Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most unique self-help books ever written. It’s not your typical “Ten Steps to Success” guide, and it’s not filled with quick fixes or easy answers. Instead, it’s a guide to living a meaningful life, born out of Frankl’s harrowing experiences as a Holocaust survivor. The book weaves together his personal story and the psychological principles he developed—offering not just inspiration, but a framework for finding purpose in life.
Frankl seeks to answer the question, “What is the meaning of life?” Instead of viewing it as a secret to uncover, he frames it as a question each person must answer for themselves. This shift transforms life from something to master or control into something to engage with—a continual journey filled with opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute.
Frankl envisions life as a calendar, where each day is a page that we tear off and set aside. For many people, this image brings an uneasy awareness of time slipping away. But Frankl encourages us to see it differently. Each page, he suggests, is an opportunity to create meaning through our choices. Then, once it’s been lived, it becomes a record of the actions that define our lives.
Going one step further, Frankl encourages us to “Live as if you were living already for the second time.” He asks us to learn from the past and treat the present as a second chance, transforming ordinary moments into opportunities for meaningful change. This perspective aligns beautifully with the philosophy behind the Bullet Journal.
Where Frankl Meets the Bullet Journal
If Frankl provides the philosophy, the Bullet Journal offers the method. At first, I thought the Bullet Journal was just a great to-do list and planner. But at its core, it’s much more than a tool for staying organized. Ryder Carroll, its creator, designed it as a system to cultivate mindfulness, intentionality, and alignment with our values.
The Bullet Journal invites us to:
- Track the Past: Reflect on our actions, recognize patterns, and learn from what’s already happened.
- Order the Present: Focus on what truly matters in the moment, cutting through distractions.
- Design the Future: Set purposeful goals and create a vision for a meaningful life.
Each of these steps resonates with Frankl’s philosophy. His emphasis on finding meaning in everyday experiences, making thoughtful responses to life’s challenges, and living with purpose aligns with the reflective and intentional approach of the Bullet Journal. Together, they create a bridge between big-picture philosophy and day-to-day action—a way to not just think about a meaningful life but to actively live one.
Here’s how we can use the three core components of the Bullet Journal—tracking the past, ordering the present, and designing the future—to engage with Frankl’s ideas on meaning.
Track the Past
Frankl encourages us to examine our actions—not with judgment, but with curiosity. Mistakes are opportunities to learn, not failures to regret. The Bullet Journal supports this by creating a space to log and reflect on our actions, helping us ask important questions: Were they meaningful? Did they align with my values? What could I do differently next time?
Reflection can be uncomfortable, but it’s essential for growth. Frankl calls it a noble struggle, and the Bullet Journal helps us embrace it. By tracking progress, we can see not only where we’ve fallen short but also how far we’ve come. Our past becomes a story of resilience and learning, giving us the confidence to move forward.
Order the Present
Each day presents an overwhelming number of possibilities—what existentialists have called being “condemned to freedom.” With so many choices, it’s easy to feel anxious or wonder if any of it truly matters. But instead of letting the chaos take over, we can consciously decide how to engage with the present.
The Bullet Journal shines here. By putting everything on paper, we bring order to the chaos. Writing down tasks forces us to confront the reality of limited time and energy. Yes, it’s uncomfortable to plan—it makes us face all those “I should really be doing X” thoughts at once. But after it’s finished, it’s liberating. We can prioritize, choose what matters most, and let the rest go.
For the rest of the day, we’re guided by a clear, intentional list of meaningful tasks. Instead of reacting to distractions, we focus on what truly matters—decisions we’ve already considered and prioritized. It’s no longer just about getting things done; it’s about knowing that each task we complete truly matters.
Design the Future: Envisioning a Purposeful Path
Imagine having the ability to time travel—to revisit your past and make better decisions. While the Bullet Journal can’t bend time, it gets us close. Most of the things we do happen repeatedly, and the journal gives us a way to reflect: How did that turn out? What would I wish I had done differently? By examining our past choices, we can plan to do better next time.
By looking at our past logs and planning our intentions and goals based on them, we can use the Bullet Journal to shape a better future. It’s not about perfection but direction. Each choice becomes a step toward the person we want to be, and the act of planning itself affirms our ability to influence the path ahead.
A Life of Meaning, One Page at a Time
Viktor Frankl and Ryder Carroll may seem like an unlikely pairing, but their ideas come together in powerful ways. Frankl teaches us that even in the darkest of times, we have the power to make choices. The Bullet Journal provides a practical, flexible way to manage our lives with purpose.
Together, they provide more than a system for organizing your life. They offer a guide for shaping it into something meaningful—one page, one choice, one moment at a time.