diff --git a/internal/daylog/daylog.go b/internal/daylog/daylog.go
index 6ec9540..313afbf 100644
--- a/internal/daylog/daylog.go
+++ b/internal/daylog/daylog.go
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ func (d *DayLog) Edit() error {
 }
 
 func (d *DayLog) Show(format string) (string, error) {
+	if err := createIfMissing(d); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
 	contents, err := editor.Read(d.Path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -141,17 +145,46 @@ func createIfMissing(d *DayLog) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	file, err := os.Create(d.Path)
+	f, err := os.Create(d.Path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer file.Close()
+	defer f.Close()
 
 	year, month, day := d.Date.Year(), int(d.Date.Month()), d.Date.Day()
 	header := fmt.Sprintf("# %d/%02d/%02d\n\n", year, month, day)
-	if _, err := file.WriteString(header); err != nil {
+	if _, err := f.WriteString(header); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if todos := carryOverTodos(d.ProjectPath, *d.Date); len(todos) > 0 {
+		_, err = f.WriteString(strings.Join(todos, "\n") + "\n")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
+
+// carryOverTodos reads the log before `before` and returns any lines starting with "- TODO:".
+func carryOverTodos(projectPath string, before time.Time) []string {
+	prev, err := file.PreviousLog(projectPath, file.NewLogProvider(), before)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	prevPath := filepath.Join(projectPath, prev, "log.md")
+	content, err := os.ReadFile(prevPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	var todos []string
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(content), "\n") {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "- TODO:") {
+			todos = append(todos, line)
+		}
+	}
+	return todos
+}
diff --git a/internal/daylog/daylog_test.go b/internal/daylog/daylog_test.go
index e8f421a..722b410 100644
--- a/internal/daylog/daylog_test.go
+++ b/internal/daylog/daylog_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,19 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+// writePrevLog creates a log file for the given date under projectPath.
+func writePrevLog(t *testing.T, projectPath, dateDir, content string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	dir := filepath.Join(projectPath, dateDir)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("creating prev log dir: %v", err)
+	}
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "log.md")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(content), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("writing prev log: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func testDayLog(t *testing.T) *DayLog {
 	t.Helper()
 	dir := t.TempDir()
@@ -90,6 +103,54 @@ func TestAppend(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCarryOverTodos(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		prevContent  string
+		expectedFile string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "no todos in previous log",
+			prevContent:  "# 2025/12/01\n\ndid some work\n",
+			expectedFile: "# 2025/12/02\n\n",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "todos are copied to new log",
+			prevContent:  "# 2025/12/01\n\n- TODO: write tests\n- TODO: fix bug\n- done thing\n",
+			expectedFile: "# 2025/12/02\n\n- TODO: write tests\n- TODO: fix bug\n",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "only lines starting with - TODO: are copied",
+			prevContent:  "# 2025/12/01\n\n- TODO: write tests\nthinking about TODOs\n  - TODO: indented note\n- did a TODO\n",
+			expectedFile: "# 2025/12/02\n\n- TODO: write tests\n",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "no previous log",
+			prevContent:  "",
+			expectedFile: "# 2025/12/02\n\n",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			dl := testDayLog(t)
+
+			if tt.prevContent != "" {
+				writePrevLog(t, dl.ProjectPath, "2025/12/01", tt.prevContent)
+			}
+
+			if err := createIfMissing(dl); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("createIfMissing() error = %v", err)
+			}
+
+			got := readFile(t, dl.Path)
+			if got != tt.expectedFile {
+				t.Errorf("file contents =\n%q\nwant\n%q", got, tt.expectedFile)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func strPtr(s string) *string { return &s }
 
 func TestProjectPathAt(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/internal/file/file.go b/internal/file/file.go
index a73c8e1..3d4ce12 100644
--- a/internal/file/file.go
+++ b/internal/file/file.go
@@ -68,15 +68,15 @@ func (LogProvider) GetLogs(projectPath string) ([]string, error) {
 	return validFiles, nil
 }
 
-func PreviousLog(path string, provider FileLogProvider, now time.Time) (string, error) {
+func PreviousLog(path string, provider FileLogProvider, before time.Time) (string, error) {
 	// get all the logs
 	logs, err := provider.GetLogs(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	// find the most recent existing log before today
-	prev, exists := findPreviousLog(logs, now)
+	// find the most recent existing log before the given date
+	prev, exists := findPreviousLog(logs, before)
 	if !exists {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("no previous log found")
 	}
@@ -102,15 +102,13 @@ func convertLogToDisplayName(log string) string {
 	return path.Join(split[0], split[1], split[2])
 }
 
-// logs is the list of keys of all logs. each log is YYYY/MM/DD, which the most recent date at index 0
-func findPreviousLog(logs []string, now time.Time) (string, bool) {
-	today := now.Format("2006/01/02")
-
+// logs is the list of keys of all logs. each log is YYYY/MM/DD, with the most recent date at index 0
+func findPreviousLog(logs []string, before time.Time) (string, bool) {
+	// Compare dates only so time-of-day doesn't affect the result
+	beforeDate := time.Date(before.Year(), before.Month(), before.Day(), 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	for _, log := range logs {
-		if _, err := time.Parse("2006/01/02", log); err != nil {
-			continue
-		}
-		if log < today {
+		l, err := time.Parse("2006/01/02", log)
+		if err == nil && l.Before(beforeDate) {
 			return log, true
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/file/file_test.go b/internal/file/file_test.go
index b48a7c4..2fc4cef 100644
--- a/internal/file/file_test.go
+++ b/internal/file/file_test.go
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func TestConvertLogToDisplayName(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestPreviousLog(t *testing.T) {
-	now := time.Date(2025, 12, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	before := time.Date(2025, 12, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		name     string
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func TestPreviousLog(t *testing.T) {
 			logs: tt.logs,
 		}
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			prev, err := PreviousLog("mock/path", provider, now)
+			prev, err := PreviousLog("mock/path", provider, before)
 			if err != nil && err.Error() != tt.err.Error() {
 				t.Errorf("findPreviousLog(%v) = found: %v, want: %v", tt.logs, err, tt.err)
 			}
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func TestPreviousLog_PropagatesProviderError(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestFindPreviousLog(t *testing.T) {
-	now := time.Date(2025, 12, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	before := time.Date(2025, 12, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		name     string
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func TestFindPreviousLog(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			prev, found := findPreviousLog(tt.logs, now)
+			prev, found := findPreviousLog(tt.logs, before)
 			if found != tt.found {
 				t.Errorf("findPreviousLog(%v) = found: %v, want: %v", tt.logs, found, tt.found)
 			}