The air is turning crisp, the leaves are falling, the kids are all back in school and it’s time to curate the perfect fall bullet journal. So, plop down with your favorite hot beverage and let’s plan with some cute fall bullet journal ideas.
First things first, if you haven’t started your bullet journaling journey yet, you can find out the basics from my Bullet Journaling 101 tutorials. I walk you through how to create your first ever bullet journal, offer tips on supplies.
If you are a seasoned bullet journal maven, it’s time to start growing in your journaling journey and branch out to try something new. No time like the present! Let’s talk all things creating the perfect fall bullet journal, shall we?
Fall Bullet Journal Ideas
Fall is the time of year when you get back to your regular routine. You may have had time off during the summer, our daily routine changed with kids out of school, and everyone spent more time outdoors with the warmer weather.
Schedules seem to loosen up, and everyone relaxes a bit more in the summer months. If you’re anything like me when mid-August rolls around, it can feel like a shock to your system to go back to a strict routine for yourself and the kiddos.
When September, October, and November roll around, kids are back in school, the weather cools off, and it is time for a fresh start. Especially before the chaos of the holidays begin.
As you are busy creating a new daily routine, consider adding daily bullet journaling to the mix. This can keep your schedule and tasks organized, allow for more productivity, reduce some stress, and increase overall wellness at the same time.
You can definitely include any standard bullet journal page this season. Still, there are some that are even more beneficial in the fall. Consider adding some of these fall-inspired pages to your bullet journal:
1. “Thankful for” Page
We all aspire to express thankfulness year-round, at least when we have reminders to do so. Still, fall seems like the time to incorporate it into your life regularly. From Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it), to just wanting to be more thankful in general, it is the perfect time to add a thankful for page to your bullet journal.
You can have one or two simple pages decorated with some fall leaves, where you list at least one thing you are thankful for each day. Or a single printable sheet you can make multiple copies of to keep in your journal.
2. Fall Bucket List
Who doesn’t love a good bucket list? This is like a to-do list, but it is more about ticking off all the fun stuff you want to do this fall. From fall festivals and apple picking to visiting a pumpkin patch and volunteering to give back! There are a ton of options to help you and your family make the most of the fall season. More to come on this in a bit! I can’t wait. 😉
When making plans for the various layouts and pages to include in your fall bullet journal, don’t forget about the bucket list! Bucket lists and other to-do lists will keep you on track and are a ton of fun. Especially if you are a project, task, goal-oriented person.
What is a Bucket List You Ask?
Think of a bucket list as a list of things you want to do, see, or accomplish. Many bucket lists include short and long-term goals, from wanting to go on a trip to another country, to starting your own business.
Many bucket lists also include small actions that might lead to another goal. The concept of bucket lists started as a “”life list,” which is a list of things you want to do before you die, though others popped up for shorter periods.
For example, you might have a bucket list for things you want to accomplish by a certain age. Or a bucket list of things to do with your partner, children, or family.
A fall bucket list is simply a bucket list specifically for fall! My personal fall bucket list is a combination of fun tasks with my husband and family and productive jobs.
So. You now have that fall bucket list page ready to go in your fall-inspired bullet journal. However, you aren’t sure exactly what you should or want to add to said list.
I am here to help friend, I am a list-making maven, and I am going to share my personal list of ideas just for you!
PRO TIP: Before you start adding your bucket list items, make sure you cross-reference your planner and other to-do lists you have mapped out for this time of year.
Snag a Free Bucket List Printable!
bucket list ideas
Pumpkin patch
Apple picking
Family pumpking carving night
Roasting pumpkin seeds – here’s the recipe we use
Make s’mores over a fire pit or campfire
Do a pumpkin-themed beer tasting
Family day trip to our favorite local lake
Go on a leaf hunt
Hike through a wooded area to see the leaves changing
Go on a family bike-ride
Have a Halloween Themed play date at our house
Help someone in need (specifically we love to adopt a family for a Thanksgiving meal)
Run a local Thanksgiving race
Bake Thanksgiving pies
Schedule and have family photos taken for annual Christmas card
Create a fall self-care routine
Fall house deep clean
As you can see, there are a lot of fall-inspired activities you can include, as well as some things that are more related to the end of the year. The important thing is that you customize it to you and your family!
