The best future log ideas for your bullet journal
When you start a new bullet journal for the year, one of the first spreads to create is a future log.
Because, a big reason to keep bullet journals is for planning.
And a future log is a great way to help plan things throughout the year!
If you’re new to bullet journaling however, you may not know what a bullet journal future log is.
Read on to find out all about future logs, including how to use a future log, and how to make your own!
What is a bullet journal future log?
To understand what a bujo future log is, it is helpful to know a bit more about the overall bullet journal system.
There are 3 main types of logs that are used in bullet journaling.
These are the;
- Future Log
- Monthly Log
- And Daily Log
A future log is basically a calendar spread to plan for anything that is relevant in your long-term future.
It can hold important monthly or yearly tasks and events.
What is the purpose of a future log in a bullet journal?
The main reason to keep one is so that you can plan for upcoming tasks and events throughout the year.
Of course, you will have monthly and weekly spreads in your bullet journal to keep track of plans that are coming up too.
But those spreads are for events that are more immediate.
A future log allows you to plan for tasks or events that are too far in advance for you to include in your dailies, weeklies, or monthlies.
What to use your bullet journal future log for
As it is used for planning future events and tasks, you can use a bujo future log for any part of your life where you require planning of future activities.
This includes;
- Your personal life
- Your work or business tasks
- Your school tasks if you are a student
You can use your future log to track for one of these aspects of your life, as some may not be applicable to you.
Or, you may find you plan for things that overlap these categories.
For example, you can keep a note of upcoming birthdays; these can be birthdays for your friends from school, family, and work buddies.
Where do you put a future log?
A future log is also typically kept at the front of a bullet journal.
Having all these tasks in one place means you can easily flip to the front of your bullet journal and see an overview of your future plans and ideas.
Plus you can check when a specific event for the year is happening.
It basically allows you to keep track of tasks that are easily forgotten, because they are so far away!
Future log bullet journal vs monthly log: what’s the difference?
Because there are multiple logs you can create for your bullet journal, it can get confusing what each one is for.
The main difference between a future log and a monthly log is the amount of time that each log covers.
A future log is an overview of the upcoming year.
Whereas a monthly log focuses on the specific month that is approaching.
So whilst there isn’t a difference in their purposes (as both are for tracking and planning), as they cover different amounts of time, you will use both differently.
A monthly log you will use just for that particular month; once the month is over, you will not use that monthly log again because you create a new one.
But as a future spread tends to cover a whole year, it is more open ended, and you continue to update it throughout the year as different events and plans come up.
Using a bullet journal future log and a monthly log together
As a future log typically goes near the front of the bullet journal, you would start your bullet journal by setting up a future spread at the front.
Then, as you set up your monthly log for each month, you would refer back to the future log, and note any relevant events or plans from the future spread into the monthly.
It’s also important to keep up with your future log every month, so you are ready for when it’s time to create each monthly log.
For example, in March you are working through your March monthly spread.
But you would also need to make sure you are completing your future spread for April, since you will be setting up an April monthly log next month and you don’t want to miss anything important out.
Creating a bullet journal future Log
So now we know all about a future log, it’s time to learn how to create one!
Starting with what to put in it.
What should I write in my future log?
It’s important to remember that your future spread will be unique because you will create a future log that suits you.
If you are a very busy person, with multiple commitments planned months in advance, then your future log will likely cover the whole upcoming year, and it will be very full.
But if you’re not as busy, you can create a simple one, and update it throughout the year.
What to include in your future log
A future log can include anything that occurs in the future.
However, it is typically used to store items with definite dates you know are set for the upcoming year.
These include:
- Recurring events, such as birthdays, bank holidays, and anniversaries
- Events that are not on a set date every year, like trips and vacations, concerts, gigs or shows, appointments, parties, and more
However, you can also include things that you want to get around to at some point in the year in your future spread.
For example, you might pencil in a week in March for spring cleaning, or a week in November for Christmas present shopping.
A list of things to include in a bujo future log
Check out this full list of things you can include in your future log!
