Bullet Journal: A Collection of Collections – The Top 10 Must Have Collection Spreads
- Kristen Hart
- Feb 19, 2020
- 4 min read
I can’t forget Abbey’s birthday, oh I have always wanted to go sky diving, omg I need to try that new café down the street, I wish I knew what this pen looked like on paper. As you are starting out your bullet journal, it can be difficult to determine which spreads to add and which to leave out. One of the BEST ways to customize your journal is to incorporate collections. When bullet journaling, a collection is any list, tracker or group of notes/thoughts all pertaining to the same topic. Typically, a collection is something you want to keep up with over a long period of time (more than a week or month).
My Essential Collections
Birthdays
I wanted to start by mentioning this one because this is a staple in every journal I have had. I strategically place it right at the front to ensure I do not forget about anyone’s special day. As I fill in the monthly calendar at the start of each month, I always check this spread so I can mark the dates as a visual reminder.
Bucket Lists
Yet another core element to every one of my journals. Now I like to start out very broad, therefore after my ‘birthdays’ spread I place my bucket list for that year. Again, I like to position this right at the beginning so I constantly flip to it in the hopes of crossing things off throughout the year!Now to be even more specific, I will put together 4 additional bucket lists, 1 for each season. This is an excellent way for me to keep myself accountable and make sure I actually participate in social activities (because let’s be honest, being a student is a full-time job!) I will try to think outside of the box when putting these lists together to determine what essential activities I would like to do according to the season, but also being mindful of what is attainable.
Reading Log
I have to be honest, I am NOT a fast reader. However, I LOVE reading! I have a whole (separate) list of all of the books I will read someday, but it would be way too long to incorporate into my bullet journal. Instead, I chose to make my bullet journal list all of the books I have read that year. It helps keep me accountable, however I have to say, I am feeling like a mighty slow reader this year…
Weight Tracker
This is an essential for my bullet journals. I feel as though having a visual representation of my current and goal weight motivates me to want to work out/eat healthy that way I can fill in more of the weight loss boxes.
Additional Collections I Love
Restaurants to try
We all know that feeling when you have to decide where to eat and you have no clue where to choose. Well, this spread helps tremendously with that problem! If I ever find myself unsure of where to select, I take a look at this list and attempt to find a new restaurant to try/rate.
Must Visit Destinations
Okay, I have to admit, I have a slight obsession with the idea of traveling. And I knew I would be doing A LOT of it last year, so this was the perfect spread to add to my repertoire! Not only does it remind me of where I’ve been, but it encourages me to be successful in order to get to where I’m going!
Washi Tape
One of my personal favorites! I have an extravagant washi tape collection, therefore why not take the time to show it off and put them on display. (Mind you, this is just a fraction of the amount of washi tape I actually own!)
Semester Schedule
I am the type of person who NEEDS to have everything laid out in a visual format in order to comprehend it. Therefore, using this semester schedule layout is the perfect way for me to plan my days out around my consistent responsibilities. This keeps me from getting overwhelmed about all of my various courses, organizations and jobs!
Collections I Plan to Implement
Movie List
Although this idea has not yet made it into my bullet journal, it is in the queue. I have seen so many wonderful renditions of this spread that I know it will be hard for me to choose which I want to incorporate into my journal. I know some people will choose to have a “movies to watch” spread, while others will implement a “movies watched” version. Check out Nancy's blog, SweetPlanit, for some awesome renditions of this idea!
Pen Test
This is one collection I have always wanted to add, however I just never seem to commit to it. Typically, what I do is test my pens on an additional piece of paper before allowing them to come in contact with my bullet journal. However, this is a wonderful spread to have because you can see just how the pens/pencils/markers or whatever writing utensil you are using is going to look on paper. To get a better idea of this, read Kim's post on her blog, Tiny Ray of Sunshine, where she shows two different ways to implement the pen test!
Now I could go on and on telling you even more collection ideas that you could include, but now that you have a pretty good idea of what a collection is and how to use it, I will let you do some brainstorming of your own. Happy bullet journaling!
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