# The Bullet Journal Method  Author:: Ryder Carroll ## Highlights > distractions. Enter the Bullet Journal, an analog solution that provides the offline space needed to process, to think, and to focus. When you open your notebook, you automatically unplug. It momentarily pauses the influx of information so your mind can catch up. Things become less of a blur, and you can finally examine your life with greater clarity. ([Location 215](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=215)) > Our motivations are heavily informed by the media. Our social feeds are populated by endless images of wealth, travel, power, relaxation, beauty, pleasure, and Hollywood love. This virtual runoff perpetually seeps into our consciousness, polluting our sense of reality and self-worth every time we go online. ([Location 338](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=338)) > You can view your Bullet Journal as a living autobiography. It allows you to clearly see what the rush of life tends to obscure. You can track the decisions you’ve made, and the actions you’ve taken that led you to where you are. It encourages you to learn from your experiences. What worked, what did not, how did it make you feel, what’s the next move? Day by day, you’re deepening your self-awareness by becoming a steady witness to your story. With each page, you improve your ability to discern the meaningful from the meaningless. ([Location 364](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=364)) - Note: [[Document don't create]] > This is commonly referred to as “being busy.” Being busy, however, is not the same thing as being productive. For most of us, “being busy” is code for being functionally overwhelmed. ([Location 408](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=408)) > In fact, the Bullet Journal was designed using some methodologies leveraged in software development. That said, there’s a lot more to Bullet Journaling than keeping lists. It’s a comprehensive methodology designed to help us capture, order, and examine our experience. ([Location 499](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=499)) > KEY CONCEPTS ([Location 618](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=618)) > On the following pages you’ll find visual examples illustrating the difference between content captured in a more traditional way and the same information organized with Rapid Logging. We’ll break down the symbols and structure in detail later, but it’s easy to see how succinct and clear the Rapid Log is. This streamlined approach to recording our thoughts saves a lot of time, allowing it to easily fit into our busy lives. ([Location 652](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=652)) > Rapid Logging solves this issue in a few ways, first by categorizing entries into: Things that you need to do (Tasks) Your experiences (Events) Information you don’t want to forget (Notes) ([Location 760](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=760)) > Tasks: Entries that require you to take action. Completed Tasks: Action has been completed. Migrated Tasks: Tasks that have been moved forward (hence the right arrow) into your next Monthly Log (this page) or into a specific Collection (this page). Scheduled Tasks: A Task tied to a date that falls outside of the current month and is therefore moved backward (hence the left arrow) into the Future Log (this page) at the front of your book. Irrelevant Tasks: Sometimes the things we task ourselves with end up not mattering anymore. Their meaning simply expires or circumstances change. If it no longer matters, then it’s a distraction. Strike it off your list. One less thing to worry about. ([Location 771](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=771)) > TIP: When you notice a Master Task spawning a lot of Subtasks, it can indicate that this Task is growing into a project. If that’s the case, you may want to turn this nested list into its own Collection (this page). Planning a trip, for example, can be complex, with Tasks ranging from researching locations to arranging transportation—each of which might have Subtasks (check out X, Y, and Z hotels online; price flights and rent a car). If you notice that a Task is turning into a project, but you don’t have time at that moment to set up a new Collection, just log a Task to remind you to set one up later: “ Create Hawaii Vacation Collection.” This is a perfect example of how Bullets can serve as mental anchors. ([Location 787](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=787)) > Don’t immediately bail when the meeting, class, or lecture is over. ([Location 926](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=926)) > TIP: Keep Custom Bullets and Signifiers to an absolute minimum. Rapid Logging tries to remove as much friction as possible from capturing information. The more you invent, the more complex it is, and the slower you will become. ([Location 989](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=989)) > The Monthly Log is set up on a spread of facing pages. The left page will be your Calendar page; the right page will be your Tasks page. ([Location 1064](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1064)) > the Daily Log is there