If you are constantly on the go but enjoy the freedom of being creative while keeping track of your day-to-day tasks in an organized manner, then bullet journaling is the hobby for you! The simple act of logging all your tasks into a weekly planner can really make you feel more productive and organized. Plus, is there anything more satisfying than seeing a task getting crossed off your to-do list?
The perfect way to make the most out of your weekly planner is to incorporate your very own bullet journal key symbols. Many bullet journalers use these key symbols for the rapid logging of various tasks. For example, you can use a symbol to mark all house chores and a different one for work-related projects. Seeing all these daunting tasks neatly listed using a key coding scheme that fits you can help you feel less overwhelmed and even boost your motivation.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your bullet journal notebook, your black fine liners and let’s get to creating your very own bullet journal key symbols list!
What are bullet journal key symbols?
To explain in more detail, bullet journal key symbols are all the tiny icons you’ll be drawing in your weekly and monthly planner to better keep track of all the tasks, events, and deadlines you have going on.
You can see an example of how a key symbols list looks like below:
Your symbol list can be as short or long as you want. Not only that, but you don’t have to stick to specific symbols – while some people may prefer to use symbols as basic as possible, others may want to let their creativity fly and come up with their own intricate icons. You can get as creative as you want with the kinds of symbols you use to track different things, which is what makes bullet journaling so fun and liberating.
Why should you use bullet journal key symbols?
A lot of people include key symbols in their bullet journal since they bring an extra touch of creativity and color into it. There are several ways in which using a well-planned key symbols list can be a real lifesaver:
- Your task-tracking becomes more efficient
If you simply write down all your tasks in a top-down list, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and even lose track of the most important ones. Using a key symbols list can help you make the difference between tasks – for example, your job-related work from your personal plans. That way, you can easily choose which ones to focus on first and get through the entire to-do list in no time.
- You can save lots of time and space
What if instead of writing down the word ‘deadline’ each time, you could just illustrate that with a red exclamation point? Simply replacing certain tasks with a single symbol can save time but also notebook space. Your weekly spreads will also look much neater and more organized, and that can give a huge sense of accomplishment!
- You can get creative with it
There is no one way to create a key symbols list. Quite the opposite, it’s up to you to create the perfect symbols. This can help you enjoy the bullet journal process more and really make you fall in love with your daily work.
Types of bujo key symbols you may need:
Now, let’s talk about the kinds of symbols you’re most likely to need for your bullet journal. Of course, you’ll be using different key codes depending on your own schedule and the things you want to keep track of, but here are our top bullet journal key ideas:
Standard:
- Tasks
This one is the most general kind of symbol you can use since it can mean any sort of day-to-day responsibilities. If you’re a student, this might mean uni coursework, but if you’re a stay-at-home parent, this can be a way to keep track of house chores, your kid’s soccer practice time, and anything else that comes up in your hectic life.
Tasks can be easily coded using symbols like dots, geometric shapes, or something that fits your original bullet journal monthly spread theme (for example, if your theme is Flowers, you can use different types of flowers for different tasks).
- Events
Using a bujo key code, you can also keep track of various events in your life: hangouts with friends, birthdays, weddings, work-related socials… Since events are usually happy occasions, you can mark them using fun symbols to set them apart from other tasks, like a star or a sun.
- Appointments
Appointments are a must-include in your bullet journal key symbols list since they can be easily forgotten if you’re having a busy week. If you’re ever worried you might accidentally miss your very important appointment, don’t worry – that’s exactly what the key symbols list is there to help you with.
I usually like to mark them using something as obvious as possible – for example, by using a different color from the rest of the symbols or an exclamation mark.
- Deadlines/exams
If you’re a student, you’ll definitely want to keep track of all your exams and assignment deadlines, so make sure you include them in your bujo symbols list. A good way to mark a time-sensitive task is by drawing a small clock icon right next to the date of the deadline.