• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Rowan Mangan

Writer. Mom. Wild Inventurer.

  • Contact me
  • Wild Inventures Blog

My Bullet Journal friend

October 3, 2019 18 Comments

Embarrassing revelation: when I look at this grubby, scuffed little yellow notebook—my bullet journal—I feel a genuine affection. A warm, swelly sensation in my heart, such as one might feel for a dear friend, or humankind. It’s odd, yes, but also kind of cool. It makes me ponder the concept of inanimate friends, like the friends Marie Kondo keeps in her closets. I find myself trying to appreciate and honor all the little objects in my life.

There are a lot of them. I don’t get out much.

Anyway, a video!

My bullet journal (“bujo”) is a precious inanimate friend. Cute, cheerful, deep and SUCH a good listener. So I recently posted about my bujo on social media, and got some questions in response. And today I made a video about the way I hang out with this pal of mine.

In the video I talk about what drew me to using this brilliant method, created by the wondrous systems mind of Ryder Carroll. Of course, the internet is full of resources about the nuts and bolts of bullet journaling, so that’s not really what this video does. It’s about my own experience of the method instead, and the ways that I’ve adapted it to fit my life.

So if you love to watch an obsesso’s unhinged ranting, please sit back and enjoy. If you like playing “Spot the person who drew on her own face with a Sharpie,” you’re in for a treat.

What kind of friend is a bujo?

Making this video, I reflected on the real ways Yellow Bujo has improved my life. The process made me understand how much I require the creation of order in my days, since I have the kind of life without much externally-imposed structure.

My bullet journal, it turns out, is the kind of friend who gently suggests, “Hey, you’ll feel better if you squeeze in some exercise today.” It smiles and says, “Remember how you said you were going to work on your book this week?” It puts a comforting hand on my shoulder and points to the list of ways I need to nurture myself.

(Of course, it does not literally, with the hand on the shoulder. Of course not. I just creeped myself out. It’s a freaking book. No limbs. No hands.)

Still, I believe we could all use a friend like Yellow Bujo. And given that I’m preparing to embark on a new phase soon, as a life coach, it occurs to me that maybe that’s the kind of friend my bullet journal is. Warm, encouraging, and prepared to hold you to your promises.

Do you have a bullet journal or similar system for bringing order? Do you have inanimate friends? I want to know! Leave a comment or drop me a line directly.

I want to be sure I continue this practice of gratitude for my inanimate friends. (So I’d better write it down in my bujo!)

This article originally appeared on Rowan’s Wild Inventures substack newsletter. To subscribe and get all Rowan’s posts in your inbox, head over to Wild Inventures on substack now. 

you may also like...

  • So Much to Tell You
  • Tricked
  • What is this “America” you speak of?

Filed Under: Work inventures Tagged With: bujo, bullet journal, inanimate friends, productivity

Previous Post: « The Turning, a poem
Next Post: Precious precious wild »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Sarah Roberts says

    October 3, 2019 at 7:45 pm

    I love love love this video!! We are very similar in that I love a system also. And just discovered washi tape recently and it brings me joy. I have been looking at ways to use my phone less to organise my day, weeks and months and the Bujo seems to be the perfect system! Currently reading as much as possible about bullet journaling and gathering all the information before I launch in. This genuinely makes me excited! Thanks for sharing x

    Reply
    • rowan says

      October 3, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      Hi Sarah, Wow, this makes me SO HAPPY! You have all the signs of becoming as crazygonuts about this as I am, and one always likes peers in these pursuits. Seriously, you’ll have fun.

      There are definitely some parts of the method that I don’t use, but others that I didn’t think I’d use but have ended up building in.

      Let me know how you go with it!

      Reply
  2. Carol Bonneville says

    October 3, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    I love this video Ro, you lit up my day, please make more. The hashtag #randomshitbyRo. would be the first on my list of must watch. Xoxo

    Reply
    • rowan says

      October 3, 2019 at 10:24 pm

      Wow, if #randomshitbyro were the hashtag I was aspiring to, I would have zero trouble finding content! Thanks so much, Carol! Love yer guts, girl! x

      Reply
      • Caro Bonneville says

        October 3, 2019 at 11:36 pm

        Omg Ro, that should have been #random SHIFT by ro, not shit. This video was randomly in my newsfeed and it shifted something for me, showed me a new way, and I love it. Is there a big hole I can crawl into? Xoxo

        Reply
        • rowan says

          October 3, 2019 at 11:53 pm

          But I kept referring to “random shit” in the video.

