I’ve attempted many times to keep up with a journal or diary but have failed. Usually at the beginning of a new year, I’ll pick up journaling again. But within a few weeks my writing dwindles and my journal just sits around my house, in my bag, or on my phone and receives no love from me.
It’s not that there isn’t anything worth writing. There’s plenty to write about! For example this year my wife and I, welcomed our first child into our family. He’s 10 months old now and has gone through so many developmental milestones. I’ve captured some moments in pictures and videos on my phone and some are entries in Day One, but I’m sure there were so many other things I could’ve captured.
Journaling is kind of a daunting task because I try to recall the thoughts and events that happen during a single day and then try to regurgitate it on paper or in a document. This task is tough because thoughts race in my head all day and I will most likely miss many details. Not only is recall tough but carving out time in my day to dedicate to journaling is becoming harder and harder.
The other day, I came across an article featuring Mike Rohdes on, Tools and Toys. The focus of the article was the various gear Mike carries around with him daily. In the photos accompanying the article, there’s this bright yellow Moleskine notebook — I carry around a black one with blank pages. I’m kind of a gear geek so when I saw he uses a Moleskine notebook as well I was interested in knowing what he captures in it.
It turns out Mike has been using his notebook as a daily logbook. Reading in detail some of the benefits he’s found in keeping a daily logbook, I’m intrigued to give daily logging a shot.
My logbook is a living document. I add to it as the day progresses, rather than trying to recall past activities and thoughts at the end of the day, in narrative form. I’ve shifted to capturing atomic bits of the day as they happen, rather than working to create a narrative of the day from memory.
I’ll be converting an old Moleskine notebook that I’ve had for the past 3 years, that I haven’t been able to successfully fill up. I’m hoping daily logging will take care of that problem quickly.
