Dealing with deadlines, mastering the crafts of editing (at Encyclopedia Britannica) and consulting (at Institute for the Future), dealing with clients, and trying to fashion myself into someone who looked like a Productive Worker, didn’t leave a lot of time for reflection about why I was working the way I was.

I began to see my life as a problem to be solved with categorized to-do lists, a rigid calendar, and an absurd filing system.

I’ve chosen to write up the things I notice each week. And by keeping a digital note, I can open it on my phone, on the way to the office, or on my laptop, when I get to the office. That way, everything is kept in the order it happened. That’s just what works for me.

A to-do list can be a valuable tool. Writing down what needs doing can free your mind from having to remember. But a successful day is not determined by what we’ve left undone. It has to do with integrity, kindness and a sense of gratitude for what I have received. It has to do with the quality of my attention and the way I treated others. It has t