Have you ever gotten lost down the rabbit hole of artistic journaling layouts? We have always adored how customizable a blank notebook is, and a quick Pinterest search will show you the myriads of ways you can make it your own.

But for us, that level of creativity isn’t always feasible. Art supply caddy or not, we have thoughts to organize and things to do! As much as we’d love to spend our time drawing and creating unique daily layouts, we needed something that met us when we woke up each morning and was immediately useable. So we built in some structure, but kept what we loved: that blank bullet space that can be used in solely practical ways (hello scratch notes I hope no one ever sees) or that can that become the canvas for your latest masterpiece.

It flexes to fit your unique style in so. many. ways.

Your daily spread bullet space becomes home to:
  • meeting/phone call notes
  • breaking down a task into actionable steps
  • that book recommendation your friend just mentioned
  • key takeaways from a podcast
  • brainstorming a project
  • mind-mapping through complex layers of thought
  • dumping ideas that you can come back to sort later
The blank bullet space on our week spread is great for:
  • your running to-do list
  • displaying week goals
  • nailing down a meal plan
  • inspiring yourself with lyrics, scripture, or a quote

Have you noticed the blank bullet page at the beginning of your Monthly? Our friend Holly (one of our first beta users) came up with a revolutionary way to utilize this space as you retire a booklet:

  • Go through the booklet and note pages you’ll want to reference later (such as the notes from a doctor’s visit, the recipe your sister shared with you, or those critical business ideas).
  • List these out index-style on the first page of your monthly, noting the topics & page numbers.
  • Transfer any notes you immediately need to your new Monthly (or to a section of your Annual, if you’ll need them all year)
  • When done, use a checkmark on your new index page to let you know this booklet has been sorted.
  • Slip it out of the Cover & store.

It is now easy to pull out and reference in the future thanks to this quick cataloging process.

The three pages at the end of the Monthly are great for:
  • journaling through the progress made on monthly goals
  • working up goals for the upcoming month
  • tracking monthly expenses
  • month-long habit trackers
  • vision boards
  • any brainstorming session that takes several pages

We love each of the above uses, and have utilized each of them at different points. But there are also plenty of days the blank space stays blank. Having blank space in your planner isn’t negative, and doesn’t mean there is a lack of planning. Blank space reminds your brain that you have space to process, that your life isn’t filled to the max, but full of the things you have chosen based on our goals & values.

So if you find a lot of the blank bullet space remains blank, don’t fret. When nothing comes to mind, leave it blank and remember you’re giving your mind the gift of space to process and focus, then fill only when you find the need to.

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The Evergreen Planner system is comprised of three unique pieces: the Cover, the Annual and the Monthly. Here at Evergreen we believe in self-compassionate planning and want to inspire women to craft a lifestyle that both fuels their dreams and serves their daily rhythms. Learn more about our system here!