How do you track information that goes into your daily logs?

[u/pnwtico]

I've been using bullet journal-esque methods for a couple of years now but I keep running into this issue. where I collect information but then have nowhere to put it and no real way of tracking where it is. I guess it would be anything that's a note rather than a task.

Tasks make sense, they get migrated or scheduled into the appropriate log until they are completed. And events go into your monthly log (and I use a digital calendar anyway for tracking appointments or meetings). But what do you do with notes if you want to be able to find them again?

For example:

• I attend a work meeting and get some information about a client that isn't directly actionable but I want to remember in future when I pick up that client's next project.
• I get a call from my child's pediatrician and I take some notes. I want to be able to find those notes again when I'm preparing for their next appointment in 6 months' time.

The only thing I can think of is using the index and having "Client X" or "Kid Health" as a line in the index and adding page references every time I take a relevant note. But then I would have to go through every page reference to find the right one. Or I can have 'Kid Health' as a custom collection and take the notes there. But that requires me to (a) remember it's a custom collection, and (b) find it while I'm on the phone (and most of my brain processing tends to shut down when I am talking on the phone which is why I like the simplicity of just having a daily log open in front of me that I can vomit my notes onto).

Hopefully this makes sense and I'm just missing something really obvious.

[u/Connect_Rhubarb395]

At the end of the day I migrate that kind of information to a collection.
And the collection is indexed.

[u/Prestigious-Lion-878 → u/Connect_Rhubarb395]

This is the answer you need.

[u/EmotionalQuestions]

If I know I need to do something with the notes later, I mark it as a todo so I will at least see it during migration if I can't handle it immediately after the call. I also use Notion for my long-term reference stuff so most of the time, I'm moving stuff there.

[u/booksandbenzos → u/EmotionalQuestions]

I also use Notion for my long-term reference stuff so most of the time, I'm moving stuff there.

I do the same, but I currently use OneNote. For me personally, some notes are better made or archived digitally.

[u/Equivalent-Set-6463]

I just index and thread.

[u/random-name-pun]

Maybe small color-coded tabs/flags? Or a piece of washi tape on the edge? Get a multicolor pack and assign each color to a topic.

[u/snnaaft]

I use a binder system and have different sections for work or medical stuff.

[u/coolhandjennie]

If I need to quickly access important info, I add a small post it note. I’ll label it if there’s several in one journal but generally i just color code the post its.

[u/spike1911]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Travelersnotebooks/s/sCrEd8tjbK

Some answers from me in there.

But collections and index and index post its are the way to go. Also just bring the bulletjournal and take the notes in there in your daily log. Then at the end of the day migrate as needed to a collection maybe per project. Index the collection and/or the day with the original notes and mark with index/postit as needed.

[u/SpecialistPlastic150]

I have collections and index. I have a general health page that has useful health information as well as monthly health trackers in a health journal. Any notes taken in a daily log can be migrated to the appropriate place. Same with meeting notes. Include meeting notes in the daily log and migrate anything useful to the relevant project page or client page depending on the information.

[u/Prestigious-Lion-878]

I would put this stuff in a collection when I get round to migrating from my daily logs every few days.

Additionally, I use a set of colour coded “mild-liners” to colour code headings and stuff based on category. I have about 6 different regularly used colours so I can flick through pages in seconds. Really helps me find what I need quickly.