What is a decision log?
A decision log is memory for a group. It answers why is this like this, months later, when the people who decided have forgotten the constraints that made it obvious at the time.
What matters here
- One entry per real decision
- The reason, not just the outcome
- The alternatives considered
- A date and who was involved
- Reviewed when the context changes
What counts as a decision
Anything expensive to reverse, or anything that will be questioned later. Naming a variable does not need an entry. Choosing a database does.
The useful fields
The decision, the reasoning, the options rejected and the expected consequence. The rejected options are the part that prevents the same conversation in six months.
Keeping it alive
A log nobody reads is a diary. Linking entries from the work they affect, and reviewing them when a related decision comes up, is what makes it a tool.
Frequently asked questions
Keep reading
- Prysm Note for budgetingA monthly budget you will actually review: fixed costs as recurring tasks, spending in a ledger, and one review session that takes fifteen minutes.
- Prysm Note for lecture notesLecture notes that are usable a month later: one note per session, questions captured live, and a review task before the next class.
- Browser bookmarks as a reading listBookmarks are a place links go to be forgotten. A reading list needs a reason, a queue and a habit of removing what you will never read.
Turn talk into a plan
Capture a thought in plain language and let Prysm Note shape it into tasks and a timeline.
Disclaimer
This page is general information, not professional, legal, financial or medical advice. It describes common ways of working and how Prysm Note approaches them. Software changes over time, so details may differ from what you see in the product. Any product, company or brand names that appear are the property of their respective owners and are used only for identification. We do not claim any endorsement or affiliation. Where we compare approaches, we aim to describe each one honestly, including where a different approach may suit you better. Try the tools that matter to you and judge for yourself.