Here we are approaching the end of 2019. For me, that means starting a new 2020 minimalist bullet journal.
Starting A New Bullet Journal for 2020
The key part of that last sentence being minimalist. Last year, I got caught up in adding so many different yearly spreads to my bullet journal. It honestly took me hours to set up.
Reflecting back… I hardly used any of them.
For me, a bullet journal is all about simplifying my life and helping me to stay organised. There can be a lot of pressure to get artistic with your bullet journal and track this, that and everything.
Being an artist, I definitely felt that pressure! And, for a while, I tried to be artistic with my bujo.
But, here’s the thing– I live with energy limitations. I found the more time I put into my bullet journal, the less energy I had to actually paint.
A Minimalist Approach to Bullet Journalling
Therefore, my approach to bullet journalling now is to focus on what actually helps me and what I enjoy keeping a record of.
This year, I really only included a future log and a couple of other spreads before starting my January set up.
If that sounds like it’s up your street, keep reading to see my 2020 minimalist bullet journal set up.
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Bullet Journal Supplies
First, I’ll very quickly share my supplies. Not only did I keep my set up minimal, but I also used minimal supplies.
For my 2020 bullet journal, I opted to stick with a Leuchtturm A5 dotted notebook. Simply because the other notebooks were more expensive and I don’t mind the fact the pages are off-white and there is some ghosting (where the pen shows through the page).
For pens, I used my Arteza real brush pen in Ice Blue, Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen (hard) and white Gelly Roll pen. Plus, I added a little bit of washi tape for decoration.
2020 Minimalist Bullet Journal Cover Page
I started my 2020 bullet journal with a simple, minimalist cover page.
Using my Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen, I wrote ‘2020’ and then drew a straight line either side. Next, I doodled some simple leaves and berries on either side.
Underneath this, I did write ‘Twenty Twenty’, but I decided I didn’t like it. So, I covered it up with some washi tape and wrote a quote instead. The quote reads, “this year can be whatever I want it to be”.
When it comes to bullet journalling, I think it’s important to not get hung up on making mistakes. I’ve said it from the beginning that I am not precious over my bullet journal and I just go for it. If I make a mistake, so be it; I can find ways to cover it up.
Spacing Cheat Sheet & Books I read
The next pages in my bullet journal are my spacing cheat sheet and books I read in 2020 spreads.
I am by no means an expert when it comes to setting up a spacing cheat sheet and I appreciate people will do things differently. I just do what works for me.
This cheat sheet is there to help me set up future monthly/weekly spreads. It allows me to see how to split the pages up in half, thirds or quarters with a glance.
The books I read spread is one of the few I actually used last year, so I included it again in my 2020 bullet journal.
You can get really creative for this one if you wish. I have seen people draw bookshelves and title the blank books with each book they read.
In the spirit of minimalism (and wanting to get this set up super quickly), I simply titled the page, added a couple of leaf doodles and drew the outline of two books.
For my initial spreads, I also added a piece of washi tape to the corners so I can easily identify them. Though, given they are right at the start of the journal, this probably isn’t necessary.
2020 Places & Goals
Next, I have given myself space to record the places I go to in 2020 and a page for writing down my goals and word of the year (still making a final decision on that!).
Again, I have kept these spreads very minimalist and have only titled them and added the same leaf doodle as the other pages. For the travel page, I also doodled a paper aeroplane.
2020 Bullet Journal Future Log
The final double-page spread in my 2020 bullet journal set up is my future log. As you set up a bullet journal month-to-month, the future log gives you a place to record all birthdays and important upcoming dates for the year ahead.
Then, when you set up your monthly spreads you can refer to your future log and transfer the information.
If you are someone who has a busy schedule, you might want to use two double-page spreads for your future log. For me, I know that 6 months per page is sufficient.
2020 Bullet Journal Spread Ideas
And that’s it for my 2020 minimalist bullet journal set up! If there are any additional spreads or ideas that come to mind, I know I will personally prefer to keep track of them each month.
However, if you are looking for additional ideas on spreads you can include in your 2020 bullet journal, here are a few you may like:
- Things to check out spread: movies, tv, books etc.
- Social media trackers
- Blog post ideas
- Yearly blog posting schedule
- Yearly health tracker
- Yearly mood tracker
- Recipe planner
- Grocery list
- Savings tracker for the year
- Wishlists: want lists and need lists
- Annual gratitude log
- Affirmations for the year ahead
- Packing checklists for travel
If you have additional ideas, leave them in the comments below!
January 2020 Set Up
I thought I’d also include my 2020 January set up in this post too as I have stuck with the same layout I used previously. It really works for me and– going forward– I am only going to share my monthly bullet journal spreads if I change something about it.
January 2020 Cover Page
For my January set up, I used my watercolour Robin illustration for the cover page. If you like this artwork, the original painting and high-quality prints of it are available to purchase in my Etsy shop.
Below the illustration, I added a small calendar. And, that’s as much as I did for a monthly spread. I now keep things very minimalist as I don’t tend to use monthly overview spreads and focus on the weeklys instead.
Next to my cover page, I have a blank page titled ‘What I Loved in Jan’. If you have seen any of my previous bullet journal monthly setups, you will know that I usually include ‘highlights’ and gratitude’ pages.
For January 2020, I decided to merge these pages and simply write down things I have enjoyed. I want to simplify my use of journalling this year and only record things when I want to (rather than feeling forced to write something every day).
January 2020 Weekly Bullet Journal Spread
Then, I got straight into my weeklys. For January 2020, I have stuck to a similar layout to that I used in December.
Each week is spread across two pages.
On the left-hand page, I have a small calendar showing which week it is. Plus, planning spaces for my blog and Etsy shop.
I have also created space for me to keep track of my Etsy orders. And, at the bottom of the page is space for weekly to-dos and notes.
The right-hand page is split into seven sections for the days of the week. Here, I write down the tasks I want to complete each day.
January Income + Expenses Tracker
The final spread for the month is my income and expenses tracker. Here, I simply write down the date, a short description and the amount. It helps me to keep track of my finances for the month.
I hope you enjoyed my 2020 minimalist bullet journal set up. I feel I have really simplified things with my bullet journal this year and I’m really happy about that.
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