Writing daily notes is one of those tasks that always feels like it takes more effort than it should. I even have time blocked out in my calendar—automatically scheduled, thanks to Reclaim—but I’m not always self-disciplined enough to do it. Every day, I see the reminder pop up, and every day, I wonder if Future Matt will really care. Turns out, he usually does.
When I do make time for it, I try to capture:
- What I planned to do
- What I actually got done
- Who I spoke to
- What I need to do next
As much as the process feels tedious, those notes become incredibly useful over time. Whether it’s reminding myself why I made a particular decision, who said what, or tracing back through the steps of a project, having a written record is invaluable. Daily notes help turn those fleeting memories into reliable reference points.
Working from home adds another layer to the value of daily notes. Without a commute to decompress and clear my head, writing notes serves as a way to mentally clock out. It helps me put things down for the night without worrying that I’ll forget something important by the next day.
I’ve tried skipping them, thinking it wouldn’t make much difference. But without fail, I always end up needing to recall something I’ve forgotten. The small frustration of taking the time to write is consistently outweighed by the convenience of having a record when I need it.
So while they might feel like an unnecessary task in the moment, daily notes are annoyingly worthwhile.