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Parties + celebrations
- Gigs and shows
- Holidays, vacations, trips + travels
- Bank holidays, such as New Yearβs Eve, Christmas Day
- Meetings, such as business or school meetings
- Appointments, such as doctor/ dentist appointments, vets, etc
- Revision days
- Exams and tests
- Cleaning days
- Quarterly and annual bills
How do you draw a future log?
Step #1: Pick a page to create your future log in
To start, you need to remember that your future spread will be one of the first pages in a brand new bullet journal.
This is so you can quickly access all your future plans and events for the year, and revise it as needed.
So to start, pick a page near the front of a new bullet journal.
(If you are starting a future log midway through the year however, you can just start one on a fresh page in your journal).
Step #2: decide on the number of months your future log will have
There are generally 4 different future log options that contain a different number of months;
- The 3 month setup
- The 4 month setup
- The 6 month setup
- A full future log spread with all the months (also known as a year at a glance).
It is up to you how many months your future log contains.
If you’re working in a brand new bullet journal, you may want to include all the months for convenience, and to save time creating a new one at a later date in the year.
Or, if you’re creating a future log midway through the year, you will likely want to create one with less months.
You may also want one with less months if you are new to creating a future log, and are just trying it out to see if it works for you.
Or if you have a lot of information to input into each month, and want to make sure you have enough space.
Step #3: Decide on your content
Now you need to decide what content will be included in your future log.
Remember, everyone’s future log will be different depending on their needs, and you can include as much information or keep it as minimal as you’d like.
Some things to ask yourself when you are creating a bullet journal future log is do you need:
- A monthly calendar with all the dates? Or just blank section with the month as a header?
- A section for colour coding/ including a key?
- A space to write notes?
Hopefully, answering these questions will help you realise what content needs to go into your future log.
Step #4: Start drawing!
Once you’ve decided what info you want included, it’s time to start drawing your future log!
I always find it helps to see some other future logs for inspiration before I start.
And there are plenty of examples of different future log layouts to help you further down in this post!
Tips for creating a future log
Here are some other tips for creating your future log that should be helpful;
- If you are including mini months, keep a calendar close by whilst you are creating see the dates. This will help prevent mistakes. You can print out a calendar, or use the calendar on your phone.
- Use tools, like stencils or stamps, whenever you can to make creating a future log quicker and easier. For example, you can use dated washi tape to make vertical columns for calendar months, stamps for the dates, or even a date stencil to keep your numbers and letters in line.
- Remember, slow and steady wins the race! Take your time as you’re creating it. The slower you go, the less chance you have of making mistakes! And remember to take plenty of breaks.
Bullet journal future log ideas (for 2021)
Now that you have the best tips for creating a future log, here are some bullet journal future log inspo ideas!
Vertical future log
To start, vertical future spreads are a really simple and easy layout to follow.
Check out some bujo vertical future logs below!
This spread above by soniascribbles is a excellent example of a minimal future log that runs vertically down the page.
The name and number of the month are clear at the top of the page.
Then underneath, there is plenty of room underneath to make plans and track events for that month, with every 5 days being marked clearly to help keep track of the date.
Such a simple idea, yet so effective!
This is another great example of a vertical bujo future spread.
You can see on the page on the right, the name of the month is written at the top in bubble writing.
Then there is a line for each day of the month underneath, with what day it is clearly written in the box.
You can then write what event is happening that day next to the date for that day.
I also love the hand drawn flowers at the bottom of the page – super sweet!
Vertical future log spread (with mini months)
A great way to quickly see an overview of the month is to include mini months in your future log spreads.
Now that you have seen some examples of future logs that are vertically designed, check out these vertical future log spreads with mini months!
Similar to the examples we have seen so far, the name of the month is written is gorgeous script font at the top of this future log.
But this time, instead of a line underneath dedicated for each day of that month there is a small calendar (AKA mini month).
Then underneath the calendar, the creator has written the date for that month, and then whatever is happening on that date next to it.
Only noting down dates you have events on underneath a mini calendar is a great way to save space if you want a smaller future log spread.
The only issue is you have to be content with your dates underneath possibly being out of chronological order, if you need to keep coming back as you start making plans.
I absolutely love the mini calendar months pictured in spread!
