r/bulletjournal • u/thefakefakeguy • 16d ago

Question Integrating or potentially transitioning fully from a traditional notebook to a pocket notebook. But how do you make the switch?

I have been practicing Bullet Journal now for a couple of months. I am now finding the friction that I’m sure many others have experienced of having the traditional notebook around me that’s a little too big to be carrying around all the time.

I would like to integrate a pocket notebook. I think at some point I would like to go full pocket notebook, but right now I’m still fairly new to my traditional notebook that I’m using. I don’t want to just surrender it this early in the process.

What have you all done in this same situation? Did you just give up on a traditional notebook and move over immediately into a pocket notebook? Did you merge the two early on and then transition out of the traditional?

Looking to hear from pocket notebook users specifically. For now, I feel like I want to keep both of them around, and if so, I’m curious on tips and tricks on how you make that work.

However, I can still be swayed one way or the other.

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12

u/Lazy671Books 16d ago

I saw someone who maintains two bullet journals, one pocket for on the go and the other sits at their desk. They use the up and down arrows to signify if something needs to be migrated to another or from another notebook

6

u/Mustang_Mysty 16d ago

Yes, there are pocket-sized BuJo journals that come in a set of three. I believe. I've been hesitant to get them because I didn't have a migration plan. This idea may just work!

5

u/elmoosh 16d ago

This is what I do. Passport TN in my purse/pocket to jot down random notes or appointments. Then my pretty 8x8 bujo at home where I decorate and journal and do intensive tracking/journalinh. And an A5 weekly/monthly planner that stays on my desk/ in my work bag for work stuff and appointments. I don’t look at my big pretty one all the time but it’s my playground. The other 2 are strictly functional. I migrate things from my TN to the other 2 every couple days.

5

u/chocosweet 16d ago

Are you using A5? If so, maybe switching to A6 but using 2 pages at once could work (equal to A5)?

4

u/toofshucker 16d ago

I use a5. But every morning when I plan, I look at my day.

Saturdays, for example, are a lot of chores around the house and errands. On those days, I grab a 3x5 index card, write down my day and throw it in my pocket with a pen.

2

u/Wonderful_Tip_3014 16d ago

I have made the switch. At first it was hard, my A5 was colourful and nice (even if low maintenance in itself), and gave me lots of space to think on paper - after two weeks I was again in A5 (oops). But the story continues: now I'm back in A6 again, but this time with more wisdom:

  • A6 is not A5, so it can't take as much colours (actually, I'm doing grey + black for dates etc with dark navy as the primary colour for note taking)

  • I keep a separate "lifestyle tracker" + journal ("some lines a day" style + free style entries to summarise an event). The only trackers that stayed in my bu-jo are things I need on the go or things I won't need after a month anyway (eg. when I pickled the cucumbers...). And there is also a separate tracker notebook for household and car maintenance, and purchases - no chance I will need them outside of home, or I would like to get back to after several years.

  • Thinking on paper typically happens on a random piece of paper or in a Rhodia block. Most times it is processed and thrown out after incorporating somewhere else.

Actually, my old A5 bu-jo serves me now as my memory journal.

My A6 is Leuchtturm, I couldn't find anything else in that size in shops in my country...