What It Means
Rapid logging is the note style at the center of Ryder Carroll's Bullet Journal methodBullet journalRyder Carroll's notebook method for tracking tasks, events and notes with short entries and symbols, organized into an index and daily, monthly and future logs. See more, which its official site calls the language the method is written in. Each entry is a short line with a symbol in front, called a bullet, that says what kind of entry it is: a task, an event or a note. Extra marks called signifiers add context, such as priority, and a task's bullet changes as it's done or moved.
Try It: Pick an Entry and See Its Symbol
Choose a kind of entry to see how it's written in a Bullet Journal.
• Pick up dry cleaning
X Pick up dry cleaning
> Pick up dry cleaning
O Dentist, 3 pm
- Store closes early on Fridays
* • Renew passport
A dot marks something to do.
The dot becomes an X when it's finished.
The dot becomes an arrow when you carry the task into a new month or a collection.
An open circle marks something with a date.
A dash marks a fact, idea or observation to remember.
An asterisk to the left of the bullet marks a priority.
How People Say It
- "Just rapid log it and sort it out later."
- "Dot for tasks, circle for events, dash for notes."
- "I X'd off everything on today's log."
The Breakdown
The symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dot | A task, still to do |
| X | A task that's finished |
| Arrow (>) | A task migrated forward to a new month or collection |
| Open circle (O) | An event, something tied to a date |
| Dash (-) | A note: a fact, idea or observation |
| Asterisk (*) | A signifier placed to the left of a bullet to mark priority |
| Exclamation point (!) | A signifier most often paired with a note for a great idea or insight |
How to do it
- Write the date at the top of the page.
- Log each thing as it comes, in as few words as it takes.
- Put the right bullet in front: a dot, a circle or a dash.
- Add a signifier if the entry needs one, such as an asterisk for priority.
- As tasks get done, turn the dot into an X. When you carry one forward, turn it into an arrow.
Short version to try today. Keep one page open all day and log every task, event and passing thought as a single line with a dot, a circle or a dash.
Where It Comes From
Rapid logging comes from the Bullet Journal method created by Ryder Carroll. The symbols above are the ones the official Bullet Journal site teaches, and the site's own example of a task is picking up dry cleaning.
Good to Know
Keep entries short. The official site describes rapid logging as a way to take concise notes, and a log that runs to full paragraphs loses the quick scan the symbols are there for. Signifiers work because you can run your eye down the left edge of a page and spot the starred items first.
FAQ
What are the three main bullets in rapid logging?
A dot for a task, an open circle for an event, and a dash for a note.
What does an arrow mean in a bullet journal?
It means a task was migrated. You turn the dot into an arrow (>) when you move the task forward into a new Monthly Log or a collection.
What's the difference between a bullet and a signifier?
A bullet says what kind of entry it is: task, event or note. A signifier adds extra meaning, such as an asterisk for a priority task, and sits to the left of the bullet.
Do It in Buhata
Notes and Tasks
Log today's tasks as short lines in Buhata Tasks, and keep notes and events on the day page in Notes (Premium).
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Bullet journal
Ryder Carroll's notebook method for tracking tasks, events and notes with short entries and symbols, organized into an index and daily, monthly and future logs.
- To-do list
A written list of the tasks you plan to do, checked or crossed off as each one is finished.
- Brain dump
Writing down everything on your mind, tasks, worries and ideas, in one sitting so you can sort it afterward instead of holding it in your head.
- Note-taking methods
The common ways to lay out notes from a class, meeting or reading, such as the Cornell, outline, mapping, charting and sentence methods.
Sources
Bullet Journal, "What is Rapid Logging?: Understand Rapid Logging, Bullets, and Signifiers"; Bullet Journal, "How to Bullet Journal"; Bullet Journal, "Migration 101: Why and How We Migrate the Contents of Our Bullet Journal"
- bulletjournal.com/blogs/faq/what-is-rapid-logging-understand-rapid-logging-bullets-and-signifiers
- bulletjournal.com/pages/how-to-bullet-journal
- bulletjournal.com/blogs/faq/migration
Last updated .