I hit a wall the first time I sat in my car for 2.5 hours outside a strip mall, trying to verify a basic timeline without bothering anyone. After about 90 minutes I was sure a silver SUV had looped twice — then my notes didn’t back me up. Everyone says “document everything,” but that’s not a plan. This is in Jump into Private Investigation: I’m sharing a beginner routine that keeps me legal and accurate. I set a 15-minute timer and, every chime, I write exactly 3 lines in a pocket notebook: time stamp, one concrete sighting (e.g., 7:45, red cap exits east door), and my position (Row C by the cart return). It’s low-tech, steady, and it curbs hindsight bias. Watch-out: stay on public property, skip photos where signs forbid them, and don’t chase patterns — you’ll miss the gray sedan while hunting a blue one. If you think 15 minutes is overkill, what’s your cadence?