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At the bottom of the long list of time management tools is one of the most overlooked keys to success: the work diary. Countless CEOs, business owners, and other great minds have used this technique as a way to stay organized and keep tasks aligned. A work diary or journal can be a helpful way to track projects, stay on top of a busy schedule, and record performance details.
In addition to these useful applications, the act of journaling allows a business owner to focus on the project at hand, which boosts efficiency. Although the frenzy of owning a business can cause simple tools like this to become overlooked, the benefits of using this system are certainly worth the investment.
Benefits of Keeping A Work Diary
1. A work journal helps business owners stay organized
Gallup’s Lifestyle poll revealed that 48% of Americans don’t have time to do what they want to do, an issue that’s highlighted during the whirlwind of launching a business. Using a work journal is a definitive way to keep everything organized so an entrepreneur can feel more on top of their to-do list.
Here are some ways business owners use a work diary to improve their organization in both their personal and professional lives.
Calendars
Between client meetings, payment schedules, and due dates, keeping a calendar is a must for any business owner. Owners can experiment with year, month, week, and day calendar formats to see which best suits their specific needs.
Time Tracking
If someone feels that they aren’t accomplishing everything they need to in a day, they can use a time tracking tool to audit how they spend their time. But it’s essential that they’re as specific as possible; if they send emails for 45 minutes, write a blog post for 3 hours, and take a 32-minute coffee break, they’d need to precisely record each item. That way, when they look back, they can see exactly where their time went and how they can change their approach to daily tasks going forward.
Budget Tracking
One of the most crucial elements of managing a new business is honoring the budget. It’s possible for business owners to use a work diary or digital journal to track every expense to ensure that they are maximizing profit. This can also help during tax season when the owner is writing off business expenses.
2. A daily work journal helps with project management
As an entrepreneur gains clients and furthers their business, project management can become a balancing act. A work diary serves as a good starting point for managing a handful of clients. Excellent project management is crucial for small businesses. According to PMI’s 2018 Pulse of the Profession survey, 52% of projects in the prior year experienced scope creep, an undertaking that uses more resources than expected –– wasting time and money as a result.
3. A work diary helps with goal setting because it highlights wins
So often, a business owner acknowledges their day-to-day successes for a moment and then completely forgets them, while their failures and shortcomings stay too long. Social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister details the evolutionary reasons behind this idea in his article, Bad Is Stronger Than Good: humans are predisposed to focus on failure so they can evolve.
In business, however, it is equally important to celebrate success. Smart business owners start writing down their daily, monthly, and quarterly wins to help them see all of their positive experiences on paper. Maybe they’ll write down progress they’ve made towards new skills, celebrate new client acquisitions, or note all the tasks they’ve already completed. Those notes can be serious dopamine boosts, helping them stay motivated and set new goals to tackle even more.
4. A work journal helps a business owner identify mistakes
Mistakes (both small and large) are inevitable. Keeping track of them in a work diary can help an entrepreneur pick up on patterns early so that they can intervene before they become a bigger issue. As an authority on CEO & senior leader transition, Dan Chiampa claims:
“The point of keeping a journal is not efficiency but to reflect and slow things down so that learning is maximized.”
Taking a few seconds and writing down the details about what went wrong can help business owners identify the problem and learn how to fix it. Without reflecting on these issues, it’s easy to repeat these mistakes, even if they could easily be eliminated.
5. A work diary can help with business ideation
Ideas can come from everywhere and anywhere, whether an entrepreneur hears something motivational on the radio or finds inspiration in an everyday conversation. Having something close by to jot down ideas is useful for ideation. The benefits of having a “jot” journal have been realized by some of the biggest names in history. Aristotle Onassis, esteemed Greek shipping magnate (not the other Aristotle), once said:
“Always carry a notebook. Write everything down. When you have an idea, write it down. When you meet someone new, write down everything you know about them. That way you will know how much time they are worth. When you hear something interesting, write it down. Writing it down will make you act upon it. If you don’t write it down you will forget it. That is a million-dollar lesson they don’t teach you in business school!”
6. A work journal can provide stress relief
One of the most crippling issues for business owners is the stress and anxiety that comes with starting and running a business. In North America, anxiety has been cited as the most prevalent mental health issue. Globally, more than 260 million people suffer from anxiety disorders, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A daily journal, even if it’s for personal use and not business use, can help busy business owners record their thoughts and feelings, which is often quite therapeutic.
7. A work diary can foster personal growth for the business owner
As their company develops, a business owner also grows as a person. In addition to managing anxiety and stress, journaling can help someone practice gratitude, positivity, and mindfulness, which will help with personal growth. Josh Kalven, founder of Newsbound once said:
“[My startup journal] serves as an extension of my brain at a time when my mental faculties are loaded with stress and stimulation… It reminds me of the obstacles I’ve already cleared and gives me incentive to keep pushing forward. And it helps me regain the big picture when it gets obscured by all the day-to-day details.”
What type of work diary should a business owner get?
Digital vs. paper: the argument of the decade. There are pros and cons to both formats, but at the end of the day, the best format of a work diary is the one that is actually being used.
Mobile Diary
The majority of U.S. business owners have an internet-enabled phone they carry every day. In fact, a Pew Research Center survey found that 81% of U.S. adults have a smartphone. This makes creating and maintaining a mobile work diary more convenient than ever. A mobile diary is highly editable and has countless applications that make recording progress or taking notes easy.
One of the disadvantages of this diary format is that anything online is susceptible to being hacked. If a business owner keeps proprietary information in their diary, it’s essential to have it password-protected. Mobile diaries also require an internet connection, so business owners might need a mobile hotspot if they’re going to be writing things down while they’re away from cell towers.
Mobile work diaries might be best for business owners who are away from their desk for a large portion of the day. Having everything accessible in a mobile device can help an owner stay organized no matter where they go.
Manual Diary
Though digital work diaries are increasingly more convenient, there are advantages to having a manual work diary that a smartphone can’t replace. The simple act of writing down goals, meeting notes, and observations can help a person retain information better. A blank page also provides a much-needed break for the eyes, as the average adult spends 11 hours per day looking at a screen. Some people even find it easier to stay focused on important tasks like brainstorming when they’re looking at a physical page rather than a computer.
This type of journal can be used by any business owner, but it is particularly helpful for designers, writers, and other types of creatives who benefit from space for brainstorming and drafting ideas.
Printable Work Diary
Though there are many advantages to using a digital work diary, writing down personal reflections and goals can be a positive experience, even if an owner tracks everything else in their mobile device.
Whether a professional wants to create a manual work diary or just supplement their mobile planner, these printable journal pages can help business owners track daily and quarterly goals (and beyond) to keep the company on track.
Between earning new clients, balancing a budget, and managing paperwork, starting a business can be overwhelming. As the business grows, owners will probably discover the best tools for efficiency. Some methods will work, and some will be a waste of time. A work diary can be a great way for business owners to boost productivity, stay organized, and manage their schedule to make sure each day is a great day.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. For specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
