"Nothing can last forever, but you always have the chance to start over."
:Thank you for sharing. "Thank you for coming."
Bullet Journal founder Ryder Carroll in person! (Image / from author's Facebook)
I only learned after the lecture that I could get a signed copy and take a photo that day. I was fortunate enough to get it signed within ten minutes. I told the author "thank you for sharing," and he warmly replied "thank you for coming." My heart was filled with warmth—this is the charm of being approachable.
Bullet Journal founder Ryder Carroll's final dedicated lecture in Taiwan lasted an hour and a half, with content that will benefit us for a lifetime. One audience member described him as a philosophical thinker. Ryder mentioned that he created the bullet journal because he felt there were many things in his life he needed to think through clearly, so he recorded them by hand. I believe the core of this concept lies in "how well you know yourself," which then determines how you choose the most suitable recording method. Ryder analogizes philosophy to drinking water, illustrating how to practice philosophy in everyday life.
During the lecture, Ryder asked "Has anyone ever felt a moment of joy or happiness?" The entire audience raised their hands! "Has anyone ever felt a moment of unhappiness or misfortune?" The entire audience raised their hands.
The author of the bullet journal is very approachable (Image / photographed by staff from CommonWealth Magazine)
He said that everyone experiences both happiness and unhappiness, but because humans are animals with survival instincts, we tend to amplify negative thoughts. For example, if you ask a child "How was your day?" they might only tell you how bad it was. But if you have them write down both the good and bad things that happened that day when they get home, you'll discover there were actually plenty of good things, and "life isn't that terrible."
"Happiness and joy are fleeting," he continued. It's dangerous to try to define what constitutes happiness, and you shouldn't despair about life or consider yourself a failure just because you experience unhappiness or misfortune. What you must do is give something "meaning" and adjust and correct course, rather than standing still.
During the lecture, I took handwritten notes of several sentences that resonated with me. Here's what I'm sharing:
1. Asking Why is a process. The author mentioned that when you set tasks and goals, you must constantly ask yourself why. Through the process of asking yourself why and engaging in self-dialogue, you find the meaning of your goals and understand the bigger picture. You discern what is within your control. Don't spend time worrying about what others think or the whispers of others, because you can't control them. The only thing you can control is how you handle situations.
2. Let yourself off the hook—you don't need to pursue perfect answers. An audience member shared that through the process of asking why, she discovered she had deceived herself, which made her feel guilty. The author said that discovering this is also important. You need to further ask "why did I deceive myself" and clarify your true thoughts. This too is a unique story. Seeking reasons isn't about finding a perfect answer—not everything needs a perfect ending.
3. Handwriting is a method to capture fleeting thoughts. In a previous sharing, someone asked whether bullet journaling could be digitized. The author responded that humans have about 50,000 thoughts per day, but the gaps between thoughts are thinking time. However, we're often filled with digital devices. When we feel bored, we pull out our phones and get distracted, losing the rare opportunity for quiet reflection.
Using digital devices for note-taking is certainly efficient, but it actually makes us rush to record what we just heard, causing us to forget to listen carefully and record thoughtfully.
With handwritten notes, because you can't record every word and sentence, you naturally focus on listening, think deeply, and prevent your mind from "jumping around." You capture what's worth recording and engage in self-dialogue.
(I especially appreciate how the translator used the word "fleeting" because it captures the image of rapidly flowing thoughts.)
4. Bullet journaling is not just note-taking; it's settling and deepening your life. The essence of bullet journaling lies in whether you engage in "conscious thinking" to make it a productivity tool, rather than creating a beautifully decorated notebook. Expand your perspective. Through reviewing your notes and internal reflection, organize your emotions and thoughts, know what you're doing and its meaning, filter your goals, and uncover what truly matters in life rather than getting lost in trivial, meaningless matters.
5. What you accept becomes what you are. We're often managing many tasks, most of which come from our bosses, family members, and friends. But when you give yourself away to others, what's left for you?
6. Stay on the path toward your goals. Life has too many tasks and to-do lists. The function of bullet journaling is to review your goals and adjust your direction. Constantly check whether what you're currently doing matches what you wanted to do. If you've deviated from or strayed from your goals, reduce your list, continuously optimize your goals, and let your bullet journal become the library of your life.
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Bonus: Karen's Way of Using Notes
About "bullet journaling"—it's actually a time management method. As for "planners," I've loved writing plans since high school. I didn't expect that this is also a way of recording with bullet journaling, a method of reviewing life, and a "navigation system." I only understood this through the speaker's sharing, so I want to take this opportunity to share my 2011 "university planner."
When I was in my third year of university preparing for graduate school entrance exams, I used this as an example of goal-setting—perfectly timed since I had applied to 7 graduate programs. I hand-drew a timeline for each school from application deadline to submission date, then on the left wrote the assignment of each professor's recommendation letter, managing when to request them from each professor. (Turns out I was managing up at age 21 😂)
In my daily table, I wrote what needed to be completed each day, with to-dos on the right side. If it was an event, I wrote the time. I'd check off completed tasks and mark incomplete ones with an X. Application dates were in special color, and graduate school assignments were highlighted.
Used a red line to mark the starting point, with each professor's name responsible for each school's recommendation letter on both sides
I would open my notebook every day to check if I'd completed my tasks. I went through one notebook per year. If I didn't have the notebook with me, I'd feel particularly anxious—just like most of today's speakers shared.
For me, this method truly gives me a sense of security, allowing me to control my time. Beyond that, the most precious thing is looking back years later to see whether I was fair to myself, whether I wasted myself, or how I made it through my most vulnerable moments.
This may have internally transformed into my next step: "life management." But the difference between my approach and bullet journaling is that I lack systematization, especially in how I set goals and conduct daily reviews!
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