The attraction of paper notebooks is undeniable. Anyone who has ever made notes in coffee-stained margins understands what I mean. Let’s not mislead ourselves, though: a scribble cannot save the photos you took on Monday’s site visit or remind you before a meeting, can it? At this point, electronic work diaries are useful since they type loudly and guarantee that you won’t ever lose a Post-it note again. electronic work diary

Let’s discuss disorder. Anybody can lose their mind juggling a dozen meetings, unexpected office birthdays, project deadlines, and that one report that keeps turning into Hydra. When electronic work diaries enter this carnival, they begin to juggle effortlessly. Is Tuesday a busy day? The journal conveys a message. Have you postponed a chore from the previous week? Until you take action, it will continue to stare at you. I prefer to believe that my journal just cares, yet some could consider this to be bothersome. It serves as your virtual companion, keeping you on course and preventing you from eating your snacks.

Make the picture more captivating. What are you saying? Naturally. However, how about including a photo of the unruly brainstorming session on the whiteboard? Or a secret audio message since you couldn’t type down a brilliant idea you had on the way to work? For electronic work diaries, all of this is fantastic. Imagine how convenient it would be to type “client feedback” and instantly receive your boss’s lengthy remarks rather than having to go through your desk drawers.

When people collaborate, things become interesting. Remember Bob? Every time, he “didn’t see the email.” You can’t get away with sharing a digital journal. Any changes you make to tasks are visible to the entire team. No more losing notes or assigning blame. Even the office ghost could not claim they had nothing to do with it.

Remember that security is a constant worry. Losing sensitive information is as uncommon as finding a unicorn in a hardware store when passwords, backups, and encrypted entries are in place. Whether or if you left password-containing sticky notes on your screen is no longer a concern.

Consider how life changes throughout time. Making the transition from paper to screens involves more than just following trends. It’s a conscious move in the direction of productivity and sanity. One that keeps you from getting overly agitated, lets you see your deadlines, and helps you keep your thoughts straight. Is it flawless? Not at all. Looking through dog-eared journals at midnight—is that a huge step up? Of course.

To sum up, switching to an electronic work journal may help you experience less stress and more “aha!” moments. Give it a try; you may be surprised at how fast your task is completed (and your messy desk will be happy).