A Letter to My Fellow ADHD Bullet Journalers
Hey there,
I remember the first time I cracked open a blank notebook, determined to start a bullet journal. The pristine pages, the fancy new pens… and my ADHD brain simultaneously buzzed with excitement and anxiety. How was I supposed to stick to a system, let alone design one? But guess what? It worked—once I allowed myself to bend the “bullet journal rules” and make it ADHD-friendly.
Here’s my open letter to you on why bullet journaling can transform your chaotic scheduling into a creative, flexible, and fun practice.
1) It Adapts to Our ADHD Brain—No “One-Size-Fits-All”
Standard planners can be too rigid: monthly grids, daily boxes, minimal space for random doodles or urgent tasks. An ADHD mind often leaps from idea to idea, or toggles between urgent tasks and random bursts of creativity. The bullet journal approach—originally coined by Ryder Carroll—gives you unlimited freedom to:
Create your own layouts: weekly spreads, daily logs, or half-day blocks… whatever suits your attention span.
Incorporate doodles, stickers, or color codes for those energetic moments.
Leave blank space for random thoughts (like the “Brain Dump” technique we talk about in The Art of Brain Dumping: Clearing Mental Clutter for ADHD Productivity).
I especially love that my bullet journal doesn’t guilt-trip me if I skip a day. I just turn the page and start fresh.
2) You Can Mix Physical + Digital for a Winning Combo
I confess: I sometimes lose my notebook at home, or I’m out without it. That’s where a digital tool like Forget swoops in to catch any tasks or ideas that pop up.
What’s the synergy?
Jot down tasks in your bullet journal each morning—structure the day.
When you leave the house, if something new arises, quickly stash it into Forget’s floating window.
Later, sync them: add important digital tasks into your bullet journal’s weekly log, or store your bullet-journal ideas into the Brain Dump feature for safe-keeping.
For ADHD folks, multiple capture points reduce time blindness and that dreaded “I had an idea but can’t recall it” frustration. For more time-blindness insights, see Time Blindness Explained: Why ‘Next Week’ Means Nothing to ADHD Minds.
3) Visual Aids = Motivational Rocket Fuel
ADHD loves color, novelty, and easily scannable info. That’s why bullet journal spreads with doodles, washi tape, or colorful markers can keep you intrigued:
Habit Trackers: Try shading boxes for daily habits. The satisfaction of coloring them triggers a small dopamine reward, which ADHD brains crave (as detailed in How Dopamine Impacts Your ADHD Brain—And How to Boost It Naturally).
Mood Trackers: If emotional swings sabotage your daily flow, track them visually. Pair it with tips from ADHD & Emotional Regulation: Strategies to Avoid Self-Sabotage.
Color-Coded To-Dos: Assign each major project or life domain a different color. It speeds up your ability to spot tasks that must happen today vs. next week.
4) Single-Tasking is Built Right In
A key bullet journal principle is listing tasks in a daily log, focusing on them one step at a time. This resonates with ADHD single-tasking—tackling one objective before jumping to the next. If you’re prone to splitting your attention among 10 incomplete tasks, read Single-Tasking vs. Multitasking: Why ADHD Brains Thrive One Step at a Time. Then see how easy it is to highlight your top priority in your bullet journal each morning.
5) Habit Stacking with Bullet Journal Prompts
Ever think about building small, consistent routines but lose momentum? I use bullet journal prompts for habit stacking—like:
Morning Routine spread: right next to my coffee doodle, I place a quick list—“hydrate,” “check daily tasks,” “add a gratitude note.”
Evening Wind-Down page: prompts me for “3 wins of the day,” “brain dump any worries,” “review tomorrow’s top 3 tasks.”
For a deeper dive on how these tiny habit attachments become unstoppable, see Tracking Progress: Using Habit Stacking to Build Consistency.
6) The Freedom to “Cross Out,” Migrate, or Abandon Tasks
Traditional planners sometimes lock you into pages or monthly spreads that, if missed, weigh on your conscience. Bullet journaling? If you skip two weeks, you just open a new page. Missed tasks can be migrated forward with an arrow symbol or simply scrapped if they’re no longer relevant. ADHD thrives on flexible self-forgiveness—less guilt, more real progress.
One tip: If you repeatedly migrate the same undone task, see if it’s actually important or a sign you’re forcing something unaligned with your priorities. For urgent tasks, you can timebox them in Forget so you stop rolling them day to day. More on prioritizing effectively in How to Prioritize Tasks When Everything Feels Urgent (ADHD Edition).
7) Creativity + Structure = Perfect Balance for ADHD
So many ADHDers oscillate between craving structure and despising it when it’s too rigid. A bullet journal is your personal sweet spot:
Spreads that mirror your current obsessions: recipe logs one month, reading trackers the next.
Simple daily logs on busier weeks, more elaborate habit trackers on calmer weeks.
Think of your bullet journal as a reflection of your ADHD journey—some pages chaotic, others streamlined. Both are valid, both keep you engaged.
Wrapping Up: Build Your Personalized ADHD BuJo
There is no single blueprint—and that’s the point. My bullet journal changes shape every few months, evolving with new tasks, new challenges, and new ADHD discoveries.
You might combine a minimalist daily log with digital time blocking in Forget. Another ADHD buddy might go for elaborate, color-coded monthly spreads. The key is giving your ADHD brain the structure and creative freedom it loves, so you stay consistent without feeling caged.
Remember:
Embrace color, doodles, or stickers if that excites you.
Pair with a digital tool like Forget for capturing tasks on the go.
Modify any bullet journaling “rule” that doesn’t serve you.
So, dear friend, I hope this letter ignites your imagination. Bullet journaling is more than a trend—it can be a lifeline, an open canvas for your ADHD mind to navigate daily chaos with style, flair, and actual results. Here’s to turning an empty notebook into your new best friend in productivity.
Yours in doodles, checkboxes, and flexible planning,
A Fellow ADHD Bullet Journaler