My 2021 bullet journal setup, collage and vintage style

Yasss, here it is! My first journal with me podcast/video is now up on my Youtube channel. This was so much fun to create and I really hope you like it. This new video series is a new version of my old Let’s Talk videos, where I talk about subjects that are important to you and me. The old videos were just me and my talking head, but let’s be honest: That’s a tad boring. These ‘journal with me’ videos are so much more fun to look at and I still get to talk about whatever is on my mind. In this article I will share my point of view on setting goals for the new year and my 2021 bullet journal setup photos.

Let’s start with some info on this spread because I have changed the way I journal. I started out with a very minimal setup. I made one cover page per month with doodles, drawings and charts. To be honest, that’s not really my thing. I knew journaling spreads can look very different for everyone. But when I started in January I mainly found examples of spreads by Amanda Rach Lee and people who journal just like her. I think that style is great, it just isn’t for me.

It’s a bit too teenage style for me as I’m now 32 years young. Also, I don’t like using too much color in my journals, that makes it feel a bit too hectic. I enjoy a softer and minimal esthetic. So when I stumbled on videos by Jordan Clark, Sarica Studio, The unexpected gypse and Brianna Collins I got so stoked! It may be logical to you, but I never realized I could also create collages in my journal. 

And when I realized that, I went through my closet and found all of my old fashion collages I had to make for school. I remembered how much I love using paper and pictures to express my thoughts. I love how pictures quickly help me put a mood or a vibe into a spread. Drawing takes too much time and pictures and collages are easier to do. I also love feeling the paper between my fingers and creating visual presentations of where I’m at in my life right now. It’s like physically putting the puzzle pieces of my life together.

So since this month I don’t doodle that much anymore, because collaging is truly my thing. I haven’t found my own style yet, but I guess developing that and trying things out is part of the fun. I’ve certainly learned that there is no such thing as perfection, as perfection does not exist without imperfection. That makes journaling a good way for me to get my thoughts, feelings and goals out of my head. When I make these things visual in front of me on paper, it helps me think and create steps to actually reach my goals. It works better than just thinking about it or writing down simple lists.

I guess this means I don’t use the traditional Ryder Carroll way of bullet journaling. I have a separate planner for my appointments, tasks and notes. In my journal, I actually journal all of my thoughts and goals. That’s why my 2021 bullet journal setup looks different. This month I learned that I enjoy putting collages in my journal besides my regular writing. It’s like I’m writing my own little book and I’m the author and illustrator in one. I think it is pretty cool to write your own book. 

Writing my goals down is something I’ve done since I was a kid. For some reason writing things out on a blank piece of paper works really well for me. Most goals I’ve written down throughout the years I’ve actually reached. So that’s pretty cool! However, since this year I’ve learned to look at reaching my goals from another angle. For example: I thought making a lot of money meant I had to work myself to death, and so I pretty much did.

Let me tell you, that wasn’t fun at all! Hard work is very overrated, but for me making a lot of money is one of my top priorities. So when I look back, I find it in every goal list I’ve ever written. But words are powerful things and I’ve learned that sometimes the words you use do matter when it comes to the right mindset to achieve your goals. That’s why for 2021 I didn’t make a simple list of goals like I used to. 

Instead I wrote short little stories about each and every goal. Why do I want to reach this goal, what is it going to do for me, my loved ones and the world? My goal of making a lot of money has now changed to the term financial freedom in every way. I no longer write down: Make a lot of money by getting five new clients each month. I’m not saying that’s not helpful, but it did narrow down my options. Because it made me think I could only make money by getting new clients in the door.

But in reality, there are more than one way to receive money. I have to thank my mom for that insight, because somewhere in my brain I knew this. But until she said it to me a few weeks ago, I never actually realized that I was limiting myself by writing down only one way to get more money in my life. When it comes to money, it’s not just because I want more money just because. Nope, what I really want is financial freedom so I can take care of myself, my family and people in need. There’s more to it than just filling my bank account with some euro, euro bills baby!

Of course I have more goals like making friends, finding my guy and moving to a better house. I want to enjoy life, travel and really be in the moments that matter the most. And I would love to set up a rescue or final home for animals when I have the money to do so. The thing with goals is that they don’t have to be big or important according to a standard you might have picked up somewhere.

Your goals can also be small and very personal to you. I mean, when I was ten years old my biggest goal in life was to get a dog. That was all that mattered to me and I achieved that goal four times by now. For other people getting a dog would perhaps be a laughable goal. Maybe because people think goals should always be really big, like buying a house or becoming a millionaire. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is that you and I are able to set our own goals on our own terms. Don’t compare your goals to other people’s goals. Don’t limit yourself by thinking: Oh, this goal isn’t big enough. It’s too insignificant to even be a goal. Or, so and so has bigger goals than I do, so maybe I should aim higher and adjust what I want? I’d like to remind you that you are entitled to set your own goals that match your True Life. The life you actually want to live, not the life society, friends or family tried to force on you. 

So as you’re setting your goals for 2021, please think of goals that really matter to you. Whether that’s finally cleaning up your room, getting up at seven in the morning every day, sending that email to a friend or getting another job. Maybe you want to start a new business or if your first bullet journal. No goal is too small or too big. If you think you can do it, just go do it. Don’t forget to write down your goals in your 2021 bullet journal setup.

And my final thoughts on goals is that they should serve your true life. Is getting up at five in the morning really serving you? Or are you just writing that down as a goal because you read about a celebrity doing that because it works for them? I’d say, use 2021 to really get to know yourself and figure out what you’d love your life to look like. I created a free workbook for that, you can get that for free by subscribing to my email updates.

Once you know what your True Life looks like, start getting goals to create that life.  

Love,

Kaya-Quintana

P.S. Find more lifestyle tips right here and tag me on Instagram to share your own 2021 bullet journal setup with me.