Member-only story

Can Digital Planning Replace Bullet Journaling?

6 min readDec 24, 2024

Is there really a middle ground between digital and analog?

My beloved iPad. Image source - Author — My beloved iPad. Image source — Author

I’ve been a Bullet Journal enthusiast since 2020. It was my first time creating a completely analog system after discovering digital productivity tools in 2017. Having a full-time job and pursuing my master’s simultaneously felt incredibly empowering. To top it off, it was also the year I got married.

As a productivity enthusiast, using a dedicated task manager, calendar, and notes app brought me immense peace amidst the chaos of managing various aspects of my life. It was during this time that I also learned about Tiago Forte’s PARA system and applied it to my file management and note-taking systems.

However, the pandemic hit unexpectedly, causing my system to falter and reveal gaps in my organization. Ironically, this was also the year I was about to embark on a new chapter of my life — fatherhood. The peace I found in digital systems began to feel like a source of chaos. Overwhelmed with the numerous responsibilities and the importance of prioritizing personal health, I found myself struggling to manage everything effectively.

That’s when I stumbled upon the Bullet Journal Method.

My Journey with Bullet Journaling

Thanks for the article. Up until 2021, I primarily used an analog journal. Then I began to explore the value of a digital journaling and, eventually, a PKM system. For me, one of the main purposes of journaling and collecting notes—two tasks that…

Great article, thank you for that! I’m always torn between digital and analog planning myself. Digital has so many advantages, but there's something about using pen and paper that's just more fun and provides a really important sense of calm in a world with 8+ hours of screen time a day.