My journal organization is all about the key.

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Hey pen friend!

I was first introduced to the idea of organizing my journal using a key through the Bullet Journal Method and then through various YouTube videos on commonplace books. Truly, the key is the most important piece to my journaling system that helps me stay organized in my journals.

So, how do I utilize it?

What is a key?

Firstly, let me explain what a key is. In the Bullet Journal Method, a key is a set of symbols that indicate specific entries: tasks, events, notes, etc. It's primarily used in rapid logging, which is a bulleted style of journaling, and you can read more about that on the Bullet Journal website should you wish to.

Then you have commonplace book keys. In YouTube videos from various creators on commonplace books, the key often refers to a set of colors that signify specific topics, which basically uses color coding to help visually differentiate between different entries.

A look at my keys.

I use keys in almost all of my journals and planners, and it’s typically a mixture of symbols and color coding.

My personal planner key is used in my daily rapid logs. It’s derived from the Bullet Journal Method key, but I added in some other symbols to help distinguish things I want to track, like the books I’m reading. I also added color coding to help quickly find notes about specific things (e.g., work related notes, personal notes, etc.). When I’m trying to remember something and my brain doesn’t remember the specific thing, my brain will often remember approximately when I wrote the note down. So having the key is helpful when I’m looking up information. I’ve used this key so often that I barely refer to it now.

My work bullet journal key (not photographed) is very similar to my personal planner key but work centric. The symbols that I use are essentially the Bullet Journal Method key, but my color coding is work specific (e.g., general work tasks vs. administrative tasks).

My mind dump book key is a bit complex. Basically, every entry into my mind dump book gets a symbol to indicate the type of entry and a color dot to indicate the category. Since it’s a mind dump book (or an everything journal), I have a lot of different types of entries and write about a variety of topics. So my key is a bit complex with a lot of different options for me to choose from. It’s been a little over a month since using it in this way, and it’s been working quite well for me so far.

The last key that I use is my work commonplace book key (not photographed). This key is very specific, and I only use color coding. I work in forensic science. So the journal articles, scientific standards, and legal statutes I read are easily categorized by the discipline they apply to. It’s a very no nonsense key.

Tips for creating your own key.

If you’re looking to create your own key for your journal or commonplace book, unfortunately, it’s not one size fits all. I think there’s a lot of value in looking at other people’s keys to gain inspiration, but ultimately, the best key evolves over time.

When it comes to symbols, I think the Bullet Journal Method key is a great starting point. Otherwise, I like very literal symbols (e.g., my reading entry in my personal planner is a little book symbol). Literal symbols makes them easy to remember.

When it comes to topic categories, that is very personal. If you don’t know what kind of categories you want, I’d recommend that you leave the key for later down the road. Start writing your entries first, and hopefully, after you’re a few entries in, you’ll be able to figure out some topics you commonly write about and can build a key from there.

There are a variety of ways to organize entries within your journal should you wish to, and I believe, a key is a simple way to do so. However, there are also indexing methods you could try too.

If you organize your journal entries, how do you do it?

Common Supplies:

For a journal key, it typically consists of symbols, color coding, or both. Here are some supplies I'd recommend for your key.

For symbols, I typically recommend drawing them yourself. However, icon stickers work well too. Some shops I've bought icon stickers from include The Coffee Monsters Co. and Pretty Prez on Etsy.

For color coding, I enjoy using Midori Join Dot markers and Zebra Mildliners. However, if you prefer stickers, you can purchase color stickers from Pretty Prez on Etsy, or you can make your own color stickers using small Avery label stickers (or some other white label or sticker) and your favorite fountain pen inks. (Seriously, just grab a fountain pen ink and a paint brush and brush the ink over white label stickers. It's a fantastic option if you want a specific color palette.)

Other Creators to Check Out:

If you enjoyed reading all about my journal keys, you may also enjoy reading Bryant's (@thatjournalingguy) post: "How To Make Your Journal Useful Years Later." It's a very in-depth and insightful read.

You may also like Journal De Sylvie over on YouTube. They have a couple of videos about indexing methods for commonplace books. I highly recommend checking them out!

Thank you for taking a moment to read my email this week! If you want to chat about journal keys or anything else, don't hesitate to reply to this email or reach out over on Instagram.

I'll catch you next week in my next email! If all goes to plan, it'll be about how I use my Hobonichi Weeks.

<3, Amy