The #bujo trend, originally started by digital product designer Ryder Carroll, has fast become a firm favourite on Instagram and Pinterest. Fans of the aesthetically appealing journaling method say it has helped them create better habits, ease their anxiety and generally become more organised and productive.

While bullet journaling is a great way to keep on top of your to do list and those weekly, monthly and yearly goals, it’s also a fantastic way to unleash your creative side. Some of the most prolific journalers have created highly imaginative, intricate designs to help them keep track of everything from upcoming social events to their daily moods and reading habits.

To get you started on your own bullet journaling adventure, we’ve rounded up some of the best designs for 2018. Grab a blank notebook, pen, and ruler, and scroll down for some inspiration.

Striped diamonds

This irresistible geometric design (created by Instagram user @lifebywhitney) is both visually pleasing and practical, with space for everything from keeping track of daily tasks and diary events, to flexible note sections that can be adjusted according to personal preference. Here, the layout has been used to track water intake, menu planning and sleep, with additional sections for favourite quotes and songs.

Scrapbooking

Many of the most inspiring bullet journals don’t just rely on pen and ink - they incorporate photos, magazine cuttings and colourful patterned washi tape, too. If you’re more of a visual thinker, you could use the pages of your journal to illustrate your goals through imagery. For example, if your aim is to save money for travel, you could include photos of the places you would like to visit, and if your aim is to declutter, you could tape in a few photos of beautifully organised living spaces.

Minimalist

Alternatively, if you prefer to keep things simple, there are many minimalist designs that are equally attractive. We suspect that Marie Kondo would approve of this one, which includes a simple calendar, space for tracking goals, and a preview of the following month’s most important tasks.

A year in pixels

The popular pixel-based bullet journal layout can be used to keep track of everything from moods to sleep, to daily habits. Simply draw a grid of 12x31 squares, marking the first letter of each month at the top of the grid and the date on the left hand side, then create a colour coded key on the right hand side and fill in the grid accordingly.

Books and reading

For those who love to read (and perhaps want to read more) a bullet journal is a great place to track all the books you’ve read in a year. This pretty layout, complete with hand illustrated bookshelves, is perfect for starting in January, so you can set an intention to have it all filled in by the end of the year.

Main image: iStock