to prevent us from having to waste time thinking about where to write things down. It’s a catchall, designed to hold our thoughts until we’re ready to sort them out. When that time comes—like during Daily Reflection (this page)—you’ll transfer any bullets with a future date from your Daily Log into your Future Log. ([Location 1149](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1149)) > When you’re setting up a new Monthly Log (this page), be sure to scan your Future Log for any items in the queue that are ready now. If so, migrate (this page) those items from your Future Log into your Monthly Log’s Tasks page. Be sure to mark it as migrated in your Future Log. ([Location 1154](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1154)) > By rewriting your tasks, you have the opportunity to vet your responsibilities and throw the useless ones overboard. Simply put, Migration keeps you from operating on autopilot, wasting tremendous amounts of time working on things that don’t add value to your life. ([Location 1281](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1281)) > Monthly Migration ([Location 1283](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1283)) > Migrating notebooks is a benevolent reckoning, where you face your responsibilities to see what they’ve given you and what they’ve taken away. Take a hard look at your journal, because there you’ll see your story unfolding, written in your own hand. Each Bullet Journal becomes another volume in the story of your life. Does it represent the life you want to live? If not, then leverage the lessons you’ve learned to change the narrative in the next volume. ([Location 1313](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1313)) ### BEGINNING > Maybe you’re thinking, Ryder, I want to be a more reflective person, but I never have time. I need to be in the right headspace to think deep thoughts. My thoughts are all over the place, and so am I. If you’re Bullet Journaling, then you’ve already begun. By keeping different types of logs, you’re not only organizing your responsibilities, you’re also documenting your thoughts and actions. It’s a passive form of reflection! All you need to do now is transition at your own pace from passive reflection to active reflection. ([Location 1536](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1536)) #### Daily Reflection > If you’re one of those people who wakes with a mind swelling with thoughts, now’s the time to relieve that pressure. Offload anything that’s bubbled up overnight. Clear your mind to make room for the day ahead. For those of you breakfast zombies, the AM Reflection helps get the gears turning. ([Location 1547](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1547)) > Once your journal is updated, bring your attention to each item individually. Here’s where you begin to ask: Why is this important? Why am I doing this? Why is this a priority? And so on. This will help you surface distractions. Strike out the Tasks you’ve deemed to be irrelevant. ([Location 1554](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1554)) > After your PM Reflection, implement a “screens off” policy that lasts until you’ve completed your AM Reflection the following morning. ([Location 1559](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1559)) > Migration is designed to add the friction you need to slow down, step back, and consider the things you task yourself with. On the surface it’s an automatic filtering mechanism, designed to leverage your limited patience. ([Location 1565](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1565)) ### MEANING ### GOALS > If you haven’t done so already, create a Goals Collection in your Bullet Journal on the next blank spread. Big or small, just write them down here so you have them clearly contained in one reusable place. In doing so you’ve already taken the first important step to realizing them. ([Location 1750](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1750)) > First, turn to your next blank spread. The Topic for this new Collection will be “5, 4, 3, 2, 1.” Divide the spread into five rows on each page (this page). The left page will be for your personal goals; the right page will be for your professional goals. The top cell will store the goals you want to accomplish in 5 years. In the next cell you’ll have goals you want to achieve in 4 months; the next cell will be for goals to achieve in 3 weeks; the next cell will be for goals to attain in 2 days; and the final cell will be for goals you intend to accomplish in the next 1 hour. ([Location 1758](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1758)) > Breaking down goals into Sprints mitigates the risks of being overwhelmed and fatigued. ([Location 1837](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1837)) > Dividing larger goals into Sprints also acts as damage control. Perhaps one Sprint doesn’t work out. You realize that it’s not for you, or you come across information or a situation that throws a wrench into the gears. If you planned your Sprint well, shutting it down won’t derail you from related Sprints. At worst, you may have to shuffle around your schedule a bit. ([Location 1906](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1906)) ### SMALL