I’m not ashamed to say it: New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday. I like to have a set time to reflect, look forward, and get drunk with friends. The new year is also the time I’m most grateful for my habit of writing down every little thing. And I don’t just mean my thoughts and feelings in a journal. I’m talking about keeping track of every book I read, every mile I run, and every beer I drink (more or less). If you’re interested in documenting your life—and you should be—I recommend the humble spreadsheet.

Before you roll your eyes: No, I'm not talking about bullet journaling (which can be cool, but is too intimidating for me artistically). I simply create a Google Sheet full of color-coded tabs so that I can measure a year in all sorts of ways. From the most elaborate travel itineraries to exhaustive to-do lists, if you have a goal, your goal needs a spreadsheet. It's a fun, slightly nerdy technique that helps me visualize my life in a way that traditional journaling can't. Here's why I think you should start your own spreadsheet this year to track all the little things in your life.

I know that writing daily journal entries isn’t everyone’s “thing.” But journaling can be so much more than just jotting down a few sad feelings, and there are plenty of benefits to stepping out of your comfort zone and giving it a try. Journaling is a useful way to reduce stress, identify and solve problems, and generally clear your head.

Even if you’re not consciously trying to define or process your mental state, documenting your life can be a beautiful thing, whether it’s through tools like 1 Second Everyday videos, tracking your workouts, documenting your child’s life, or just capturing the passage of time (that annoying bastard). For me, the real value of these videos isn’t always the end product. It’s the fact that I’ve managed to find at least one meaningful moment to capture every single day for the past four years. And that’s the mindset I bring to my spreadsheet journal: adding a little meaning to the mundane.