Usually start with the page of Sky Atlas 2000 that is in a good observing position. Sometime I will get out my hard copy edition of NGC 2000 and look up the NGC objects on that page of the atlas. Occasionally, I will get out Hartungs or use a list (e.g. print out the top 100 globular clusters or some other object type and check if there are any left I haven't seen).
Mostly it's just me in the dark with a red torch and an atlas making it up as I go. I do have a good memory though, so if others are there I will usually do 30-40 objects for memory with the dob (by which time they are cold and had enough).
