5 Reasons to Keep a Business Diary

Chances are, we all know someone who writes in a diary every day. Before you dismiss the idea, why not consider using one for work? With the working day often flying past us, it can be difficult to remember what you actually accomplished while you were working. A business diary doesn’t have to be a form of release after a tough day, but it might help you see your hard-working hours differently.

Here are 5 reasons why you should keep a business diary:

1. To remember what happened during that busy shift. While it’s fresh in your mind, you can write down the key parts of your day. Who knows, that information might jog your memory when it comes to an important business meeting or interview if you have a collection of examples of teamwork or leadership fresh in your mind. It could also act as a learning curve if things didn’t quite go as planned.

1. Organisation. With all of your daily tasks crammed into your brain, or scribbled on countless pieces of paper which keep getting lost, you might find yourself easily confused as to what’s been done and what still needs doing. By writing a clear checklist of tasks and ticking them off as you go, you can keep track of your progress, and it’s all in one place. If you did things that weren’t on the list, you can add them, too, and review your productivity for the day.

1. To remember the mistakes. The last thing we want to remember is how we did something wrong and made mistakes, but sometimes the tough love of writing down what we did wrong is the only way we can minimise the chance of it happening again. It doesn’t have to be tidy, nor completely positive – but it might give you a fresh perspective on the situation that made you angry at the time.

1. To reflect. That day you thought was unproductive, riddled with mistakes and unforgettably embarrassing might not actually have been as bad as you remember. By writing in your work diary, you can sit back, breathe, and reflect on your own personal growth. It’s your place to be brutally honest with yourself, but it might also inspire you to be a little kinder to yourself, too.

1. A way of unpacking everything that’s in your head. By writing down our thoughts and ranting to ourselves on paper, it can lower anxiety and make us feel better. Sometimes, writing everything down – no matter how messy or bad it might look or read – helps put everything back into perspective, and acts as a way to release any negativity that we might be feeling. When you’re in your own head-space, revisiting each day, you might be surprised how much you have to get down once your pen hits that paper – and you’ll most likely be glad that you took the time to get it all out.

A business diary can be a multipurpose essential to everyone’s busy lives. From keeping organised to evaluating your growth, a work diary can help you break down your days, and reflect on your own personal journey.

Here at Penstripe we offer personalised business diaries, with the chance to make them bespoke. Your diary doesn’t have to be dull and uninviting – in fact, a personalised diary that speaks to you will make you more likely to want to write in it. If it features something unique to you, or you decide to draw alongside each entry to make it controlled chaos, you might find that you enjoy every visit to that little book.