This Morning Bullet Journal Layout Sets You Up For Success

Without a daily to-do list, I feel lost. As a person who balances working from home and being self-employed, organization is essential for me, but I steer clear of spreadsheets, digital calendars, and generally anything that feels too formal or technical. I want everything in my life to feel personal, even my to-do lists, so the bullet journal is my best productivity partner. A blank page and colorful pens are all I need to get through the day.

I swear by this morning bullet journal setup. If you love putting pen to paper or are looking to get a little more creative with your morning routine, this is a ritual you should try. Here’s how I use my morning bullet journal to set myself up for a productive day.

Essentials

Before I get started, here’s an overview of the different sections of my morning bullet journal session:

• Brain dump. Here you can write everything out all at once. This part doesn’t have to be pretty or make sense right away; it’s just an opportunity to get everything out of your head. I don’t do this part every morning, but on days when I have a particularly busy day or a lot going on in my head, I find this step helpful to start with.
• Top 3. After your brain dump, you should feel a little clearer about your day ahead. Decide what your 3 top priority tasks are for the day. If you can get these done, at the very least, by the end of the day, you’ll be able to go to bed feeling satisfied. For your own sake, don’t make it too many top priority tasks – you want to make sure you can achieve them. Self-care tasks are welcome and encouraged to be included here.
• Small things to do. The next section is for anything else that comes to your mind. These are the small tasks that you’re not sure you can do today. Tasks that aren’t that urgent or that you want to do later in the week but don’t want to forget about. For me, these tasks are usually emails to send, chores, or little things I can do at work to help me get ahead of the week.
• Daily schedule. I like to divide my day into time slots and use the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes work, 5 minutes break) to create a schedule based on that. Not only does the schedule keep me focused and on task, it also helps me take the breaks I need.

Designing the layout

The fun part about my morning bullet journal is the layout. I was a little intimidated at first because I don’t consider myself a visual artist. Luckily, this layout doesn’t require any special artistic skills, which is why I love it so much. All you need is your bullet journal, your favorite pen, and a colored marker or highlighter.

I like to do my brain dump on a separate page where I don’t have to worry about it getting messy. Think of your brain dump as disorganized chaos in front of your organized bullet journal layout. Both are important. This is your chance to figure out your top 3 tasks and any smaller tasks. Once you’ve dumped, create a header on your new page.

At the top of the page, write the days of the week in capital letters with a colored highlighter or marker. I use about three dots vertically for my header — not too big and not too small. Then, with a pen, write the day of the week in lowercase cursive in the center of the colored heading. If you like, you can also write the date or a “to-do” list right next to the heading.

Top 3 tasks and smaller tasks

Next, write “Top 3” in pen just below the header. Wait a minute or two for the ink in your pen to dry, then highlight the phrase. Write your top 3 tasks in bullet points with colored marker, one on each line. They can be simple points, but I like to draw little hearts with marker. Then outline the heart with pen to make it stand out. You can draw stars, flowers, or anything you like. Have fun and be creative with this part; you can draw whatever you want. Repeat the same process for your smaller tasks.

Daily Schedule

I like to keep my morning bullet journal with headers and tasks on the left side and my daily schedule on the right. Write out your time blocks and tasks for each block, and don’t forget to include your lunch break, self-care routine, and fun reminders. Once the ink is dry, highlight the hours so you can clearly see how your time blocks are separated. With your tasks on the left and your schedule on the right, your morning bullet journal is complete.

Why you’ll love bullet journaling in the morning

I love bullet journals because you can make them how you want them. It’s fully customizable, so I encourage you to try out this layout and adapt it to your needs. Pick just one color like I did, or pick multiple colors, doodle in the margins, or try something more elaborate if you prefer, and the world is yours. Of course, color and doodles aren’t required, but that’s what I like most about the process.

Bullet journaling in the morning gives me the opportunity to be creative and have fun, turning a scribbled list into a romantic routine full of color and intention. When I have this setup complete, I feel more relaxed and at ease than usual and I love being able to look at beauty throughout the day. Whenever I have the chance to infuse my day with more beauty and intention, I jump at it, even if it’s something as simple as a journal and colored pens.