I tried doing something similar with a text editor but grew tired switching screens or tabs.

I've found that using a text editor that supports code folding, and following a markup language that enables the text editor to automatically set fold points, helps navigate log entries more efficiently.

I also use a notebook to jot down tasks, but when a job requires a high number of different unrelated small tasks that are completed rather quickly I've found that a physical notebook actually makes the process very inefficient.