          Hey, I’ll take both! Random shit feels right in my comfort zone, but I’ll take “shift” as a huge compliment! xoxoxo

          Reply
  3. Tricia says

    October 3, 2019 at 10:45 pm

    Ro! Bujo! Thank you. This is fantastic. You are fantastic. I had a sudden, inexplicable urge to buy a journal last week (I haven’t kept one on paper in years) and am OVER chasing down the bits of scrap paper I seem to scribble bujo content on at random. THANK YOU for helping me see the solution. And thank you for sharing your lovely creation —
    xoxoxo
    Tricia

    Reply
    • rowan says

      October 3, 2019 at 11:54 pm

      Aww, thanks, angel. Last night Marty and I were reading your introduction together and reacquainting ourselves with your old habits! Strongly encourage you — of all people — to bujo like the devil! xoxo

      Reply
  4. Donna Kiel says

    October 4, 2019 at 3:21 am

    Dearest Ro, I love this bujo video so much. I usually click off any video more than 2 min but not this one. I was enraptured with your joy, authenticity, and passion. You weren’t just describing a bullet journal you were describing a practice of self compassion and presence. Oh my dear gracious badger, you make this world a more loving, thoughtful, kind and joyous place. I have to say the journal sounds way cool but what sounds even better is giving life beauty, systems, pretty tape borders and memories of poignancy and meaning. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • rowan says

      October 4, 2019 at 4:21 pm

      Thank you, lovely! xo

      Reply
  5. MaryAnn says

    October 4, 2019 at 4:21 am

    I love your Bujo! Want one!
    Will begin the online search tonight for the perfect book -Thanks so much Ro.

    Reply
    • rowan says

      October 4, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      Make sure you get a legit bullet journal so it has the index and page numbers already printed. Also the dot grid instead of lines or plain paper helps enormously! Let me know how you go! xo

      Reply
  6. Chris says

    October 4, 2019 at 10:25 am

    Ro – I loved your #bujo video! I’ve been a fan for years. My bujo is quite boring compared to yours. Ha! I am inspired to dig into the system a little more now and I’m also strangely fascinated by this washi tape you speak of. My favorite addition to my bujo was a pen quiver. It allows you to carry your favorite pens attached to your journal. You’ll love it. Bujo on!

    Reply
    • rowan says

      October 4, 2019 at 4:21 pm

      Ooh, accessories! You KNOW I’m into that! It is so fun to watch everyone come out of the bujo closet!

      Reply
  7. Michelle says

    October 5, 2019 at 9:16 pm

    Thanks for sharing. Love, love, love this! Can’t believe I’m just hearing about this now. Where did you get your bujo and do they offer other colors?

    Reply
    • rowan says

      October 13, 2019 at 5:22 pm

      Hi Michelle! I got mine online. If you search “bullet journal” you should find quite a lot of variety, including the all-important color choice! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Anisha Imhasly says

    October 15, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    I love this video so much, Ro! It’s ten minutes SHORT, not LONG. Please don’t ever say that doing this kind of lovely video is self-indulgent – you’re sharing something so precious, worthwhile and practical, and you’re doing it with so much humor and enthusiasm – what’s not to like? You could totally do more installments on it. Thank you for sharing it. Sending love! Xox

    Reply
    • rowan says

      October 15, 2019 at 8:31 pm

      Thanks, lovely! I appreciate that so much. I do love my bujo 🙂 xoxo

      Reply

Footer

find me on instagram!

One of the best nights I’ve ever had. My body is One of the best nights I’ve ever had. My body is sore from all the bopping. I feel like so many angsty past versions of myself got to come out and ROCK tonight—and so did my very happy current self on date night with my wife. BASKING. Thank you @anidifranco, and happy birthday!
@themarthabeck @lprnyc #anidifranco #righteousbaberecords
Have you ever tried The “No” Test? Bestselling Have you ever tried The “No” Test? Bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert has, and she tells Martha and Rowan all about it on this episode of Bewildered. The No Test is a way of gauging someone’s reaction when you set a boundary. If the person reacts negatively in any way or pushes back against your “no”—well, that's a bright red flag in the relationship. To find out what happened when Liz tried out The No Test, and the changes she made in her life as a result, be sure to catch the full episode. 

@bewilderedpodcast
@themarthabeck
Current configuration of our ever-wacky, ever-chan Current configuration of our ever-wacky, ever-changing, ever-bewildered household. Ultimate village living. 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
“What am I serving?” That’s the question to “What am I serving?”

