Bullet journal guides use some terms that may be unfamiliar at first. This glossary explains the common ones so you can return to your pages with a clearer idea of what each means.
Bleeding — ink soaking through the paper to the other side.
Brain dump — a page of thoughts, tasks, or ideas written down before sorting them. It can focus on a subject, such as a project or wedding.
Bullet journal — the notebook-based method created by Ryder Carroll, using brief entries and distinct bullet symbols to organize notes and plans.
Bullets — symbols that distinguish entry types, such as a dot for a task, a circle for an event, or a dash for a note.
Bujo — short for bullet journal.
Collections — related notes or pages grouped by subject.
Commonplace book — a notebook for collecting information, such as quotes, recipes, observations, and ideas.
Daily or dailies — pages or entries for a particular day.
Dashboard — a reference or divider page near the front of a planner, sometimes used for notes or sticky-note storage.
Digital planner — a planner used on a device, sometimes with links between sections. Its features depend on the file and app. Browse digital planners here.
Disc-bound — pages attached to discs through shaped holes along the edge.
Dot grid — paper with evenly spaced dots to guide writing or drawing. Spacing varies; 5 mm is common. Download my dot grid printable.
Dutch door — a shortened or folded page that leaves part of another page visible as you turn it.
Faux calligraphy — lettering with extra width added to selected strokes using an ordinary pen. The video shows an example.
Future log — a place for dates and plans beyond the current month, often arranged as a yearly overview.
GSM — grams per square meter, a measure of paper weight. It doesn’t describe every aspect of how a paper handles ink.
Ghosting — writing showing through the paper without the ink passing through it.
Index — the notebook’s table of contents, listing page titles and numbers. See index examples.
Journal prompt — a question or suggestion to use as a starting point for writing.
Key — a reference for the symbols or colors used in your notes. See key examples.
Lettering — drawing or styling letters for headings and other text. Find examples in my journal fonts guide.
Leuchtturm1917, or LT1917 — a notebook brand used for the branded Bullet Journal notebook. Read my notebook review.
Level 10 Life — a reflection framework covering ten areas of life, described in Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning. See my Level 10 Life printable.
Migration — reviewing unfinished tasks or notes and deciding whether to move them forward, schedule them, or remove them.
Monthly — pages or entries for a month, often including a calendar or dated list.
Printable — a file designed to be printed, often supplied as a PDF.
Rapid logging — recording tasks, events, and notes in brief entries with distinct bullets.
Ring-bound — pages held by metal rings through punched holes.
Ryder Carroll — creator of the Bullet Journal method and author of The Bullet Journal Method.
STM — short for Scribbles That Matter, a notebook brand. Compare the edition’s specifications when browsing its journals.
Signifiers — extra marks beside bullets to show information such as priority or an idea to explore.
Spread — two facing pages of an open notebook.
TN — short for traveler’s notebook.
Themes — repeated motifs, colors, or styles used to decorate a group of pages.
Threading — noting the page numbers of related entries so you can move between them.
Trackers — charts or lists that record information over time.
Traveler’s notebook — a cover holding one or more replaceable notebook inserts.
Washi tape — decorative paper tape used for borders, accents, and other crafts.
Weekly or weeklies — pages for viewing a week together. See weekly spread examples.