The Bullet Journal is the Swiss army knife of planners. It can be a planner, a task list, and a sketchbook rolled into one. The creator, Ryder Carroll, designed a system that was flexible enough for anyone to use. Here, we’ll talk about one of the fundamental things that makes a journal a bullet journal – the rapid logging system.
What is Rapid Logging
I used to think that “journaling” is a collection of paragraphs and pages of your thoughts and your feelings.
Journaling isn’t for everyone – not even me. While it has been proven effective, it’s a bit time-consuming and requires some level of discipline.
Ryder Carroll wanted to record important information in a day without having to write in narrative form so he came up with a solution and called it “Rapid Logging”. Rapid logging is the “language in which the Bullet Journal® is written.” It consists of four components: topics, page numbers, short sentences, and bullets.
How to Rapid Log
It’s a simple concept to grasp. All you need to do is write whatever is on your mind in bullet points. To categorize the type of note (events or tasks or general notes), you just need to assign a different bullet (called signifiers) for each.
A good example would be:
| Traditional | Rapid Logging |
| I’ve been sick for days and I haven’t gotten better. I think if this gets worse, I should go see the doctor. | – sick since Friday • set appointment w/ doctor tomorrow |
Signifiers – (dash = note; bullet point = task)
Why is this important?
“Rapid Logging will help you efficiently capture your life as it happens so that you may begin to study it”
Ryder Carroll, THE BULLET JOURNAL METHOD
The Bullet Journal is not only a customized planner but it is also a journal where you collect your thoughts and memories. Rapid logging simplifies the journaling process and puts a different perspective to journaling. I think that it does not only help you organize your thoughts, it also encourages you to write things down more often.
Rapid logging is the backbone of the system. It makes a bullet journal what it is and what sets it apart from traditional journals and planners.
Read more about Bullet Journaling here or get a copy or Ryder’s book, The Bullet Journal Method.
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