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Rapid Logging, and lately Daily Logging too are the methods I use to journal every day and throughout the day.
They are introduced by Ryder Caroll, the author of Bullet Journal system. They enable you to journal about anything at anytime to capture and offload thoughts and emotions, without constraints on WHERE and WHEN.
How much more freedom can that be? Because think about:
How often do you want to write something down but struggle to find a proper place for this note?
Should I use this or that notebook? On which page should I start?
Should I use a note-taking app for now instead?
You are overthinking, just to end up writing this important task or idea down to a Post-It note and to forget it days later.
How often do you want to write something down but struggle to find a timeslot to actually sit down and pour out your thoughts?
“Maybe tonight before bed during my PM journaling session”, you reassured yourself.
Then either you pass out while watching that episode or you no longer feel the emotions or remember those thoughts you had at that moment.
I often find myself in this conundrum, until I discovered Rapid and Daily Logging techniques, the practice I pair with my 2025 Bullet Journal (Artist version) notebook.
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In essence, the techniques of Rapid and Daily Logging allow you to capture any thoughts and feelings, at any moments when you get them, down onto a notebook page without hesitating about the where, the what, the if, etc. So you can just write!
RAPID LOGGING
First, Rapid Logging technique asks you to write down any fragments of your day by denoting them in different but basic categories, namely:
A BULLET for TASK = things we need to do
* BULLET CHECKED or CROSSED = a task is complete
* BULLET MIGRATED = a task is to be re-scheduled
* BULLET STRIKE = a task is no longer needed or cancelled
A DASH = NOTE = things we don’t want to forget
A CIRCLE = EVENT = things we experience
That’s basically it!
This core idea of Rapid Logging method is to declutter your mind and capture different fragments of your day as 3 basic types or symbols. It helps organize and categorize your day beautifully, and quickly in the moment.
What I love about Rapid Logging is, just as its name suggests, it is a “rapid” journalling method. I can offload literally anything that is distracting, exciting, concerning, etc. in a timely and simple way, without having to spend a lot of time going in depth with it (yet).
DAILY LOGGING
Then my favorite part: top it up with Daily Logging method, it becomes a real game changer to go through everyday with less chaos and more intentions. How?
According to Ryder’s practice, he’d Daily Logging after each activity (task or event) to capture and offload his thoughts and feelings, as a way to gently transition from that activity to the next.
In addition, any notes or tasks taken-away from this experience are also written down here and now to help free the brain capacity (on memory & reminder), while already prepare for the next step or phase of the ongoing topic when the information is still fresh.
Plus, Daily Logging journaling serves as a pause for reflection on what’s next, as in what really matters to tackle next, rather than what the autopilot productivity dictates.
I have experienced all these above three benefits of Daily Logging and cannot recommend it enough. It helps me feel better about what I am doing.
I start to slow down and be mindful more often, instead of rushing into the next thing and delivering like a machine.
Most importantly, I start to write about how I feel and give these experiences a proper appreciation in the forms of take-away learnings, next actionable steps or simply a recognition.
At the end of a day, I already have a daily record of what’s happened, what I’ve done, felt, learned, and what’s next. It’s like a long page of journalling, but broken down into bite-sized bits of actionable insights and acknowledged feelings that are captured in the moments (this is crucial!).
I hope you’d find Rapid & Daily Logging techniques helpful & interesting through this post to start implementing them. I’ll continue trying them out and report back in future posts. Till next time!
