I think the whole 'track everything' trend in bullet journals is a mistake

Three years ago, my journal was just a simple notebook for tasks. Last month, I tried a complex setup with 15 different trackers for water, mood, sleep, and more. It felt like a second job just filling it all in. By last week, I realized I was spending 20 minutes a day on upkeep instead of actually doing things. The pressure to keep the trackers perfect made me avoid the journal. Now I'm back to a basic list and it's a relief. Has anyone else ditched the detailed trackers and found it better?

3 comments

3 Comments

campbell.robin2mo ago

Felt like a second job" is the perfect way to put it. My mood tracker just made me grumpy about having to track my grumpiness. Back to basics is the way to go.

park.adam2mo ago

Honestly it's just a notebook, not a life contract. If filling it out feels like work then yeah, drop the trackers. Tbh making it simple again sounds like the obvious fix.

michaela161mo ago

Oh man that park.adam comment about it not being a life contract really hit me. I think when you start treating your notebook like some kind of sacred duty you have to perform perfectly, it stops being helpful and starts being a burden. Simple lists just let you actually get stuff done without the guilt trip.