Job Journal AKA "What Happened?"
The job is juggle of business at hand and taking care of personal business
I try to write a job journal. It is a good idea to have record of what is accomplished daily. The trouble is, I keep wanting to meander into my own inner life, the life of the building and the life that folks bring with them to work. To do it all justice is time consuming.
An idea might be to stop policing my content and become more economical about how I enter information. Perhaps l’ll do better to think of the written log as a device to spark memory rather than a standalone story.
What tools do you employ to log your work and personal life?
This post is dedicated to jb’s lost book of thoughts and ideas.
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On most of my larger projects (esp. when we never see the homeowners, but they are still living there), we leave a legal pad in a central place. We list what was done, questions for them, and any special notes (i.e. don’t step on the tiles) & encourage the homeowners to leave any questions, concerns, etc… on it.
On projects involving an addition or extensive outdoor work, we utilize a job log book (in addition to, or by itself) where we record the weather, deliveries, other trades on site, etc…
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Dear Diary,
I’ve always carried a planner in my truck, and as I leave each job I write lots of notes on what is happening. It’s been a journal used to “spark memory” dozens of times. Also, in case the IRS is watching us, it doubles as a mileage record.I tried to use my smart phone, but it’s just not the same for me.
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If you’re working for anyone but yourself, I think the written notes are excellent, especially in case some disgruntled person decides to sue you. The note by Sean about recording the weather is especially relevant in case the client says you were too slow on something – maybe there was a severe storm that day. And JB, your day planner isn’t lost; it’s in hiding.
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Wow…that is a great idea! I really should write in my journal more. But, the idea of having a log of what got done and didn’t sounds great. And, I think the personal stuff is important and has it’s place too.
RIP JB’s Black Book :(