They have a super cute illustration under the name of the month, and then also a symbol to represent the day of the week the date falls on.
These are actually calendar stickers; stickers are a great way to fill your bullet journal quickly and easily, whilst making sure it looks super cute!
You can also see behind this future log is the previous one included in this list; those calendars are actually mini calendar stickers too!
But they are transparent calendar stickers.
These two images above are future logs created by Jolie.
They are another great example of using a mini month in a future spread.
They are similar to the sticker examples we saw previously, but these have been hand drawn.
So whether you want to quickly use stickers and stencils, or hand draw in your future log, either way works!
The above future log uses mini months at the top of the page, and then has plenty of space left underneath to track events and plans for that month.
By separating down the page, you create clear columns to write in for each month.
Of course, you can do this by eye, but if you’re a beginner, it may help you with spacing to see exactly the room you have to write in.
The use of colour and unique font also gives it an interesting look!
This colourful future log is super cute!
I love the animal print header for each month, as this helps to create a theme.
You can see a lot of the examples provided so far don’t use the full name for each month, but a shortened version.
This is a great way to keep your future spread neat and concise.
Vertical future log with calendex
Another great idea for a future log is using mini months with a calendex.
A Calendex is a combination of a calendar and an index.
It is a really simple way of seeing the dates for the month, and an overview of tasks and events for that month.
Check out these future logs with a calendex below!
In the example above, you can see there is a mix of a mini calendar at the top, and then also an index underneath each calendar.
Next to each event written there are also little drawings to create a key!
Such as a small present illustration to represent birthdays in that month.
This future log by AurΓ©lia-Lynn alias Auly also features mini calendars at the top, and then an index with cute illustrations underneath each month.
The highlight behind the month header helps to give the spread some colour, but keep it minimal.
Color coded calendex
Here are some more examples, but this time using a colour coded calendex in the future log!
In this one, you can see that in the mini calendar, some days have been marked with a different colour depending on the event or task happening during that day.
This helps to make sure when you are looking at your future spread, you can not only see when things are happening throughout the month, but also get an idea what those events are at a glance.
For example, birthdays have been marked on the mini calendar as a bright orange.
So whenever they see a bright orange date in the calendar, they know there is an important birthday that day.
Here is another example of a colour coded calendex, using multiple different colours to note certain events throughout the month.
Whilst this is a great way to get a quick indication as to the type of event or task planned for that day, the only downfall is it can be tricky to mark multiple events on one day, if you have already colour coded it for something else.
To get around this, you can perhaps use a combination of colour coding and then illustrations for certain events, so you can mark multiple things on the same day in the mini calendar.
Sideways future log
Now you have seen multiple examples of vertical future logs, check out these sideways spreads!
This travel inspired future log is awesome!
The boxes go across the page, and there is plenty of room to write your future plans for each month.
The travel theme is great for these months, as this is when people are typically going away or on their summer vacations!
Above is a great example of a sideways future log spread.
There are boxes across the two pages, and then each box has been sectioned so there are spaces to write in for each month.
This is a very minimal future log, that holds just the name of the month and notes about that month.
But the creator Jennie has included some cute doodles around the border, which help to fill up the page.
Sideways with mini calendar
The previous horizontal example did not use mini calendars at all.
If you want to try creating a horizontal future log with mini calendars, these examples are below:
This is a beautiful example of a horizontal future log that also uses mini calendars for each month.
It is a horizontal plan within a larger vertical template.
I really like the alternating layout with the title of the month and the mini calendar in each box, and the font with the black and white theme also gives it a cool newspaper vibe.
In this future log, the layout is similar to the previous design, except this time the month is consistently written on the left hand side of each box, with a mini calendar next to it, and then space for notes.
Writing the names of the months in alternating colours helps to give it a bit of a colour pop, without requiring taking lots of time to colour everything in.
This is a super cute future log spread!
The name of the month is followed by the mini calendars underneath in each box, with the days of the week at the top of the calendar.
I love the different pastel colours for each month, and the mix of the colours for the “future log” heading.
As well as helping to brighten up this log, the different colours help to differentiate between each month; when you quickly take a glance, you can easily see each box is a different month.