STEPS > Change is critical to productivity and growth—personal, professional, or otherwise. It can be a powerful way to alter our circumstances, but it can backfire. Large changes trigger our fear response. The more afraid we are, the more we need to calm ourselves. Many a great productive gesture or action has resulted in an equal or greater measure of inactivity. Peaks where we believe anything is possible are followed by shadowed valleys where we think maybe nothing is. ([Location 1938](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1938)) > Unlike in the West, where “disruption” is a buzzword for our favorite flavor of progress, kaizen focuses on surfacing opportunities for incremental improvement. It’s an approach to problem-solving that takes the form of small questions like: What little thing can we change to improve the situation? What could be done better the next time? This is a powerful way to suss out achievable improvements, which makes it much easier to enjoy continued progress. ([Location 1943](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1943)) > What tiny thing could I do tomorrow that would make my life a little bit better? Perhaps it’s calling a friend, leaving a few minutes early to take the scenic route to work on a fine day, or tackling the chair that’s drowning in your clothes. Again, we’re looking for any win, no matter how small. Set the bar so low that you’ll actually do it, and log it as a Task in your Bullet Journal. ([Location 2032](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=2032)) ### TIME > Time boxing adds two key motivational ingredients to a Task you’ve been putting off: structure and urgency. ([Location 2082](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=2082)) ### GRATITUDE > Celebrating small wins can produce dramatic improvements in our self-perception and attitude. We tend to ruminate over all the things we got wrong, unaware of or ignoring all the things we got right. By celebrating our accomplishments, we’re forcing ourselves to acknowledge our abilities and witness the proof that we can contribute. ([Location 2159](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=2159)) ### CONTROL ### RADIANCE > when you snap at someone, chances are their spouse, friend, or child will be subject to the ripple effects of your action. I like to refer to this ability of ours to influence the world around us as our radiance—literally, what we radiate. ([Location 2264](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=2264)) --- Title: The Bullet Journal Method Author: Ryder Carroll Tags: readwise, books date: 2024-01-30 --- # The Bullet Journal Method  Author:: Ryder Carroll ## AI-Generated Summary None ## Highlights > distractions. Enter the Bullet Journal, an analog solution that provides the offline space needed to process, to think, and to focus. When you open your notebook, you automatically unplug. It momentarily pauses the influx of information so your mind can catch up. Things become less of a blur, and you can finally examine your life with greater clarity. ([Location 215](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=215)) > Our motivations are heavily informed by the media. Our social feeds are populated by endless images of wealth, travel, power, relaxation, beauty, pleasure, and Hollywood love. This virtual runoff perpetually seeps into our consciousness, polluting our sense of reality and self-worth every time we go online. ([Location 338](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=338)) > You can view your Bullet Journal as a living autobiography. It allows you to clearly see what the rush of life tends to obscure. You can track the decisions you’ve made, and the actions you’ve taken that led you to where you are. It encourages you to learn from your experiences. What worked, what did not, how did it make you feel, what’s the next move? Day by day, you’re deepening your self-awareness by becoming a steady witness to your story. With each page, you improve your ability to discern the meaningful from the meaningless. ([Location 364](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=364)) Note: [[Document don't create]] > This is commonly referred to as “being busy.” Being busy, however, is not the same thing as being productive. For most of us, “being busy” is code for being functionally overwhelmed. ([Location 408](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=408)) > In fact, the Bullet Journal was designed using some methodologies leveraged in software development. That said, there’s a lot more to Bullet Journaling than keeping lists. It’s a comprehensive methodology designed to help us capture, order, and examine our experience. ([Location 499](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=499)) > KEY CONCEPTS ([Location 618](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=618)) > On the following pages you’ll find visual examples illustrating the difference between content captured in a more traditional way and the same information organized with Rapid Logging. We’ll break down the symbols and structure in detail later, but it’s easy to see how succinct and clear the Rapid Log is. This streamlined approach to recording