The beginning of the year is an extra crazy time for me. I have goals to create and plan out, deadlines to create, and loads of planning to do. For January I decided to do a minimalist bullet journal set up to save time on my planning.
December and January are ALWAYS crazy months for me. Between loads of December birthdays, Christmas, and New Years I have almost zero time.
To make matters worse I am in the process of changing up my mommy blog and dealing with all the things that come with a rebrand. I am all over the place with ideas, plans, and goals for 2019 that I just didn’t have the time to go into a super pretty theme for January.
It’s ok though because I kinda feel like I am getting back to when I first started bullet journaling last year – except with prettier hand lettering.
When I first started bullet journaling I found minimalist spreads to be the most productive and useful spreads for me. I love drawing and creating art but too much of it and I lose the purpose of my bullet journal.
This is why I actually have two journals. One for bullet journaling and one for drawing and doodling. I find it keeps my everyday bullet journal from filling up so quickly when I have the time and creative juices to start doodling.
Also while I absolutely love the Scribbles That Matter journal, it is a bit more expensive. So I get the cheaper Essentials journal for doodling because I fill it up faster.
Before we get started here is a list of my recommended supplies.
Recommended Products
I didn’t really have a plan going into this I just decided to just go with the flow. I actually really like the way it turned out. Sapphires are one of my two favorite gemstones. So it just looks pretty to me.
I haven’t filled out my goals for the year yet. I want to analyze where I was last year this time and see how I did and see what realistic goals I can set for next year.
When I set goals I go a little further than most people. I don’t just set a goal and that’s it. I actually create an entire plan for that goal.
To create the plan I think through what actions I need to take to reach a specific goal. This sets up my monthly goals and what I need to do every day to reach these goals.
Since I have the grey and yellow Scribbles that Matter journal I decided to stick with that coloring for the future log. As you can see here I filled it out as much as possible already. Including reminders for traditions I want to start next year.
A vision board is typically an area where you put pictures and reminders of things you want. These are a visual representation of your goals and a way to consistently remind yourself of what you are working towards.
I have a play on the vision board in my journal. Some of these are goals for 2019 and some may take a bit longer, looking at that millionaire goal. There are things that I want to stay focused on in 2019 because in 2020 or 2021 I will be grateful I did.
I used this Tombow Brush Pen Set to get all these wonderful colors.
I created the whole set up using a black fineliner like this and the Fudenosuke Tombow Pens.
A simple box with modern calligraphy font. This set the tone for the whole month. I’m keeping it simple.
Check out my post Best Hand Lettering Tutorials.
So here I decided to go with a favorite version of my normal monthly spread. I have goals and events spots that will get filled in with all my January plans.
A visions page was something I created back in December and it really helped me to stay in a positive and productive mindset. Thinking about the things I want in the near future every morning set me up to actually get my work done.
As always I have a gratitude page because it is extremely important to live each day with gratitude. Be grateful for the things you currently have instead of focusing on what you don’t have.
Sticking with the minimalist theme this is actually one of my more favorite spreads. I have everything I need all in one spot.
The quotes each week are geared towards positive thinking. I like starting the year off by focusing on positive things.
The weekly running to do list helps me to stay on track with those monthly goals I set.
The habit tracker will get filled in each week with habits I want to track. This month will probably be similar to last month. I will be still tracking my reading, visions, gratitude, and workouts. I will probably be adding Instagram though because I have a 31 day Word of the Day Challenge I am doing.
Finally, I have a nasty habit of over scheduling tasks for myself – this weekly layout will help to minimize that. I can’t overbook myself when I don’t have loads of space available to do it. This really helps to focus my time and be realistic about what I can actually get done.
Again I kept the journal pages super simple. Journaling helps me to track my emotions, memories, and other things that I love so it’s a must have in all of my monthly layouts.
From time to time the Scribbles that Matter Journal is sold out on Amazon. When this happens third party sellers will try to sell the journal for an insane amount of money. DO NOT BUY THAT! Scribbles that Matter should be back in stock soon. My second favorite journal is the Essentials Dot Matrix, though I warn you the pages on this one are thinner and bleeding and shadows show up on opposite sides. However, it's a decent cheap journal if you are in a pinch and just want to get started.
- Journal
- Stencils
- Fine Point Pens
- Micron Fine Line Set Pens
- Tombow Fudenosuke Soft And Hard Tip Brush Pen
- Tombow Brush Pens
- Washi Tape
- Crayola Super Tips
2019 Cover Page
I didn’t really have a plan going into this I just decided to just go with the flow. I actually really like the way it turned out. Sapphires are one of my two favorite gemstones. So it just looks pretty to me.
2019 Goals
I haven’t filled out my goals for the year yet. I want to analyze where I was last year this time and see how I did and see what realistic goals I can set for next year.
When I set goals I go a little further than most people. I don’t just set a goal and that’s it. I actually create an entire plan for that goal.