So when creating your own future log, you may want to assign a colour or theme to each month, so you can quickly tell which month is which.
Circle future log
If you’re looking for a unique future log layout, why not try creating a circular one?
You can check out some examples of circle future logs below:
In this example, the future log holds similar information to previous future logs we have looked at; there is a title for each month, and a mini calendar with the days of the week and their dates.
The main different is the future log title is in the middle of the page, and then each month is spread around the center.
The stars are a super cute theme, and you could even create one that is relevant to a circle, like a pizza or cake, and each month is a slice, etc.
This future log takes the circle idea, but uses only half a circle to represent half the year.
The month number starts at the center, followed by the name of the month with a mini calendar, and then plenty of space for notes.
The half circle spread is a great idea if you only need to include 6 months in your future log.
Or because this future log spread is only across 1 page, if you wanted a double page spread, you can put it across the center of the 2 pages, and make it into a full circle with all 12 months.
Grid spacing future log
As your future log tends to go at the front of your bullet journal, it can be helpful to include other important information with it.
Whilst the example above is not technically a future log, it’s a great idea for a future log spread with grid spacing.
Just have the grid spacing on one page, and then a 6 month future log on the other!
Future log in boxes
If you want to make sure you have clear space to write in for each month of your future log, it can be helpful to split your future log into boxes.
Below is an example of a future log in boxes:
The future log above has all the information for this month sectioned into different sized boxes.
Having a set section with clear borders can be really useful if you’re a beginner.
It helps to make sure your spread looks neat and tidy, and you are reminded of how much space you have as you’re filling out information for each month.
Colourful future log
If you want to add lots of colour to your future log, feel free to!
This example is full of colour and decoration, and it really helps to bring the spread to life.
But, whilst this future spread is beautifully decorated, it isn’t actually that complicated to replicate yourself!
There’s just plenty of bright colour around each month name, giving it a 3D effect, and then the same colour is used underneath for the notes section for each month.
Then there is some colour added to the star illustrations at the top, and that’s it!
So don’t think you need to do tonnes of shading to make your future log look vibrant and full of life.
Future log with notes section
It’s handy for your future log to include lots of information for the upcoming year, and one way to do this is to include a notes section.
The above future log has a whole page dedicate to notes for the 6 months it covers.
In particular, it focuses on the day and month there are upcoming appointments.
But if you’re creating your own notes section in your future log, you include whatever notes you want!
6 month future log
Now you’ve seen quite a few different future log layouts, below are some 6 month future log ideas.
In both those examples, you can see the future log has 6 months in total; 3 months on one page, and 3 on the other.
A 6 month future log is a great idea if you’re a beginner, as it means you can have a practice at creating a future log with less information.
It also means you have plenty of space to work in, compared to a full year future log.
Bullet journal year at a glance
Whilst discussing future logs, we can’t forget the year at a glance.
A year at a glance is basically what it is called; a spread that is a quick overview of your year, which you can read at a glance.
Bullet journal future log vs year at a glance – what’s the difference?
A bullet journal year at a glance is very similar to a future log, in that it can provide you with a quick overview of the months of for the year.
You can also mark the same events in both of them, such as holidays, birthdays, etc.
The main difference is that a year at a glance is created with the intention of giving you a quick overview of the whole year (hence the name).
But whilst a future log can include 12 months, you can cover less than 12 months in your future log spread if you wish; some future logs are cover half the year, some 4 months, and some even just 3.
Bullet journal year at a glance inspiration
Check out these year at a glance ideas below!:
Year at a glance with mini calendars
This year at a glance includes a lot more drawing.
You can see the whole spread, including the header, the months, and all the dates, have been drawn by hand.
But, even if you are drawing your year at a glance by hand, it doesn’t have to be complicated!
As the above example shows, sometimes simplicity and a little bit of colour here and there is all you need.
Here is another example of a year at a glance with mini months.
As this one simply has the year it is covering as the title, there is plenty of room around the heading for drawings, if you want to be a little creative with your future log.
The illustrations in this one are simple line drawings, but super cute!
Here’s another great example of a year at a glance.
You can see the mini calendar for each month is in a box, which helps it stand out against the page.