our thoughts saves a lot of time, allowing it to easily fit into our busy lives. ([Location 652](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=652)) > Rapid Logging solves this issue in a few ways, first by categorizing entries into: Things that you need to do (Tasks) Your experiences (Events) Information you don’t want to forget (Notes) ([Location 760](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=760)) > Tasks: Entries that require you to take action. Completed Tasks: Action has been completed. Migrated Tasks: Tasks that have been moved forward (hence the right arrow) into your next Monthly Log (this page) or into a specific Collection (this page). Scheduled Tasks: A Task tied to a date that falls outside of the current month and is therefore moved backward (hence the left arrow) into the Future Log (this page) at the front of your book. Irrelevant Tasks: Sometimes the things we task ourselves with end up not mattering anymore. Their meaning simply expires or circumstances change. If it no longer matters, then it’s a distraction. Strike it off your list. One less thing to worry about. ([Location 771](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=771)) > TIP: When you notice a Master Task spawning a lot of Subtasks, it can indicate that this Task is growing into a project. If that’s the case, you may want to turn this nested list into its own Collection (this page). Planning a trip, for example, can be complex, with Tasks ranging from researching locations to arranging transportation—each of which might have Subtasks (check out X, Y, and Z hotels online; price flights and rent a car). If you notice that a Task is turning into a project, but you don’t have time at that moment to set up a new Collection, just log a Task to remind you to set one up later: “ Create Hawaii Vacation Collection.” This is a perfect example of how Bullets can serve as mental anchors. ([Location 787](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=787)) > Don’t immediately bail when the meeting, class, or lecture is over. ([Location 926](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=926)) > TIP: Keep Custom Bullets and Signifiers to an absolute minimum. Rapid Logging tries to remove as much friction as possible from capturing information. The more you invent, the more complex it is, and the slower you will become. ([Location 989](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=989)) > The Monthly Log is set up on a spread of facing pages. The left page will be your Calendar page; the right page will be your Tasks page. ([Location 1064](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1064)) > the Daily Log is there to prevent us from having to waste time thinking about where to write things down. It’s a catchall, designed to hold our thoughts until we’re ready to sort them out. When that time comes—like during Daily Reflection (this page)—you’ll transfer any bullets with a future date from your Daily Log into your Future Log. ([Location 1149](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1149)) > When you’re setting up a new Monthly Log (this page), be sure to scan your Future Log for any items in the queue that are ready now. If so, migrate (this page) those items from your Future Log into your Monthly Log’s Tasks page. Be sure to mark it as migrated in your Future Log. ([Location 1154](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1154)) > By rewriting your tasks, you have the opportunity to vet your responsibilities and throw the useless ones overboard. Simply put, Migration keeps you from operating on autopilot, wasting tremendous amounts of time working on things that don’t add value to your life. ([Location 1281](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1281)) > Monthly Migration ([Location 1283](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1283)) > Migrating notebooks is a benevolent reckoning, where you face your responsibilities to see what they’ve given you and what they’ve taken away. Take a hard look at your journal, because there you’ll see your story unfolding, written in your own hand. Each Bullet Journal becomes another volume in the story of your life. Does it represent the life you want to live? If not, then leverage the lessons you’ve learned to change the narrative in the next volume. ([Location 1313](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1313)) ### BEGINNING > Maybe you’re thinking, Ryder, I want to be a more reflective person, but I never have time. I need to be in the right headspace to think deep thoughts. My thoughts are all over the place, and so am I. If you’re Bullet Journaling, then you’ve already begun. By keeping different types of logs, you’re not only organizing your responsibilities, you’re also documenting your thoughts and actions. It’s a passive form of reflection! All you need to do now is transition at your own pace from passive reflection to active reflection. ([Location 1536](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1536)) #### Daily Reflection > If you’re one of those people who wakes with a mind swelling with thoughts, now’s the time to relieve that pressure. Offload anything that’s bubbled up overnight. Clear your mind to make room for the