Hello, kids. Before we finally bid 2022 a sweet farewell, I'd like to debut my 2023 bullet journal by sharing my preliminary pages. 

This year, I really gave ample time in prepping my bullet journal because I wanted to relieve myself from the pressure of finishing the expository pages before December 31.

And with a little push and dedication, I present to you my general setup for my 2023 bullet journal. 

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For starters, I'm using the Leuchtturm1917 Rising Colors Special Edition - Medium A5 Dotted Softcover Notebook (Warm Earth) that I got from Amazon last September. This is the first time I'm using a Leuchtturm notebook, so a first impression review is underway. Be sure to follow my socials to be updated when that is already up.

Anyhoo, the baby is cracked open and ready to show off itself. Let's begin. ♥︎

 FRONT PAGES 

note to self

I wrote something on my journal that really set the tone for my 27th year. Since my birthday falls around the end of the year, I wanted this to also set the tone for my whole year next year. I want it to be on the very first page because I want this to be my foundation for the year. 

my little cheat sheet 

This is the first time I'm having this in my years of bullet journaling. I think other bujo enthusiasts call it their grid chart because it's mostly cheat sheets for the paper divisions, but for me, this is also where I place my keys, materials used (so they're uniformed), and the classic grids.  

year in a glance 

I don't get to use this as much, aside from highlighting when I'm traveling, since I have my future log spread where I note important dates. However, I choose to keep one for the sole purpose of how cathartic it is to make. I know some people would say how can it be cathartic if it's tedious to do and serves very little purpose, but I guess if you know you know. 

future log spread

The future log is where we write in the details. This is where I'll jot down birthdays, travel dates, events, etc. I've had one last year, and that was really nice to look back to once in a while. Whenever I feel like my life is boring, I look back on that and realized just how many things have already happened in my life when I wasn't being a pain in my own bo0ty. 😂

chores tracker + purchase tracker 

These two are not necessarily related nor mutually exclusive; they're sort of just in the gray area of relativity. 😂 The reason I placed them both in one page is because they're the two sections that fit one page when placed together.

These are also "the last times" so I can easily track when I last did a certain chore or bought a certain product which I do and buy on repeat. 

period tracker

I've been using the "I'll eat a lot because it's almost my period" even though I'm not sure when my period falls. I'm sorry, body. Also, I remember when I kept a tracker like this in my first 2022 bullet journal, I did become more intune with my body and hormonal changes, so that's something I'd like to 

the last time 

I forgot whom I got this idea from, but basically, the idea behind this page is to just track the last times when I did an activity. This can be used for maintenance (like my laser appointments) or generally nice things I've done that I haven't done in a while. Mainly, this will serve as my receipt for all the self-care I'll do for 2023.  

things i did

I enjoy being proud of myself, and I enjoy it the most when I conquer my fear of doing things on my own. This is where I'll record everything I did in 2023, so that when I look back, I don't only see the events on my future log, but I also get to recall all the things I did that made me proud of myself (firsts, achievements, events, etc.). 🥹

keep in touch 

The year 2022 was a year when I started reconnecting and rekindling relationships I've jump shipped when my life went on an unenjoyable rollercoaster ride. It started with two of my college friends tying the knot with their long-time partners. 

For 2023, I've decided to reach out to more people and make sure they know they are important to me and that while I am not always the one with the quickest replies, their little hello texts have never failed to put a smile on my face⏤and I'll tell them that when I reply two weeks after. JK! Have also noticed more and more friends are migrating, so I plan to see them more now. :) 

bucket list 

I think a bucket list always makes a year extra exciting and it also keeps you happily occupied. Before, I normally have 10 items on my list, but this year, I wanted to make it different. Because this is my twenty-seventh year, I also prepped 27 items in my bucket list. 

finance tracker 

I plan to save even healthier in 2023 because we're looking at bigger things to make happen in the future, and I want to enter the scene prepared. Even though I named this page "finance tracker," this isn't something I have to update every now and then, but it's a guide for all things money matter.  

intentions 

Ah yes, I also had a resolutions page last year, but the difference is, I only penciled my plans. I think subconsciously it made me feel like those can still be altered if it wasn't "easy" for me to achieve. This time, I plan to really write them in⏤and in archival ink no less. 

I also divided them in four parts so that I can start slowly but also affecting the four major areas in my life. :) 

self-care rhythms 

This is something I saw on my IG Explore page. The idea is to create routines with the objective of making sure you spend time for yourself. I sectioned them into daily, weekly, etc. so that follow-throughs are easier to work with. 

 BACK PAGES 

pen swatches

Okay, this is my first Leuchtturm, and this too is my most expensive bullet journal to date. I plan to only use inks that mesh well with the pages, hence the pen swatches. 

blog post schedule 

Yes, Luli Lou stays for 2023 (It would be 2 years old this year!), and with that, I want to really commit on not missing a single posting day. 🤞🏻 I did this before, but it became really confusing because I kept adding in new topics to post earlier. This time, I'll keep one blog schedule and follow it religiously. 

monthly calendars for projects 

This is mainly for the blog; however, just in case I want to start new projects, and since I have a full-time job, I want to plot them all here so that I know my hobbies won't clash with each other on my free times. 

If you're wondering, So what's the calendars on the front pages for then? Well, those, kids, are for my general life (like events, appointments) that I have to schedule out for the week and tasks at my day job. I kept them in the same category of calendars because these are the two that make up most of my week. 

blog idea bank

This year we will say no to mental block. I intend to keep a laundry list of ideas I can turn into blog entries. This is aligned with our goal of not missing a beat every Tuesdays (and occasionally Fridays).  I prepared four categories: reviews, features, specials, and versus. 

production tracker 

One of the most productive tip I've learned from my day job is that progress trackers are never not helpful in monitoring tasks that are in-progress and to jumpstart tasks that are on queue. I think that this will really help me become more efficient in producing my content, especially that I also want to take a sweet dive on Instagram reels. 

address book 

I recently saw Under the Tuscan Sun, and Frances's postcard scene just inspired me to write and (finally!) send postcards. So I am now more assertive in finally becoming this postcard-sending traveller, especially that I'll be travelling even more in 2023 (fingers crossed!). I have a small list of people that I want to keep sending postcards too so they know I think of them in each trip. 

To be honest, I'm already expecting this notebook to only last up to midyear, so please a notebook I can work on for the next one. I'm eyeing on a Notebook Therapy one, but let me know if a local brand is there to be a good choice as well. 

I've also been working hard on producing more Instagram reels for my followers, so I hope you get to enjoy those. 🤗✨

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materials 

⚘ jls