3. Holiday Planning
I don’t know about you, but my two favorite holidays occur in fall: Halloween and Thanksgiving. Having some holiday planning themed bullet journal pages can help you plan, execute, and thrive during what can be an ordinarily chaotic time.
With a holiday planning section in your bullet journal, you can devise the perfect family Halloween costume theme to an incredible Thanksgiving feast, all perfectly organized in one spot.
4. Fall Collections
Lastly, think about some fall-specific collection pages, like movies you want to watch this season or goals you would like to accomplish. From running a half-marathon to binge-watching every spooky film possible. Adding a fall collection to your bullet journal will help you stay on track.
Remember two seconds ago when I mentioned a fall bucket list page for your ever-growing awesome-sauce bullet journal? You’re in luck, it is time to discuss.
Now that you have some of the more basic pages worked out for the fall section of your bullet journal, it’s time to move on to other types of pages.
I love using my bullet journal for meals and party planning. Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family. I like to start planning in advance. Your bullet journal is the perfect way to prepare for special events in the fall since your calendar pages are right there for reference.
5. Halloween Planning
The first holiday that will likely come up during fall is Halloween. Here are some ideas to maximize your newfound bullet journal skills with Halloween.
Plan a Halloween Party: Have a page or two dedicated to planning a Halloween party, with information like choosing a location, a theme, a list of decorations, food ideas, and any other details you want to keep track of.
Brainstorm Halloween Costumes: I am a sucker for an excellent family-themed Halloween costume. I plan outfits for my crew months in advance.
Using a page in my bullet journal for this specific purpose makes life so much easier. Especially with toddler twins and a three-year-old to chase all day. With a page dedicated just to costumes or Halloween party, you can streamline all the things!
Plan Out a Halloween Dinner: Not interested in throwing or attending a party? You can also use the bullet journal to plan a fun Halloween-themed dinner for you and your family.
6. Thanksgiving and Holiday Meals
In the United States, Thanksgiving falls at the end of November, making it a perfect addition to your seasonal bullet journal.
Thanksgiving is often very chaotic with everything there is to cook, inviting guests, getting your home ready, deciding what to wear, and various other details.
Planning every detail of Thanksgiving in your bullet journal will help you keep your sanity, remind you to buy those extra bottles of wine, and wash your table linens!
7. Other Event Planning
Think about other special events happening in the fall, and don’t be afraid to plan those in the bullet journal as well. Keeping everything in one place allows you to stay organized and never lose any of your notes.
Now that you know HOW to utilize your fall bullet journal, which pages to add to make life run smoothly and how to add those pages, it’s time to dive deeper.
I love seeing those around me thrive; in part, it’s why I built Brilliant Print! I want to see you live the life you want, and if I can help you even just a little bit, through a journal or planner, it’s what I aim to do.
So, let’s get a bit more into how utilizing a bullet journal is so good for your mental health and those goals you want to crush.
8. Gratitude Page
As I mentioned briefly before, having a section in your bullet journal for gratitude is a habit worth starting this fall. Keeping a gratitude journal year-round is highly recommended. Still, fall is an excellent time to reflect on your list and pay attention to what you are grateful for.
It’s especially helpful when feelings of depression or FOMO start to seep in while looking at everyone else’s perfect Instagram life. Ammiright?!!
Benefits of Expressing Gratitude
Not sure why you should express gratitude? Here are some of the main advantages of doing this regularly:
It helps you focus on the positive. Many people have a tendency to only focus on the negative, such as what you don’t have, things you want to accomplish but haven’t yet, and other daily struggles. If you’re going to be more positive and optimistic, focus on the good in your life with gratitude.
