My first monthly spread looked like a chaotic mess but six months in it actually flows

I switched to a minimalist layout with just a simple habit tracker and a brain dump section after seeing how bad my overdesigned first attempt was, and now I'm curious if anyone else found their groove shifted after ditching the fancy artwork for pure function?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilyg831mo ago

Start by saying you tried minimalist too and hated it after a month. I need the visual dopamine hit of colors and washi tape to keep me opening my journal daily. My current spread has doodle borders and washi tape all over - it's like a warm hug vs a sterile spreadsheet. Without that creative outlet in my bujo, my habit tracking drops off by day 3 because I just feel bored looking at it.

margaret_jackson731mo ago

Huh, you might have just converted me honestly. I was the person rolling their eyes at all the washi tape posts thinking it was just clutter. But you're right about the sterile spreadsheet thing. My minimal bujo lasted like two weeks before I started ignoring it because looking at it felt like homework. I ended up adding random doodles and it actually did make me want to open the thing again. So maybe the pretty stuff isn't just for show, it's like tricking your brain into caring.

julia_patel1mo ago

Picked up my bujo two weeks into a minimalist phase and realized I'd doodled a tiny octopus in the corner of my habit tracker. That octopus had a little thought bubble saying "did you drink water today?" and somehow that goofy drawing got me to actually check my water intake for the next three days. Now I have a whole cast of characters living in the margins of my spreads - a grumpy cat for days I skip chores, a happy sun for when I exercise. My brain just works better when there's a tiny friend cheering me on from the page, I guess.