Have you ever wanted to peek inside someone else’s Bullet Journal?
Want to peek inside of someone else’s journal? Check out this one! I know I love to. I’m so curious about how other people use the method, and it’s fun to “see” how other people think on paper. Plus, it’s a great place to find inspiration and prompt myself to try new things.
But even more interesting is learning how people actually journal. What do they use? When do they journal? Are they consistent? What does it mean to them?
I’m a big fan of Shelby Abrahamsen, and I might have geeked out just a little bit when she agreed to answer questions about her process and show us some of her spreads.
If you haven’t heard of Shelby before, she’s a blogger at Little Coffee Fox, where she shares tutorials and inspiration for people who want to get organized through Bullet Journaling. She’s a great source of resources, and fun to follow on social media!
If you too have been curious about how other folks who journal approach their practice, check out Shelby’s story below:
When did you start journaling?
I have been journaling on and off my whole life, but I finally made it a consistent habit about four years ago.
How has journaling impacted you?
Journaling has helped me in a number of ways. I feel more confident about who I am and what I believe in. Through journaling, I now value my time, mental health, and abilities more than ever before. And I now feel more able to be creative, express myself, and share my true passions with the world.
Tell us about your personal set up. What type of journal and tools do you use?
My personal set up is in a sort of transition right now, so I’m testing out lots of things!
At the moment, I use an Erin Condren Life Planner for all of my day to day to-do lists. I use a collections journal for all of my random lists, mind maps, and project planning. I use my iPad and Apple Pencil along with the Goodnotes App to keep my business notes and planning. And I keep a Morning Pages journal separately to write in every morning, as well!
Do you journal daily? Usually when?
I try to journal on the week days, but I usually don’t bother on the weekends. I write in my Morning Pages journal most mornings and I keep up with my to-do list most days. But some days (or weeks) just end up getting away from me and I don’t really do much in any of my journals! When that happens, I just pick it back up and don’t worry about the time missed.
How often do you reflect on what you’ve written? Do you go back through old journals?
I like to think that I’d go back and read old journals, but I rarely do! Maybe once a year I’ll pull an old journal off the shelf to flip through it, but that’s pretty much it.
“My best advice for anyone getting started is to not get wrapped up in perfection.”
Shelby Abrahamsen
What advice do you have for people just getting started?
There are no awards for the most perfect page. I’ve been leaning on my motto “Done Not Perfect” for years now, and it remains true to this day. Push through mistakes, fear, insecurities, and doubts to get a page done. Even your most messed up, mistake-ridden pages will help you make progress.
Where can people connect with you to learn more?
You can always check out my site – LittleCoffeeFox.com – to see what new tutorials and inspiration are being published. If you’re into bullet journal printables or hand-lettering worksheets, I’ve got a whole library full of them for free! You just need to sign up here and you can get access to all those resources here: https://littlecoffeefox.com/resource-library-sign/.
Special Offer: Wish your journals looked more like Shelby’s?
I reached out to Shelby for this interview because I took her Brush Lettering 101 course and deeply enjoyed it. It was the perfect balance of great information with concise delivery. (I’m super-impatient when it comes to learning things. Fast and clear is a win!)
I had actually tried brush lettering before, but could never quite get there. Shelby’s practice techniques were genius! I ‘m getting great results—even as a lefty!
You can go through the course in one session, or break it up. I did it all at once sitting at my favorite coffee shop, and it was well worth my time and money.
Here’s the best part!
Shelby is giving YourVisualJournal.com readers a special offer: register for the class, and receive $10 off with the code: visualjournals
How awesome is that?!
With planners & journals, there’s always a part of me that says “I wish I could see inside a successful person’s planner, I can’t be doing this right” & it’s so nice to see some pages are minimal, some pages are cluttered, designs or types of books can change over time & it’s not a fail. It’s just life moving by.
Mina, I love it that you took the time to share this!
I can’t wait to get started. Thank you so much for the encouraging words.