This is my little black notebook where, every morning or evening, I make a list for the day ahead of me. From my ordinary routine to the special projects and deadlines, it gets written in this notebook. (Not to mention recipes and organization ideas along the way!)

Before I started using it, I was constantly misplacing my to-do lists and felt a general lack of daily accomplishment. I’ve been using it nearly every day for over a year now, and it’s become a part of me. Hardly an inanimate object, the pages practically breathe with the constant writing and turning.

It’s so simple, but keeping daily checklists has helped me in many ways, such as:

1. Look at the things I want to do

2. List the things I need to do

3. Check off the things I actually get done

4. Realistically look at how much time I waste

5. Evaluate and prioritize my time for efficiency

It has become more than a place for check lists: It has shown me the brevity of a day, a year.

I also appreciate the lack of pre-printed dates and check boxes. There’s something tangibly wholesome about writing it all by hand, just the way I need to see it laid out. The one thing this book cannot do is use my time wisely for me. ; )

What are some ways that you use to manage your time? Do you keep a daily planner, or loose sheets of paper? What helps you stay on track?