Start with what matters
Your diary does not need to hold a perfect version of your life. Give it the jobs that make your days easier, and leave room for everything else.
1. Choose a few priorities
Write down what you want to get done today or this week. Keep the list realistic. Crossing something off is useful; making an impossible list is less so.
2. Keep one useful list
Put your tasks in one place and mark the ones that matter most. Move unfinished items forward when you need to.
3. Notice your habits
Use a small mark to track a habit you want to keep, whether that is a walk, a little reading or an earlier night. Look for a pattern over time.
4. Leave a note for yourself
At the end of the day, write down something that worked, something to remember or something you would do differently.
5. Put the good bits in
Dinner with friends, a weekend away or time to do very little. Plans do not all have to be productive.