Whether it’s a daily fitness log, an all-purpose bullet journal, or a traditional “Dear Diary,” there’s no doubt that journaling is a fashionable habit these days.
Personally, I started journaling in 2013, having read about it on a self-help blog that I can’t now recall (maybe Tim Ferris?) and I haven’t missed a day since then.
When I tell my friends and colleagues about my journaling habit, they usually ask what the point is. Did I want to meet some goal, achieve some benefit, hit some benchmark? Ironically, I didn’t start journaling as a means to any kind of end - I just wanted to see where it would take me.
There are a lot of different approaches to journaling, and different things work well for different people. Over time, I’ve found a method that works perfectly for me. Here’s what I do.
Every Note in Evernote
As far as tools go, my journal is strictly digital. I use Evernote because it is basically perfect for journaling--I can access my journal from any device, so my laptop, phone, and iPad all become access points for journaling on the fly. Also, organizing my entries is simple and intuitive with Evernote, as is adding photo and video content.
Top of the Morning
I start every day with journaling. It’s the first thing I do. My process only takes about 5-10 minutes, so this isn’t a major time investment.
As far as what I actually write, it’s very factual. My journal is a place where I write about the previous day, period. Easy. It’s most often a bulleted list of the major things I did from when I woke up until the time I went to sleep (and, in fact, I make a point to include what time I went to sleep, and how many hours I got). Sure, I sprinkle in some commentary on how I felt about this or that, but it’s not the main focus.
A Typical 24 Hours
Here’s an example journal entry, to give you an idea of what I’m talking about here:
- Woke up at 6am
- Wrote in journal, checked emails, read my goal list
- Did Wim Hof breathing exercises, stretched
- Gym. Did elliptical machine for 45 minutes, listened to Sam Harris’s Nature of Human Nature podcast
- Came home, went over a few pages of Olivia’s homework with her, helped her get ready for school
- Dropped Olivia off at school, stopped by gas station afterward and grabbed lotto tickets, made some work calls
- Went to the office, worked on ABC project for 2 hrs, conference call with XYZ
Etcetera, etcetera. You get the idea!
Then, I’ll add two things that I’m grateful for - like going to the beach with the kids and finding the water crystal-clear (when it’s usually full of seaweed), or the amazing dinner that Diane made that evening.
Finally, I add the photos and videos I collected that day, along with the ones my wife sends via a shared digital album.
So What?
As I mentioned before, I started journaling without an expectation. I just wanted to see what the results would be, what benefits I (and my family) might get out of it. Now that I’ve been consistently journaling for seven entire years, I can definitely look back and see the point. In fact, I’ve identified six major benefits to keeping a journal like this.
1. Master the Plans!
Starting each day by journaling about the day before is almost meditative. Almost like the Morning Pages that many writers do, helps to get me into a flow state. From there, creatively and proactively planning the day that lies before me is much easier and more fulfilling. There’s a sense of continuity that it brings, which helps to solidify my purpose and give more depth to the plans I make for the future.
2. Forward, Not Sideways
Reflecting on the previous day before I get too far into the current day helps me to understand where I am. Did I make progress yesterday, or did I get caught up in a lot of tasks and activities that propelled me sideways, rather than ahead? By starting off with factual, practical journaling, I can adjust my course, think about my goals, and consciously choose to focus on big opportunities instead of big problems.
3. Do What Feels Good
Sometimes I’ll journal about the previous day that went really well, and honestly, that is incredibly motivating. Looking back on a day in which I did some big things, accomplished a lot, or just had a great time with my family feels great - and that feeling can carry me through the whole day feeling refreshed and optimistic.
4. Attitude Adjustment
Of course, a great thing about keeping a journal for an extended amount of time is that you can look back over it now and then. Every so often, I’ll read through some random entries from weeks, months, or even years ago. Seeing what has changed over time can be enlightening, sobering, and fascinating. I’ll notice that things I thought were so important now seem insignificant. People I thought were so important aren’t even around anymore - or maybe a stronger bond has developed when I had not expected that. I can see how I’ve developed or slacked on certain habits, good and bad. This kind of insight can be not only interesting, but transformative.
5. Take It Easy
As I get older, time flies - and apparently there’s a scientific reason for that. Between focusing on my business, my health, my relationships and family, and especially, now that I’m a father, my two young kids - basically my days are full from the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep. Really, the only time I have to reflect is during my morning journaling time. And that time has become invaluable to me. By journaling, I can purposely slow down, take it all in, and appreciate my life in real-time.
6. Leave It All Behind
Another inspiring facet of journaling is that hopefully, by the end of my life, I’ll have a little over half-a-lifetime’s worth of journal entries with photos and videos attached! I can’t imagine what an invaluable gift that could be to my kids, grandkids, and so on. If there were some way I could access a journal belonging to my own parents or grandparents, I would read it cover-to-cover. Learning more about family is just compelling, especially if you can find out more about who they really were, sides of them you didn’t know, experiences and motivations that were personal and genuine.
All in all, I may have begun journaling without expectations or goals, but after practicing the discipline consistently for these last 7 years, journaling has become key to achieving my goals and exceeding my expectations. It helps to ground, inspire, and motivate me. It gives me much-needed time and space for reflection and regrouping. And hopefully, the collection of memories that is accruing in the pages of my journal will entertain and uplift the people I care about the most.
Not too shabby, for ten minutes a day.
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