day ahead. For those of you breakfast zombies, the AM Reflection helps get the gears turning. ([Location 1547](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1547)) > Once your journal is updated, bring your attention to each item individually. Here’s where you begin to ask: Why is this important? Why am I doing this? Why is this a priority? And so on. This will help you surface distractions. Strike out the Tasks you’ve deemed to be irrelevant. ([Location 1554](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1554)) > After your PM Reflection, implement a “screens off” policy that lasts until you’ve completed your AM Reflection the following morning. ([Location 1559](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1559)) > Migration is designed to add the friction you need to slow down, step back, and consider the things you task yourself with. On the surface it’s an automatic filtering mechanism, designed to leverage your limited patience. ([Location 1565](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1565)) ### MEANING ### GOALS > If you haven’t done so already, create a Goals Collection in your Bullet Journal on the next blank spread. Big or small, just write them down here so you have them clearly contained in one reusable place. In doing so you’ve already taken the first important step to realizing them. ([Location 1750](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1750)) > First, turn to your next blank spread. The Topic for this new Collection will be “5, 4, 3, 2, 1.” Divide the spread into five rows on each page (this page). The left page will be for your personal goals; the right page will be for your professional goals. The top cell will store the goals you want to accomplish in 5 years. In the next cell you’ll have goals you want to achieve in 4 months; the next cell will be for goals to achieve in 3 weeks; the next cell will be for goals to attain in 2 days; and the final cell will be for goals you intend to accomplish in the next 1 hour. ([Location 1758](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1758)) > Breaking down goals into Sprints mitigates the risks of being overwhelmed and fatigued. ([Location 1837](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1837)) > Dividing larger goals into Sprints also acts as damage control. Perhaps one Sprint doesn’t work out. You realize that it’s not for you, or you come across information or a situation that throws a wrench into the gears. If you planned your Sprint well, shutting it down won’t derail you from related Sprints. At worst, you may have to shuffle around your schedule a bit. ([Location 1906](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1906)) ### SMALL STEPS > Change is critical to productivity and growth—personal, professional, or otherwise. It can be a powerful way to alter our circumstances, but it can backfire. Large changes trigger our fear response. The more afraid we are, the more we need to calm ourselves. Many a great productive gesture or action has resulted in an equal or greater measure of inactivity. Peaks where we believe anything is possible are followed by shadowed valleys where we think maybe nothing is. ([Location 1938](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1938)) > Unlike in the West, where “disruption” is a buzzword for our favorite flavor of progress, kaizen focuses on surfacing opportunities for incremental improvement. It’s an approach to problem-solving that takes the form of small questions like: What little thing can we change to improve the situation? What could be done better the next time? This is a powerful way to suss out achievable improvements, which makes it much easier to enjoy continued progress. ([Location 1943](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=1943)) > What tiny thing could I do tomorrow that would make my life a little bit better? Perhaps it’s calling a friend, leaving a few minutes early to take the scenic route to work on a fine day, or tackling the chair that’s drowning in your clothes. Again, we’re looking for any win, no matter how small. Set the bar so low that you’ll actually do it, and log it as a Task in your Bullet Journal. ([Location 2032](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=2032)) ### TIME > Time boxing adds two key motivational ingredients to a Task you’ve been putting off: structure and urgency. ([Location 2082](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=2082)) ### GRATITUDE > Celebrating small wins can produce dramatic improvements in our self-perception and attitude. We tend to ruminate over all the things we got wrong, unaware of or ignoring all the things we got right. By celebrating our accomplishments, we’re forcing ourselves to acknowledge our abilities and witness the proof that we can contribute. ([Location 2159](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=2159)) ### CONTROL ### RADIANCE > when you snap at someone, chances are their spouse, friend, or child will be subject to the ripple effects of your action. I like to refer to this ability of ours to influence the world around us as our radiance—literally, what we radiate. ([Location 2264](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07B7C4F9C&location=2264))