Many everyday decisions are too small for a formal document: which replacement part fitted, why a recurring reminder was moved, or which setting fixed an occasional problem. They are also exactly the decisions that become tedious when their context disappears.
I keep a single plain-text log for these moments. It is searchable, opens everywhere, and requires no decision about where a note belongs before I can write it.
Use a predictable shape Link to heading
Each entry has a date, a short subject, and no more context than I would need six months later:
2026-07-09 - Desk lamp
Replaced the 4000K bulb with 3000K. The warmer light is easier
in the evening; keep the brighter bulb for detailed work.
The format is deliberately unremarkable. Consistency makes searching more useful than categorization. Names, model numbers, and the reason for the choice matter more than complete sentences.
Record the reason, not just the result Link to heading
“Changed the setting to 30” is fragile because it omits the problem being solved. A useful entry says what changed, why, and what would cause me to reconsider it.
That last part prevents an old decision from becoming a rule. The log preserves context, not authority.
Review only when searching Link to heading
I do not schedule maintenance for this file. When a search reveals duplicate entries, I combine them. When an old decision is reversed, I append the newer result rather than rewriting history. The file stays useful because adding to it is easy, not because it is perfectly organized.