That’s the question to ask yourself, Martha says, when you want to tell the difference between what you’re being pushed to do by the culture, and what you’re being pulled to do by your true nature.

Rowan adds that there are little corners of our personality that are being served all the time, often by mundane work—but “just because it’s not sexy doesn’t mean it’s culture.”

Join Martha and Ro for this episode of Bewildered where they explore the differences between culture and nature when it comes to hard work, and how you can find strength in the struggle.

You can listen to Episode 60: Wild Horses, access the show notes, and find links to resources on our website at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck
@bewilderedpodcast
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #meaningfullife #honeybadger #wayfinderdreams #changecycle #lifecoach #lifecoachtraining #soulawakening #waystationdreams #boydvarty #liontrackersguidetolife #londolozi #spiritualawakening #ifs #ifstherapy
There are many things that are extremely difficult There are many things that are extremely difficult that we just feel driven to do, like raising a family or pursuing a dream.

“In the service of a dream,” Rowan says, “there is hard work that is going to be part of that journey. And yet, even though the work itself isn't enjoyable, it's still our nature to pursue it.”

Join Martha and Ro for this episode of Bewildered, where they’re talking about the place in our true nature for dogged, determined work—even when it's not fun—and why the struggle is always worth it.

You can listen to Episode 60: Wild Horses, access the show notes, and find links to resources on our website at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck
@bewilderedpodcast
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #meaningfullife #honeybadger #wayfinderdreams #changecycle #lifecoach #lifecoachtraining #soulawakening #waystationdreams #boydvarty #liontrackersguidetolife #londolozi #spiritualawakening #ifs #ifstherapy
New spot, same smile ✨✨✨ @themarthabeck New spot, same smile ✨✨✨ @themarthabeck
Have you ever played with one of those cartoon fli Have you ever played with one of those cartoon flipbooks, where you thumb through the pages and the drawing seems to move?

Rowan says that because we're trapped in physical bodies, we experience the flow of change like a flipbook—in incremental progressions that have a jerky, stop-and-start quality of movement

However, that staccato effect is just an illusion because we haven't got a great perspective on what's happening, which in reality is just beautiful, constant flow. 

Tune in for this episode of BEWILDERED® to hear Martha and Ro talk about adjusting your perspective, letting go, and allowing yourself to move with the flow of change.

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app. 

@bewilderedpodcast
@themarthabeck
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #strangerthings #australia #koala #wombats #enidblyton #entrepreneur #africa #londolozi #vanlife #costarica #dream #dreambig #waystation
Lil punkin Lil punkin
Why would you be given a dream if you aren’t sup Why would you be given a dream if you aren’t supposed to realize it?

This is a question Martha and Ro are exploring in this episode of BEWILDERED®, Episode 58: Dream Dashers and Way Stations.

They compare pursuing your big, life-changing “way station dreams” to playing a video game with many levels—there’s always a bit of fear and you’re always going to have to defeat the “big boss” of the game, which is culture. Figuring it out is the fun part.

As Ro says, “You don't always have to spend something to make a way station dream come true, but you do always, always have to risk something—that's being wild.”

Tune in for the full conversation to learn how to overcome cultural obstacles and bravely pursue your wildest dreams. (Spoiler alert: The risk is worth it!)

You can listen to Episode 58: Dream Dashers and Way Stations, access the show notes, and find links to resources on our website at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck 
@bewilderedpodcast 
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #strangerthings #australia #koala #wombats #enidblyton #entrepreneur #africa #londolozi #vanlife #costarica #dream #dreambig #waystation
Have you ever looked back at all the big points, o Have you ever looked back at all the big points, or way stations, along your life’s journey and how they led you to where you are today?

It’s a fascinating exercise, and Martha and Ro are diving into it in this episode of BEWILDERED®, Episode 58: Dream Dashers and Way Stations.

Martha notes how her life arc took her out of academia, on to business school, to eventually running her own business, to developing a passion for going to Africa, to meeting Rowan there, to having their daughter Lila.

As Rowan jokes, “You taught business school in your 20s because we were going to have a baby to complain about in your 60s.”

Join them for this fun and fascinating episode to explore the idea of way station dreams and how you can recognize the ones that are waiting for you.

You can listen to Episode 58: Dream Dashers and Way Stations, access the show notes, and find links to resources on our website at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck
@bewilderedpodcast 
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #strangerthings #australia #koala #wombats #enidblyton #entrepreneur #africa #londolozi #vanlife #costarica #dream #dreambig #waystation
Martha says life is like a game of “you're getti Martha says life is like a game of “you're getting warmer, you're getting colder.” There are dreams that are red hot that pull you toward them, and these become way stations along the journey of your life.

