3 simple steps to keep your daily log 📝

I’ve always needed to track what I do at work each day. There are tons of fancy productivity apps out there, but here’s the problem: most office computers won’t let you install whatever you want.

So I’m sharing a simple trick I’ve used for over a decade. It works on any Windows machine because it uses the basic Notepad app that’s already installed.

The 3-Step Setup

1. Create a new text file (call it something like dailyLog.txt)
2. Type .LOG (all caps) on the first line, then press Enter
3. Save and close the file

That’s it.

What Happens Next

Now every time you open that file, Notepad automatically adds the current date and time at the bottom and puts your cursor there. Ready for you to start typing what you did that day.

Why This Works

This hidden feature has been in Windows since Windows 98. I found out about it from an old MSDN blog post by Microsoft employee Derek Dysart back in 2006.

No special software needed. No admin permissions required. Just a simple text file that becomes your automatic daily journal.

Sometimes the best solutions are the ones that have been hiding in plain sight all along.