Inside my logbook: The Daily Log
The third in a short series exploring my bullet journal set-up. This time, we dive into the simple list that keeps all the plates spinning.
For the last couple of weeks, I've been sharing how I use my logbook to organise my very existence. Today, it's the turn of the...
THE DAILY LOG
This is where the magic happens. Well, as much magic as you can make with paper and pen. Which is, of course, oodles!*
I stole the Daily Log hook, line and sinker from the Bullet Journal method, but it's the part of the system I rely on most.
At first glance, it looks little more than a simple list. The secret sauce comes in the four symbols I use to differentiate the various entries: tasks, events, notes and (gulp!) feelings!
Let's run through them one by one.
TASKS
The first symbol is the humble dot or bullet. This is for tasks, to-dos or next actions. Basically, things that have to happen.
I start every day by writing the date, underlined with two red lines (the way I've marked titles since my school days!)
Then it's time to build the day's list:
I also check the monthly and weekly pages to see if there are any tasks lurking there that need pulling into today. If there are, I mark them as migrated by turning the dot into an > like this:
Then I simply add them to the Daily Log...
I don't worry about prioritising anything as I'm making the list. It's more of a brain dump at first. Once I've finished, I add an asterisk next to the most important task, the thing that absolutely needs to be completed that day...
If there's more than one important task, I number the asterisks to show which comes first. 1, 2, 3...
As the day rolls on, I simply turn completed dots into crosses...
Job done!
If for some reason a task no longer has to happen – say my lovely daughter takes pity on her old Dad and cleans the pigs – I simply cross out the entire task.
If the task has more than one step, you can nest the sub-tasks underneath, ticking them one by one:
Some days you complete every task. Some days you don't. On those days, the unfinished tasks remain in your daily log. The next morning, you simply migrate the uncompleted tasks to your new Daily Log, again using the > symbol to indicate it's been moved to another day.
Some people might think writing the same task over and over again is repetitive and, well, time-consuming, but that's the point. Rewriting it forces you to ask if you really want – or indeed need – to complete that task at all!
The same thing goes for your Monthly Spread. If you get to the end of the month and you haven't completed 'Read the marketing report on underwater basketweaving', you mark it as migrated and move it to the next month's spread. If the same task gets moved month after month, you can probably conclude that underwater basketweaving isn't as important as you thought, and can be abandoned altogether.
EVENTS
The next symbol is a circle, which represents an event.
This is where the log aspect of the system comes in. I use events to record what actually happens in the day. An email arrives with important news. I meet up with a friend. My daughter gets a commendation at college.
It's a mix of work and personal moments, because all work and no play makes Cav a dull boy.
The events symbol also covers meetings, although I don't add them first thing in the morning. There's no need, as they're already recorded in my digital calendar.
Only once they're done do I mark them in the log, capturing any new tasks that came out of the chat.
Of course, those new tasks might not be needed to be done today. They can either be migrated forward to tomorrow or back to the weekly or monthly spread depending on how urgent they are.
The whole point of Events is to let you quickly glance back and see what happened on a specific day. I don't log everything. Only the big stuff. The things I want to remember.
You know those moments when you look up and wonder where the week's gone? Filled out right, your daily log holds the answer!
NOTES
If I want to jot down a general note, I use a dash.
Most of the time, they sit under events, adding context and important info...
They can also spawn new tasks:
Other notes are simply things I don't want to forget, whether that's shiny new ideas or stuff that came up while chatting with a friend or colleague...
If I want to jog my memory on what we talked about, I just flick back to the day we met. Simple.
FEELINGS
Yup, this is where it gets a bit touchy feely. The log isn’t just about what happened, it’s a way to get what I’m feeling out of my head and onto the page.
I’ve just delivered a manuscript? I might jot down that I'm excited to see what they think of it, relieved the dratted thing's finished or am unsure it's the best it could be.
Thoughts like these are represented by an equals sign. For example:
I don’t record my feelings as much as I probably should, but when I do it’s always a relief, especially when they're negative thoughts buzzing around my head like a swarm of angry wasps. Write them down and the noisy lot are out of my noggin. Instead they're trapped safe and sound between the pages of the logbook where they belong. It really helps!
I still have a long-form journal when I really need to work something through, but I’ve found myself reaching for it less and less since I’ve been making these quick and easy logs as I go.
In fact, my mental health is so much better since I’ve started using rapid logging. It's a simple trick, but one I couldn't do without these days.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
I realise that all sounds a lot, but the system is actually incredibly simple – not to mention therapeutic — in practice. The entire thing has become second nature to me. I’m not sure I could function without it!
NEXT WEEK
Next week, I’ll run through some of the little extras I've added along the way, as well as a few tips and tricks if you fancy giving it a go yourself.
If you have any questions, you can simply reply to the newsletter or pop them in the comments and I’ll try to answer them in a future Cavletter.
Until next time, look after yourself and each other.
PS: As always, if you think someone else would find all this useful, please forward the email or send them the link. They can subscribe below.
* Technical term!
WHAT I'M WORKING ON
Thanks to pesky NDAs, I can’t reveal many details about what I’m writing at the moment, so I’ve come up with a sneaky list of project names. Keep an eye on future editions. I'll update everything as the work progresses!
Project: Avarice
- A novelisation for a fantasy franchise, currently in copy edits.
Project: Passer
- A graphic novel of a top romantasy novel. The outline has been given the greenlight, so I’m currently scripting.
Project: Soldier
- A newly commissioned fantasy novel, currently in outlining mode.
Konflikt ‘47
- Working with Warlord Game on the lore and creative direction for the weird World War II tabletop game.
Masters of the Universe: Origins
- A three-issue arc chronicling the early career of Man-At-Arms.
COMING SOON
Star Wars: Scoundrels and Smugglers - Race for Jabba’s Bounty
An all-age graphic novel starring Han Solo, Chewbacca, Jaxxon and a host of scum and villainy. On sale 6th October.
Godfather of Hell
My new creator-owned graphic novel for mature readers. Think Goodfellas meets The Exorcist. On sale 27th October.