Bullet Journal Ideas: Morning Routine
Whether you like to stay up late or enjoy rising early, we all have to start our morning at some point. And as many of us are beginning to work from home thanks to the pandemic situation, having some sort of routine can be a powerful tool for productivity, no matter what your day looks like.
As someone who easily loses track of time, I enjoy having a loose structure to my mornings to keep me a little more focused. I often get asked about what bullet journal spreads I like to use as well, so I thought that sharing this morning routine page would give you a creative way to stay on track, whether your goal is productivity, creativity, or just relaxation. I’ll also be going over a few tips and tricks for lettering on an angle or on a curve so that you can recreate this page heading.
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate, and if you go through them to make a purchase, I might earn a small amount of revenue. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. :)
Wait, slow down - what is bullet journaling?
If you’re new to the world of bullet journaling, it’s "a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system" by Ryder Carroll. You can read more about it on his website. Although the system was developed by him, the phrase ‘bullet journal’ has taken on a life of its own thanks to the internet, and is often used as a reference for "a journal used for personal use, such as a planner, art book, organization journal, and or a diary.” Think of it almost as drawing a custom planner in a notebook, with the freedom to add whatever pages, or “spreads”, that you want.
You don’t have to have a bullet journal to create a morning routine page, but if you have one or are starting one then it’s a great addition to your setup! I created this bullet journal spread as more of a goal page rather than a habit tracker, so instead of checking the items off, I'll just glance over it and keep it in mind each morning. I find it very helpful to have a flexible morning routine that you can do on weekdays as well as weekends, and just remember that your list doesn’t have to be excessively long or 100% task-oriented. I have a mixture of tasks and also a sprinkling of little moments to watch out for and appreciate:) No matter where you work, having a bit of time to yourself to appreciate each day's beginning is powerful for both your sanity :D and your productivity!
If you want to recreate my morning routine spread, you’ll need:
An Archer + Olive Dot Grid Notebook (I have the A5 size, and they’re pretty much the best bullet journal notebooks)
A pencil, eraser, and a ruler
Black and white gel pens
Black paper from the Blackout book or Kraft paper from the A+O Kraft Dot Grid books
You can create a beautiful header on an angle or a curve by following these lettering tips and tricks. I know that this isn’t the only way to letter on a curve, but it’s one way I’ve found to make the process easier and I hope that it encourages you to try new things with your journal and your lettering. :)
Start by drawing your guidelines! Make sure to leave some space to the side, and lightly sketch out a baseline and a capline with your pencil, and don’t forge a descender/ascender line if you’ll be dealing in lowercase letters.
Count out the number of letters you need and divide up your shape – don’t forget to leave space in between each word.
Sketch in your letters. If you have horizontal strokes that are near your curved or angled baseline or capline, just mirror the shape of the nearest guidelines.
Keep your vertical lines straight up and down; this will keep things curvy but cohesive.
I like outlining my pencil sketch using a Sakura Micron pen; they have very precise tips in a wide variety of sizes, and dry down quickly which makes your wait time for erasing very minimal.
Pro tip: if you're unsure about how your letters look, turn your journal upside down. This will help you see more of just the shapes as opposed to the letters and you can check your hand-lettering with a more precise eye.
You can add an extra touch like a drop shadow or a border, so just have fun with it and add your favorite details to this bullet journal header. I used black and white since I'm neutrals obsessed, but feel free to use your favorite colors and make it your own.
The last step is to just rip up a bit of contrasting paper, like kraft paper or blackout paper, to make your morning routine list pop. I also added little doodles of both activies and my signature sprinkling of little stars.
I’ll be adding even more bullet journal ideas and inspiration to the blog for you in the weeks to come, but just remember that no two bullet journals will or should look the same. If you’re short on time, you can go for a clean + minimal look, or you can add photos and doodles and collages if that’s what you want. Your bullet journal should help you stay productive and a little bit creative, and what that looks like is completely up to you.
I hope y'all enjoyed this bullet journal how to, and don't forget to share your recreations with me on Instagram by tagging @thegraytergood. And if you’re wanting to get more into bullet journaling, I’ll be sharing more about it in the next blog post. See y’all then! <3 Liz
