How to set up the Bullet Journal Index step by step and how to use it in order to get the most out of your bullet journal.
The Bullet Journal Index should be the first page in your notebook. It is basically a bullet journal table of contents used to locate your content in your BuJo using topics and page numbers.
Leave 2 to 4 pages for the index (preferably 4). Don’t forget to number your pages and add them to the index.
How to Create your Bullet Journal Index Page
Each time you start a new page, number it, and then add it to the index. Do not include daily pages as they are not added to the index.
To add a page to your index, write down the topic and the page number.
For example, to add a running log to page 20, write it as follows:
Running log: 20
If your running log does not fit on one page, but you already used the next few pages, you simply start again on the next blank page. Then, add the page number of this new running log to your index as follows:
Running log: 20, 42
Collections do not need to be consecutive. If a collection continues later on in your notebook, simply add the next pages to the index.
Only add collections that have content to the index. Do not add empty collections. If you start a collection but don’t actually add content to it, then wait until you have content to add it to the index.
Sample Index
Here is a sample bullet journal index page. As always, set it out however it works for you. This is only an example.
Subcollections
Some projects or collections have a lot of sections, and each section deserves its own separate subcollection. As you can see in the sample BuJo index above, the trip to Greece that you are planning has three subcollections, each dedicated to a different aspect of the trip. Write each subcollection on a new indented line. Please see the example above.
Dedicated Index
If your bullet journal contains big projects with many parts and subparts, you can create a dedicated index. A dedicated index is like the standard index, but each index page is dedicated to one project only. For example, if you want to devote your bullet journal to getting fit, you can create an index titled “Getting Fit”. You can also create a dedicated index to separate your work entries from personal entries.
Bullet Journal Index Ideas
We offer a free bullet journal table of contents printable that you can customize and download.
Add doodles with a click of your mouse! Move them around, color them and change the size. Hundreds of doodles available.
You can also add watercolor elements.
Benefits of the Bujo Index
- The index helps you find things within your notebook.
- It enables you to open old notebooks and find your notes months or years after you wrote them.
- The index provides you with an overview of the things you have focused on. Scan your index to see how you have chosen to invest your time. Re-prioritize if necessary. As Ryder Carroll repeatedly explains in The Bullet Journal Method, each time you do something, you are not doing something else during that time. Since our time is very limited, we need to ensure that we spend it on things that matter. Your index will show you what you have decided to spend your time on. Use it to help you stay focused and invest your time only on things that matter to you or those you care about.
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It is my first tima at BuJoing…. thanks for your help. I was so confused and not very good at drawing etc. You make it so easy!