into 2 sections: an outer sleeve and an inner packet. Also I consider it minimalist, in terms of the graphics and embellishments, with an expanded focus on wellness.

The journal I use to help fill my BREATHE bucket is focused on the thing that has always helped me to quiet my inner dialog and be more mindful; making art. If art isn’t your thing, you can use this for whatever it is that brings you a sense of calm and inner peace. If it’s meditation or running, use this as a meditation or running log. If it’s music or poetry, use it to jot down lyrics to your favorite songs or your own poetry. If it’s being in nature; get outside, take walks, collecting flowers and plants and snapping photos along the way and then use them to create a nature journal.

My CONNECT journal holds information about my interactions with friends and family. Not only is it a reminder of how important others are in my life, it's a great memory keeper!

Assembling the Journal

For my ACHIEVE and CONNECT sections, I begin by printing a dot grid on both sides of a better quality 8.5" x 11" printer paper. I take ~10 of those sheets, fold them in half and stitch them together using a simple pamphlet stitch to create my booklets. I can pop these into my journal as needed and easily replace them with fresh booklets as I fill them. I also create outer sleeves for each of these sections with a few sheets of the same dot grid paper plus a sheet of decorative paper that becomes the cover for the section. This sleeve holds the content that I will use for the entire year, like my yearly calendar, social media stats and favorite websites. 

I usually make my BREATHE section in the same way except with 9" x 12" drawing paper because it's a sketch journal for me. Sometimes I'll trim the sheets down to 8.5" x 11" to match the other sections, and sometimes I won't (depending on the size of the journal cover I am planning to use). I've also made this section using toned pastel paper and even with recycled brown paper bags. That's the beauty of making this yourself- the possibilities are endless! Everything fits neatly into my bucket journal cover, which has a spot for each of the journals and a pocket for a few extra tools I use with my sketch journal. 

If you'd like to learn more, check out my bucket journal setup video as well as this one where I shows how I made a trifold cover using leftover wallpaper and a fabric remnant. I am also working on a video to show how I made a beautiful leather-bound traveller's style journal that I will be uploading soon. If you'd like to be notified as my videos and articles are released, please subscribe.

Until next time, happy journaling!

How to Transform a Bullet Journal into a Bucket Journal- and Why!