Useful After-Market Add Ons For the Bullet Journal
The Frankenlog
The Frankenlog was created by Brian Hazard as a combination monthly log, weekly log and habit tracker.
Below is an example Frankenlog for the month of Spizzuary, adapted from frankenlog.com.
Instead of writing out tasks and events in the calendar in full, they are instead written out underneath, and assigned a letter code. This letter is added to the appropriate day.
This solves the problem of running out of space on days with lots of appointments. For more information, check out https://frankenlog.com/.
The Alastair Method
A simple method of visualising tasks or appointments over multiple time periods created by bullet journaler Alastair Johnstone. Originally created to make his Ffuture log more intuitive, it has also been applied to weekly overviews.
An example of a weekly log using the Alastair Method:
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | Write poem | ||||||
| x | Tickle dragon | ||||||
| / | End capitalism | ||||||
| x | Punch the patriarchy | ||||||
| * | D&D |
In the Alastair method, a table is created with the time unit on the left hand side o the page, in this example, the days of the week. The tasks, appointments, events etc are then written on the right hand side of the page. When a task is completed, a cross is placed in the day the task was completed.
This method can be used to indicated which day you plan to complete a task. Simply place an open task dot on the day you want to get something done.
Multi-day events can be indicated with bars and lines.
I like to use the Alastair method for a weekly summary and habit tracker. In the past I've also successfully used it in my future log, but these days I mostly use a shared digital calendar for long term planning. It turns out I'm more likely to remember events if everyone in my family can access them. Also prevents double-booking.