The running log of decisions, progress, and lessons. Each entry is dated and includes a receipt showing where the information came from.
When to write here: After making a decision. After learning something. After finishing a piece of work. After something fails.
When to promote to the Core: When an insight becomes a durable rule or principle that should guide future work.
Each day gets a heading. Entries are numbered starting at 1 for each new day.
## [Date]
### 1. [Short title]
**Type:** [What kind of entry — Decision, Progress, Lesson, Dead End, etc.]
**Status:** [Done, In Progress, Blocked, Abandoned, etc.]
**What happened**
[2-4 sentences. What did you do or decide? Why does it matter?]
**Details**
- [Specifics, if needed]
- [Keep it scannable]
**What's next**
- [Follow-up tasks or implications]
**Receipt:** [Who · Why · Source · Date · Model]
Adapt this format to what you need. Skip sections that don't apply. The only essential parts are: the date, what happened, and the receipt.
Use whatever labels make sense for your work. Some common ones:
- Decision — You chose a direction
- Progress — You finished something
- Lesson — You learned something worth remembering
- Dead end — You tried something that didn't work
- Signal — Something external happened (feedback, validation, opportunity)
- Pivot — You changed direction
- Setup — You configured or prepared something
(Newest entries at the top, or oldest at the top — pick one and stay consistent)
Type: [Type] Status: [Status]
What happened [Description]
Details
- [Detail 1]
- [Detail 2]
What's next
- [Next step]
Receipt: [Who · Why · Source · Date · Model]
Type: [Type] Status: [Status]
What happened [Description]
Receipt: [Who · Why · Source · Date · Model]
Keep logging. When an insight becomes a durable principle, promote it to the Core.