You improve your ability to empathize with others. Empathy is a compelling emotion, and one you might not realize you possess.
With more compassion, you can connect with others on a deeper level and really understand what they are going through. This is yet another benefit of expressing gratitude in your own life.
It improves your mental and emotional health. Whether you deal with stress, mental health disorders, or just feel blue this time of year, it can be useful to give yourself a little pick-me-up.
You can boost your own self-esteem. No matter how you feel about yourself, you can increase your self-confidence by expressing gratitude. You are focusing on the good things in your life and your own abilities and successes.
It is super simple to add a gratitude page to your bullet journal. You can start with just one page if you intend to keep it short, but multiple pages is also a good idea.
Make a goal to write at least one thing you are grateful for each day. Keep the page close to your calendar or task pages, so you remember to use it.
9. End-of-Year Goals
If you have used a bullet journal before, you are probably already familiar with setting goals and creating task lists.
However, if this is your first time using one, here is a fast refresher: adding goals to your bullet journal is about more than a list of things to accomplish.
Your bullet journal should include specific goals that are achievable and measurable. You can make a list of tasks to be completed to achieve those goals.
Read more about goal setting in my post here, or check out my workbook Crushing Your Goals! which is all about prioritizing and reaching those goals and helping you do that step-by-step.
How to Track Goals in the Bullet Journal
Fall is the perfect time to set the end of year goals or reassess the goals you set for the year since it lands at the beginning of the fourth quarter of the year. Use your bullet journal to create some end-of-year goals or things you want to complete before next year.
If you’re looking for a more in-depth take on setting and MEETING goals you can check out my Crushing Your Goals workbook, that walks you step-by-step through the goal making process! If you want to check out this life-changing workbook that will help you work through ‘never reaching my goals’ you can do so right here.
Back to bullet journal goals, these goals can be for anything in your life, including home, personal, and professional goals. Whatever they are, make a note of them in your journal. You can either tick them off or move them to next year’s journal.
Last, but definitely not least, is the fun stuff for your bullet journal. I want to end this post with some of the best fun ideas for your fall bullet journal.
10. Your Favorite Things About Fall
The first type of collection page you can have in your bullet journal is one that describes your favorite things about fall. The purpose of this is to have gratitude, get into a positive attitude, and really prepare yourself mentally for fall.
It’s a fun page to have that can also be fun to share with others via social media or on your blog. Think of past things you have done in the fall that you might want to include, such as your favorite coffee drink, going to the pumpkin patch as a kid, or having a Halloween party with kids at school.
You can also include things you like about fall now to combine nostalgia with things you want to do this season.
11. Places to Go This Fall
A shorter list or collection, you can keep places you want to go this fall. Reference the fall bucket list you made earlier, as it might include some of the locations. Having this separate collection helps to keep it just to places you would like to go, whether in your own local area or by taking a short trip.
In the end, the collections section of your bullet journal is where you have some fun, customize it, add doodles and stickers, and make it your own. I mean, one of the best parts of a bullet journal is the fact that it’s not only simple; it’s also super cute and fun to use!
the best bullet journal supplies
My favorite bullet journal, affordable and simple: Black, dotted journal notebook
The best black pens I’ve found: Micron
Out of this world good coloring pens: Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers
If you are craving more bullet journaling resources, things like the best journals, the best pens, tons of inspiration and ideas? You can find it in my Comprehensive Bullet Journal Resources List!
Create your inspired bullet journal this fall
If you have any questions or other ideas for a fall bullet journal, leave them in the comment section below! I would love to hear your thoughts on how you use YOUR journal in the coming months.
Tag me on Insta when you post those gorgeous fall bullet journal pages for the world to see! I don’t want to miss seeing them either.
Oh, before I forget! If you want to find some incredible bullet journal inspiration and find outstanding resources check out my Bullet journal resource page!
XOXO, Rebekah