Bullet Journal Index – Everything You Need To Know

A bullet journal keeps your life organized, but what keeps your bullet journal organized? It is the index page of the bullet journal! An index page in the bullet journal is one of the first pages; it acts as a table of contents. This spread is specially designed to list out what material is located on which pages in the entire bullet journal.  In this article let us know about the bullet journal index and how to create the most functional one.

What Is A Bullet Journal Index?

An index page is a list of items with their respective page numbers. It is just like a list of content; the only difference is that it doesn’t have to be in chronological order necessarily.  Indexing something in your bullet journal means you are listing out the collections you have and where you can find them in your bullet journal.  It is a lot easier to search by topic in the bullet journal index as a few things might recur. For instance, if you have your habit tracker recurring every month, how will you list that in your bullet journal index? You can reference the page numbers of all your habit trackers at once. Something like this: Habit tracker – 14, 26, 38. A few god grid journals come with an inbuilt index page, such as an LT1917, but if there isn’t, you can manually create an index page for any notebook.

Why Do I Need A Bullet Journal Index?

Do you actually need an index page in your bullet journal? This is one of the very subjective questions!  For the original bullet journal system created by Ryder Carroll, an index page in a bullet journal is a permanent feature. It is one of the first things we need to do while setting up your bullet journal.   However, depending upon your bullet journaling style, this page is may oy may not be more important to you.  So, if you ask me, is it essential to include an index page in the bullet journal? I would say it depends! Some bullet journalers find it extremely helpful, while others don’t even use it, especially those who use artsy bullet journals. This is because the arty bullet journal pages are so different from each other, and a simple flip is enough to get you on the page you want.  Anyways, there are a few pros of having a bullet journal index. You might need a bullet journal index when – 

• Even though you are very artsy and color code every page, there will be a few “where is that page?” moments while flipping through the book. 
• You have infinite pages and collections in your bullet journal.
• When you track other people’s habits in your journal (like the family trackers), so everyone needs to know and edit the entries easily.
• You quickly log in to your bullet journal and don’t have any graphics to differentiate the pages.  

4 Tips For Creating A Bullet Journal Index

Just because you have created a functional index page for your bullet journal, it doesn’t mean you are finished. Below are the four tips for improving your bullet journal index.

1. Break Your Index Page Into Categories

Breaking down your index page into different categories is much easier to find the page you are looking for. I break my index page into four categories in my bullet journal – dailies, monthlies, collections, and notes. You can break it down into various other categories as you like.

1. Color Coding The Index

If your index takes up a ton of space, you can simply color-code your index rather than adding in columns and categories.  

1. Match You Pages With The Color Codes

Having fun with the color codes and want to take it a step further? Grab your favorite highlighter and mark the corners of every page to match the color codes in the index!

1. Use Washi To Color Code Your Index

Do you have rolls of washi tape lying around in your stationery trolley? Then why not make use of them to color-code your index. Add bits of your funky washi tape to your index to help you remember what each tape pattern means.  

Recommended Products To Set Up Your Bullet Journal Index

Before we dive right into some excellent inspiration for bullet journal weekly spreads, I want to mention the tools I use in my bullet journal quickly. If you are a beginner, these are the tools I wish I had purchased when I started bullet journaling instead of those overpriced books and markers that others recommended.  

• Journal
• Stencils
• Fine Point Pens
• Micron Fine Line Set Pens
• Tombow Fudenosuke Soft And Hard Tip Brush Pen
• Tombow Brush Pens
• Washi Tape
• Crayola Super Tips

To be entirely honest with you, I only use stencils and washi tapes when I have time to decorate or only when I set up new spreads. However, the bread and butter for bullet journaling is simply a blank notebook and a pen you carry with you every day. So, don’t get too crazy in the beginning, first figure out what pages you need and what doesn’t work for you. Start bullet journaling, learn your style (whether you like minimalistic, aesthetic, artistic, etc.), and slowly upgrade your supplies according to your style. 

How To Create A Basic Bullet Journal Index

1. Draw The Columns

The most basic index will need two columns – one for the content of the page and the other one is for the page number. However, you can find some complex ways to organize your index that require a slightly different layout in the latter part of the article.

1. Add The Column Headers

After drawing the columns, you need to label them. Headers allow you to spice up your index page. So get creative and use hand lettering, stickers, etc.

1. Index The Existing Page

The final step is to list the page you have already created in your bullet journal. I suggest making the bullet journal index in the first few pages of the notebook. I also recommend adding new pages immediately after creating them. If you lag, they quickly pile and never get added.

1. Your Basic Index Is Ready

That is it! You are good to go with a functioning bullet journal index page.

Bullet Journal Index Ideas To Inspire You Right Away

Now you know how adding an index can keep your bullet journal more organized, it is time to look at a few layouts that inspire you right away. You can customize your bullet journal index in any format, layout, design, style, or color you like. Below, I have found some unique yet creative bullet journal index ideas to inspire you. Do have a look at them and let me know which one you are recreating in the comments section below.  Written by – Sowmya Cherukuri