To create the plan I think through what actions I need to take to reach a specific goal. This sets up my monthly goals and what I need to do every day to reach these goals.
2019 Future Log
Since I have the grey and yellow Scribbles that Matter journal I decided to stick with that coloring for the future log. As you can see here I filled it out as much as possible already. Including reminders for traditions I want to start next year.
2019 Vision Board
A vision board is typically an area where you put pictures and reminders of things you want. These are a visual representation of your goals and a way to consistently remind yourself of what you are working towards.
I have a play on the vision board in my journal. Some of these are goals for 2019 and some may take a bit longer, looking at that millionaire goal. There are things that I want to stay focused on in 2019 because in 2020 or 2021 I will be grateful I did.
I used this Tombow Brush Pen Set to get all these wonderful colors.
Minimalist Bullet Journal Set Up
Finally we can get into the month of January. Like I said earlier I decided to stay super minimalist this month. It was easier for me to create and took less time.
I created the whole set up using a black fineliner like this and the Fudenosuke Tombow Pens.
January Cover Page
A simple box with modern calligraphy font. This set the tone for the whole month. I’m keeping it simple.
Check out my post Best Hand Lettering Tutorials.
January Monthly Spread
So here I decided to go with a favorite version of my normal monthly spread. I have goals and events spots that will get filled in with all my January plans.
Visions and Gratitude Pages
A visions page was something I created back in December and it really helped me to stay in a positive and productive mindset. Thinking about the things I want in the near future every morning set me up to actually get my work done.
As always I have a gratitude page because it is extremely important to live each day with gratitude. Be grateful for the things you currently have instead of focusing on what you don’t have.
January Weekly Spreads
Sticking with the minimalist theme this is actually one of my more favorite spreads. I have everything I need all in one spot.
The quotes each week are geared towards positive thinking. I like starting the year off by focusing on positive things.
The weekly running to do list helps me to stay on track with those monthly goals I set.
The habit tracker will get filled in each week with habits I want to track. This month will probably be similar to last month. I will be still tracking my reading, visions, gratitude, and workouts. I will probably be adding Instagram though because I have a 31 day Word of the Day Challenge I am doing.
Finally, I have a nasty habit of over scheduling tasks for myself – this weekly layout will help to minimize that. I can’t overbook myself when I don’t have loads of space available to do it. This really helps to focus my time and be realistic about what I can actually get done.
Journal Pages
Again I kept the journal pages super simple. Journaling helps me to track my emotions, memories, and other things that I love so it’s a must have in all of my monthly layouts.
Minimalist Bullet Journal Layout
I really like the way this minimalist setup turned out. It’s simple, easy to follow, and easy to do with the right supplies. This is the perfect design for newbies and advanced bullet journalers alike. If you are looking for a simple design to plan out your months I highly recommend going with a minimalist theme. Recommended ProductsFrom time to time the Scribbles that Matter Journal is sold out on Amazon. When this happens third party sellers will try to sell the journal for an insane amount of money. DO NOT BUY THAT! Scribbles that Matter should be back in stock soon. My second favorite journal is the Essentials Dot Matrix, though I warn you the pages on this one are thinner and bleeding and shadows show up on opposite sides. However, it's a decent cheap journal if you are in a pinch and just want to get started.
- Journal
- Stencils
- Fine Point Pens
- Micron Fine Line Set Pens
- Tombow Fudenosuke Soft And Hard Tip Brush Pen
- Tombow Brush Pens
- Washi Tape
- Crayola Super Tips
- June 2019 Bullet Journal Setup
- Easy Bullet Journal Monthly Setup February 2019
- 10 New Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads
- 21 Easy Bullet Journal Monthly Spreads
Hey
Looks lovely, I’m a newbie and this helps a lot.
Quick question:
What habits do you track in that side box and how do you track them?
Thanks
t
It depends on my goals for the week. It’s usually making sure I get some reading and writing done, maybe exercise, or drink enough water. Whatever good habits you want to start the habit tracker is a great way to stay on track.
Hi thanks for quick reply. I meant HOW do you track it, not what 🙂 dozens to need to be much space ::)
Omg “doesn’t seem to be much space”
Autocorrect! 😉
Sorry for the late reply, I usually use a habit tracker within my week so as you can see on this post here https://www.bulletjournaladdict.com/spreads/monthly-spreads/doctor-who-theme-bullet-journal/ I create a little box and then fill in what habits I want to track and if I complete the daily task I just fill in the boxes next to it.
❤I love your entire January simplistic look. I switched over to that type this past year about half way through because trying to be make my BuJo pretty was really stressing me out and didn’t function as it should. Keep up the great work. Your work is a joy to behold and inspires me. Thank you.
Aww thank you so much. I hope in 2020 to bring a lot more tutorial type posts so people can experiment more with their creativity if they want to. I really do prefer minimalist type spreads and even though I usually stick with a theme my weekly and daily spreads are always more minimalist or easy to create because that’s what I use the most in my journal.