A quiet library in Portland showed me how to use my bullet journal differently

I was at the main library downtown about three months ago, working on my weekly spread. A person at the next table saw my journal and asked if they could show me their system. They had a simple notebook with just two colors, black and a light blue, and used it for everything from work tasks to meal planning. They said, 'I used to spend hours on layouts, but now I just need it to work.' That chat made me drop my fancy weekly tracker and go back to basics. I now use only a pen and a highlighter, and my planning time has gone from over an hour to maybe 20 minutes. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where seeing someone else's simple setup changed how you journal?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_lopez981mo ago

Yeah, my friend had that with her whole kitchen. She used to have every single gadget, you know, a unitasker for everything. Then she stayed at her aunt's place for a week, and her aunt cooked these amazing meals with just one good knife, a cutting board, and a couple of pans. It totally flipped a switch for her. She came home and donated a huge box of stuff, and now she actually cooks more because it's not a big production.

the_robert1mo ago

My buddy had the same thing happen with his whole camera bag. He was lugging around all this gear until he saw a pro photographer just using one small camera and a single lens for a whole event. He sold half his stuff the next week and says his pictures are actually better now because he's not fussing with equipment. It's funny how seeing someone else's simple way can snap you out of your own overthinking.