So drawing boxes in your future log can not only help you to work out how much space you have, but can also make your months stand out and change the look of your future log design.
Year at a glance with a key
If you want to mark events in your year at a glance, a good idea is using a key.
Above is a great example of a year at a glance with a key.
The key on the right covers when there are important days, so when you take a glance at the mini calendars, you can easily see what days are inset days, school holidays, and bank holidays.
Remember, your choice of colours or illustrations for your key can help to create a visual theme for your at a glance.
The shades of pink used in the example above help to give it a cute floral vibe.
Year at a glance double page spread
When creating your year at a glance, you’ll want to think about whether it spreads across 2 pages in your bullet journal, or just uses one page.
Whilst the mini months in the previous example only filled one page, the post below is a great example of a year at a glance double page spread:
I love the sweet pastel colours in this one, and the star illustrations help to give it a kawaii feel.
The 12 months being spread across the two pages means there is space under each month to include more information if needed.
And spreading the months across 2 pages means there is more room for decoration around the months, if you want to be creative!
Year at a glance with quote
Because you take quick looks at your year at a glance spread throughout the year, adding a quote in is a great way to make your spread more personal, and remind you of something each time you look at it.
Check out this great example of a year at a glance with a quote below:
The floral drawings are stunning, and the quote in the center of the flowers is a great reminder to stay positive that they will see throughout the year when they take a quick glance.
If you’re including a quote in your year at a glance, it’s up to you how you incorporate it into the design.
You can put all the months on one page, and then dedicate a whole page in the spread to a quote and illustrations, if you’re feeling creative.
Or if you want your mini months to be across a whole double page spread, you can subtly incorporate a quote somewhere in the design around them.
Remember, if you want to include a quote in your year at a glance, you don’t have to be good at drawing!
Above is a great example of a year at a glance that’s been created in a bullet journal with minimal drawing.
The mini months and month headers appear to be created using a stencil or stamp, and the quote has been included in a beautiful collage.
So if you want to use a quote in your yearly glance, but you don’t want to draw, you can try some collaging instead!
Birthdays and holidays spread
Lastly, whether you’re creating a future log or a year at a glance, a spread that’s helpful to include when it comes to tracking your year is a birthday and holiday spread.
Below are some great bullet journal birthday spread ideas:
I really like the above birthday spread; it’s super sweet, yet simple.
Similar to the previous future log spreads we’ve looked at, there is a clear space set out for each month.
However, the “Happy Birthday” title at the top makes it clear the space for each month is for tracking birthdays specifically.
The flags across the top of each box are also a cute touch, and help to add to the birthday celebration theme!
This is another great birthday spread idea if you like to have equal sized spaces to track birthdays for each month.
However, unlike the last spread where the box for each month had definite borders, this one is slightly more forgiving as there are not definite boundaries you need to keep within for each month.
Again, I like the flags used in this spread to give it a celebration theme – having the bunting go across the top and writing each letter of the header onto an individual flag is a great idea!
Above is a great birthday spread idea if you’re looking to be a little creative and use drawings.
Instead of having equal sized spaces to track the birthdays for each month with, this one has balloons to write in.
This is a great idea if you want a colourful birthday spread in your bullet journal.
Plus, having different sized balloons means you can draw balloons bigger for months you know have more birthdays you need to track, and smaller balloons if you don’t have any birthdays to note for that month.
Bullet journal future log inspiration – final thoughts
I hope this post has taught you all about future logs!
Including how to create your own future log in your bullet journal (it’s really not as hard as you’d think!).
And also provided you with some future log layout ideas.
Related bullet journal inspiration posts
If you enjoyed this post, check out these other bullet journal layout posts:
- 23 bullet journal weekly spread ideas you need to try
- Bullet journal daily spread ideas to help you be more productive
- 300+ bullet journal theme ideas
- June bullet journal themes
- July bullet journal ideas perfect for Summer
- August theme ideas for your bullet journal
- Best September bullet journal themes to try
- October theme ideas for your bullet journal
- November bullet journal themes
- Best December bullet journal spread ideas
- 16 February bujo ideas you’ve never thought of
- Best bullet journal themes for March