Bullet journal daily spread or log serves as a daily entry filled with daily events, tasks and to-do lists, aiming to prioritize what’s essential for the day.
Daily reviews help the process by mindfully evaluating each task’s completion and its significance. By mindfully prioritizing, productivity is increased.
BULLET JOURNAL DAILY SPREAD OR LOG
Years after years you have spent your time being mindlessly busy
Not knowing where to focus and prioritise you running around like a headless chicken trying to complete all the task
You want to be productive and manage your time better but it seems impossible.
You have listened to countless productivity gurus on youtube but are still unsure where to begin.
I have a solution for you, my friend.
The bullet journal daily log
What is a bullet journal daily log or daily spread?
Simply put, the daily log is a to-do list or task or event that takes place on that day
And the content of the daily log varies greatly on what you want to focus on.
If you are not familiar with bullet journals or any planning system in general, this can be a great way to start.
In my own view, the daily log is among the important elements of bullet journaling.
The idea of having the daily log which some people refer to as daily spreads to create the focus of the day
BUT! The daily spread is not a glorified to-do list.
Let that sink in
You dont have to fill in all the white space of the notebook with the thing you have to do. you’ll end up getting overwhelmed
In fact, Ryder Caroll uses dailies to log as things happen in real-time. That is why he referred to it as a daily log
*Note
The Bullet Journal Method
if you are just starting and want to know more about the bullet journal, you might want to read this post to help you begin the process.
The bullet journal method can be approached in 6 steps
- Bullet journal key
- Bullet journal index
- Bullet journal future log
- Bullet journal monthly spreads
- Bullet journal weekly/daily spreads (We are here!)
- Bullet journal collections
What to write in Bullet Journal daily Spread or daily Log?
The simplest way to do this is, to write the day and date on top followed by the entries
The traditional way of writing a to-do list is by writing down your list with the boxes on the right (or left, your choice) and just tick it once you are done with the task
And that’s it.
In the bullet journal original method by Ryder Caroll, the same approach applied
In the daily log, as he calls it, he begins by writing the date on top and followed by the entries.
The entries are written in short, bulleted sentence
The task indicated by the dot bullet
Events indicated by circle bullet
And notes indicated by dash bullet
This short bulleted sentence allows us to plan for the day quickly.
Ryder refer to this technique as rapid logging
What I like about this approach is it helps us to focus on things that are matter
And remove all the noise and distraction.
This will help us become more productive.
For busy individuals and for those who are just about to begin the productivity journey, I suggest to begin here: By creating your own daily log or daily spreads.
I know some of you might think that you are used to just thinking and planning inside your head.
But study has shown that by writing down the tasks, the chances of them getting done are much higher
And it will lessen anxiety as you have a better sense of control
What are other elements in the bullet journal daily Spread or daily Logs?
If you are a beginner at bullet journaling or planning in general, I suggest copying the original bullet journal method on setting the daily entries.
This is to get consistency in journaling before you can move to the next step
Often I come across people who stop bullet journaling as they feel overwhelmed by it.
But when I look in detail, they are trying to incorporate various elements in their bullet journal and deviate away from the original method which is simple and practical.
There is a difference between being busy and being productive
Now I have made it clear on the essential, let’s see some bullet journals daily spreads ideas
Related Post: I Try Morning Journaling For 30 Days And Here Is My Thought (And 5 Morning Journal Prompts Ideas!)
Bullet Journal Daily spreads Ideas
#1 The hour-by-hour timeline
This is suitable for those who are used to time blocking and have fixed planning for their day
You can carve out time for yourself and can have a rapid view of what your day looks like and how many hours you spend on it
Photo by @bulletjournal via Instagram
#2 Habit tracker
You can add a habit tracker to your daily spread as a reminder for you to do the habit
The advantage of creating a habit tracker in the daily entry is you can write in detail the routines as you have more space
*Ryder did include a simple habit tracker in his monthly log
Photo by @bullet.blond via Instagram
#3 daily goals, affirmation & manifestation
For certain people, writing consistently the goals, affirmation and manifestation helps a lot with their focus of the day.
Another idea is to write down inspirational quotes or interesting quotes from your favourite movie
#4 Notes of the day
I notice students have optimised their daily entry by adding sections for homework and important notes about exams
And note section can be just a space to brain dump things when you are not sure where to categorize it.
Or just to jot down something you want to remember later
Photo by @plantosucceed via Instagram
#5 meal/ workout planning
Sometimes having a predetermined plan able to combat the decision fatigue
Adding a section on meal planning or workout of the day can help lessen the resistance to lead a healthier lifestyle
Photo by @penpapersoul via Instagram
My simple & minimalist approach to Bullet Journal daily Spread
My daily entry usually involves planning in the morning
The AM entry: to plan the day
I will separate the layout into 2 parts: signify the work task and personal tasks of the day
The important event or agenda with a specific time will be written first.
This includes meeting, dateline, or other agenda that is non-negotiable
I avoid leaving too much space as I feel the need to make a longer list when I dont have to
I keep a short 4-5 to-do list/ task/ event on the designated column.
And leave a few spaces for any upcoming event/ tasks
basically, that’s that.
And I do normal journal entries (not bullet journal way) whenever I feel like doing it.
The only issue with this is lack of consistency and I end up doing deep journaling after having a burned-out and totally out of touch with myself
And apparently, bullet journals have a solution for this that is missing from my practice:
Bullet journal daily reflection
Ryder Caroll suggested AM reflection for planning and PM reflection to review and appreciate your progress of the day
“…PM Reflection leans toward review to help you unwind.
Before you go to bed, sit down with your Bullet Journal and scan what you’ve logged throughout the day. Mark completed Tasks with an “X.” If a Task is missing, write it down.
Again, you’re unburdening your mind…bring your attention to each item individually.
Why is this important? Why am I doing this? Why is this a priority? And so on.
This will help you surface distractions.
What I like about this practice is it allows us to be more present in whatever that we are doing
Having a long to-do list is pointless if it’s doesn’t align with your goals
By doing daily reflection, we are being mindful of the daily activities
And I like how he uses the term ‘unburdening your mind’ as part of a review process in bullet journaling
Because sometimes we create unnecessary burdens in our minds by setting unrealistic goals and expectations.
Our to-do lists are endless, creating an illusion that we are busy, achieving something.
By reviewing what we have done on a daily basis in the form of reflection, it gives us a sense of direction of where we are heading.
we indirectly become more productive because the action we took every day is intentional, directing us to the path that we want.
This is the missing puzzle in my bullet journal practise
He then continues,
“…take a moment to appreciate your progress. Acknowledge the simple ways in which you’ve won the day.
The PM Reflection can be a wonderful way to decompress before you sleep, relieving stress and anxiety through a sense of progress, preparedness, and purpose.”
Progress, preparedness, and purpose.
What a beautiful way to summarize what a bullet journal is all about
Now you can start your bullet journal daily spread or log complete with reviews to further boost your daily productivity.
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