When writing a novel:
You (meaning me, I guess) can’t just plow along putting down words all the time (though I do love seeing that word count climb).

Sometimes you have to stop and take stock. Look at Big Picture stuff. If the words on the page are the trees of your manuscript, then here’s how you (I) look at the forest:

Chapter list, including:

            word counts

            chapter titles (if any)

            a one- or two-phrase summary of each chapter

            POV used (if it changes)

            maybe a note of which characters are in each chapter

            Clearly identifiable turning points (I like to first one to be about ¼-1/3 of the way through the ms, and if I predict I’ll need 50,000 words to tell this story, this should happen at about the 12,000-15,000 word mark.)

When I do this, I can see at a glance how my story is structured, and if it’s balanced. I think novels need a certain amount of balance, even if it’s not perfect.

Character list:

            Who’s who: full names, nicknames, spelling, etc.

            Who’d related to whom, and how

            Their ages

            Where they live
(Note: I do NOT describe what they look like, or what they're carrying in their pockets, or what their greatest fears and happiness are -- UNLESS it has a direct bearing on the story. That's just the way I do it.)
 

Map:

            A map of each setting in the book, for my own use so I remember and can describe things correctly each time.

Photos:

            Some authors collect photos of people, to help them envision their characters. I don’t do that (see above), but I do like to collect photos of the setting, or of objects significant to the story; it helps me describe my story world, and sets a mood for me that I hope I can relay in the book.

And these are all necessary diversions from putting words on the page. But then it’s back to words on the page.