In this episode of BEWILDERED®, Episode 58: Dream Dashers and Way Stations, Martha and Ro explore the idea of way station dreams and how to pursue them despite the huge resistance you’ll get from the culture—which always tries to dash the dreams of the individual.

As Martha says, “Moving from one important way station to another is basically writing the story of your life, so don't let anyone else make that map for you.”

To find out more about how to overcome cultural pressures to plot your own course, be sure to tune in for the full conversation.

You can listen to Episode 58: Dream Dashers and Way Stations, access the show notes, and find links to resources on our website at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck 
@bewilderedpodcast 
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #strangerthings #australia #koala #wombats #enidblyton #entrepreneur #africa #londolozi #vanlife #costarica #dream #dreambig #waystation
Our culture wants us to segment our deep creativit Our culture wants us to segment our deep creativity into tiny chunks of productivity: 

🕟 Get up at 4:30 and meditate!
🕔 Then gratitude journal!
🕠 Then get on the treadmill!
🕕 Then get your creative work done before anyone else wakes up!

The only problem with this is that we’re human beings…not robots. 

In this episode of BEWILDERED®, Episode 57: The Deep, Slow River of Creativity, Martha and Ro explore a seasonal approach that’s more aligned with our wild human nature.

As Martha puts it, “If you're going to do something long term, it has to be something you care about enough to see it through the winter, to let it go fallow.” 

And as Ro points out, when we’re in a fallow period, “we're mending our nets, we’re repairing things, we're doing things inside in front of the fire—we're replenishing ourselves.” 

To hear more about how you can learn to trust the seasonal flow of creativity in your own life, don’t miss the full conversation!

You can listen to Episode 57: The Deep, Slow River of Creativity, access the show notes, and find links to resources on our website at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@bewilderedpodcast
@themarthabeck
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #vanlife #creative #creativity #bewildfiles #author #authorlife #creativewriting #parentproblems #flow #creativeflow #audrelorde
Are you struggling to focus on a big creative proj Are you struggling to focus on a big creative project amidst a sea of distractions?

Don’t worry, says the culture, you can get it all done if you just have the moxie!

Whether or not you have this so-called moxie is beside the point. As Ro says, only some tasks we need to do are finite and easily checked off our list, while other things are part of what Martha calls the deep, slow river of creativity—a force that can move mountains.

In this episode of BEWILDERED®, Episode 57: The Deep, Slow River of Creativity, Martha and Ro talk about how we can make the commitment to stay connected to this river, even when life interferes (because it always will interfere), and stake our claim to a creative life.

Don’t miss it!

You can listen to Episode 57: The Deep, Slow River of Creativity, access the show notes, and find links to resources on our website at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@bewilderedpodcast 
@themarthabeck 
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #vanlife #creative #creativity #bewildfiles #author #authorlife #creativewriting #parentproblems #flow #creativeflow #audrelorde
Every once in a while the stars align and the thre Every once in a while the stars align and the three of us manage to get dinner together in New York. Always the same restaurant. Always the same table.

These nights of laughter and storytelling are like colorful beads I’ve been collecting—a series of perfect evenings strung between years, the breadth of a continent, a pandemic, the birth of children. But we keep coming back, and it’s always just as precious as it was tonight.

Thank you, Maria: you’re such a glowing jewel in our lives. Next stop Croatia! 

@mariashriver @themarthabeck
Goodbye, sweet goof. 💔 Goodbye, sweet goof. 💔
Have you ever tried telling the story of your life Have you ever tried telling the story of your life backwards?

For example, Martha was raised Mormon but then left that faith, and that made her a radical out-of-culture maverick. But describing that in reverse—Martha was meant to be a radical out-of-culture maverick, so she was born Mormon.

It’s interesting to look back from the moment you're in now and see if the seeds of what you love were planted long ago in ways you didn't understand at the time. 

In this episode of Bewildered®, Martha and Ro talk about these seeds as being part of the strange and delicious phenomenon they call “the pull.”

Listen to the full conversation to find out how you can recognize this mysterious force and follow it to create magical shifts in your life.

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck 
@bewilderedpodcast 
.
.
.
#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #themarthabeck #trackinglife #thepull #metaphysical #beginnersmind #dreams #vanlife

follow me on twitter!

Tweets by rowanmangan

Copyright © 2020 Rowan Mangan · Site by Lilt Creative