Last Updated on May 27, 2022 by Keri
Are you ready to start setting up your Bullet Journal collections for your first or next Bullet Journal, but feeling unsure where to start?
In this blog post, I am sharing over 100 collections ideas with you, as well my top tips for being intentional when choosing your collections and tips for getting your layouts set up!
Let’s jump right in!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.
- But, before we get started…
- What are collections in a Bullet Journal?
- Where do collections go in a Bullet Journal?
- How should I choose what collections to include in a Bullet Journal?
- 100+ Collection Ideas
- General
- Home
- Parenting
- Health & Fitness
- Financial
- Self-Care & Personal
- School
- Goal Specific
- Pet Care
- Career/Business
- Travel
- Miscellaneous
- Next Steps
But, before we get started…
If you have not started your Bullet Journal or chosen your supplies yet, I highly recommend starting there.
In my guide on how to start your first Bullet Journal, I show you how to set up your first foundational layouts including your key, index, and future log which typically go right at the front of your notebook.
So, if you don’t have any of that set up, I recommend hitting the pause button on the collections and doing that first.
And don’t worry – the Bullet Journal collections will still be here waiting for you when you are done! 😊
To read my complete guide and get the step-by-step tutorials for creating those first few layouts, go here!
Okay, let’s jump into collections now!
What are collections in a Bullet Journal?
Collections are the unique spreads or layouts you will include in your journal to organize and plan the different areas of your life.
For example, you might want to include collections in your Bullet Journal that will help you plan and organize your home cleaning, chores, projects, etc. Examples could include a cleaning checklist, a home maintenance routine, a home improvement project planner, etc.
The possibilities are endless!
Don’t worry – I will be sharing lots of ideas in different categories coming up!
You can add anything to your journal that you think will help you, making your journal very custom to you which is so special.
I love that no two journals are identical!
Where do collections go in a Bullet Journal?
There are absolutely zero rules about how you organize your collections in your Bullet Journal, or where you put them.
Remember, your journal is for you, and it should be set up for you!
So, when deciding how you want to organize your collections, here are a couple tips you can consider:
- Is this a collection I will fill in annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily? (I personally group all my annuals together, my monthlies together, etc.)
- Are there collections that will work better for me if they are clumped together?
- Do I want to group my collections by theme? (Home, financial, work, etc.)
In my free Collections Workbook – there is a worksheet to help you map out what order you want to set up your collections in. To grab that workbook, go here!
How should I choose what collections to include in a Bullet Journal?
Now it’s time to start thinking about what collections you want to include in your Bullet Journal, but where do you start?
One thing I want to caution you against right now is choosing too many layouts.
I personally know what it feels like to scroll through Instagram and Pinterest and be inspired by all these incredible collections. BUT, you need to be intentional and considerate of what you have time for and what you need.
One of the biggest mistakes I made with my first Bullet Journal was including all the collections – and I’m not kidding when I say that 75% of them were never used properly.
I don’t want you to make the same mistake, so I am going to encourage you to be intentional with the collections you choose!
To choose your collections, consider these questions:
- What are your top priorities this year? What things can you get organized that will help you with those priorities?
- Are there any parts of your life that you want/need to get more organized? If yes, what are they?
- Do you have any goals that you are working towards this year? If yes, what are they?
Your answers to these questions will guide you to what collections you should include in your Bullet Journal.
Next, go through the list of collection ideas and start picking the ones that will help you in the areas you identified when answering those questions.
100+ Collection Ideas
To make this part easy for you to go through, I have broken the collection ideas up into categories. Simply go to the categories that are applicable to you and choose some collections you think you might want to include in your Bullet Journal!
General
- Birthday List
- Contacts
- Year At A Glance
- Appointments
- Passwords
- Important Information
Home
- Cleaning Tracker
- Cleaning Routine
- 10 Minute Cleaning Tasks List
- Home Maintenance Checklist
- Home Improvement List
- Project Planner
- Wish List
- Spring Cleaning Checklist
- Declutter Tracker
- Moving Checklist
- Moving Inventory
- Recipes
- Meal Plans
- Fridge/Freezer/Pantry Inventory
- Grocery Lists
Parenting
- Babysitter List
- Play Date Planner
- Chore Tracker
- Chore Checklist
- Homework Tracker
- Before School Routine
- After School Routine
- School Supply List
- Family Night Bucket List
- No Spend Family Activities List
- Family Vacation Planner
- Growth Tracker
Health & Fitness
- Health & Fitness Goals
- Workout Routines
- Weight Loss Tracker
- Measurements Tracker
- Step Tracker
- Exercise Tracker
- Water Tracker
- Healthy Snacks
- Meal Plans
Related Post: How To Use Your Bullet Journal For Weight Loss
Financial
- Budget
- Fixed Monthly Bills List
- Savings Tracker
- Expenses Tracker
- Credit Payoff Tracker
- Debt Snowball Tracker
- Spending Log
- Wish List
Self-Care & Personal
- Mood Tracker
- Journal
- Gratitude Log
- Affirmations
- Self-Care Routine
- Anxiety Tracker
- Sleep Tracker
- Period Tracker
- Dream Log
- Bucket List
- Books To Read
- Podcasts List
- Movies List
- Music List
- Skills To Learn
- Vision Board
- Daily Routine
School
- Assignment Calendar
- Exam Calendar
- Study Routine
- Grade Tracker
- Extra Curricular Bucket List
Goal Specific
- Level 10 Life
- Annual Goal Planner
- Quarterly Goal Planner
- Monthly Goal Planner
- Weekly Goal Planner
- Goal Action Plan
- Goal Tracker
- Habit Tracker
Pet Care
- Vet Appointment Calendar
- Vaccination Records
- Expense Tracker
Career/Business
- Income Tracker
- Expense Tracker
- Business Plan
- Promotion Calendar
- Project Plan
- Process Routines
- Work Schedule
Travel
- Travel Planner
- Packing Checklist
- Camping Checklist
- Roadtrip Checklist
- Travel Bucket List
Miscellaneous
- Wedding Checklist
- Wedding List
- Event Checklist
- Weather Tracker
- Car Maintenance Tracker
- Lunar Phases
Next Steps
Now that you have decided what collections you want to include in your Bullet Journal, the next step is to begin creating them.
If you want some step-by-step guidance on how to actually set-up the collections, be sure to check out places like YouTube or Instagram where people share the steps in a video.
If you liked some of my collections from my 2022 Bullet Journal, you can check out my 2022 Bullet Journal set-up video here!
And if you’re still unsure about setting up your collections, here are my top 2 tips:
#1 – Practice on a blank piece of paper.
I used to do this all the time when I was first getting started! Doing this would help me map out how I wanted the layout to look and the spacing.
#2 – Use a pencil to sketch in the layout.
This is also something I do often, and you even see me do it in my 2022 Bullet Journal set-up video! Doing this will allow you to sketch it all out to make sure you have enough room and that the spacing is proper. And any sections you don’t like, you can simply erase and start over.
Once you are happy with the layout, go in with your pens and draw the final layout.
I hope you have found this post helpful. 😊