Why I journal

Heighten your awareness, remember your life

Ferris Bueller once said:

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

I started journaling in 2016 and my only regret is that I didn’t start earlier.

If we don’t spend time thinking about how we want our lives to turn out, then we are no more than animals - eating, sleeping, working, and procreating.

When I had a 45-minute commute to work, I began listening to the Tim Ferriss podcast. The common theme among his guests was a regular journaling practice.

This set the wheels in motion for me.

After hearing all the benefits, I figured I should give it a shot.

Here we are 7 years later. I’ve made journaling one of my non-negotiables.

Charles Duhigg refers to this as a keystone habit, a habit that leads to a cascade of other actions because of it.

I miss some days, depending on life circumstances, but overall it’s been a consistent practice and something I look forward to every day.

Here are some of the reasons I choose to journal:

• It helps me gain clarity and perspective on my goals

• It helps me clear the clutter that clogs my brain and keeps me from being creative

• It helps me better understand the things I’m learning

• It helps me track my personal growth and development

• It helps me spot patterns and identify areas for improvement

• It helps me remember moments that would otherwise be forgotten

• It’s the closest we can get to time travel

The last point about time travel is one of the most profound benefits. I regularly go back and revisit what my life was like 1 year ago, 3 years ago, 5 years ago.¹

It takes me back to that exact moment and all the feelings associated with it.

One small detail can bring back an entire day's worth of memories.

Over time, the pages of your journal become a portal that transports you from the here and now to multiple snapshots of your internal world.

Getting started

When I first started journaling, my entries looked much different than they do now.

Your practice will evolve over time and that’s perfectly normal.

In the beginning, you might feel like you don’t know what to write about. The best way to get started is simply brain-dumping whatever comes to mind.

Here’s an example from one of my first entries in 2016, it’s short and simple:

I expressed gratitude, made a note about the friends I spoke to, wrote about something I learned, and then about how I was feeling with regard to my goals.

What benefit could this possibly have?

Austin Kleon

has a response that sums it up perfectly:

“I keep a diary for many reasons, but the main one is: It helps me pay attention to my life. By sitting down and writing about my life, I pay attention to it, I honor it, and when I’ve written about it long enough, I have a record of my days. I can then go back and pay attention to what I pay attention to, discover my own patterns, and know myself better. It helps me fall in love with my life.”

If brain dumping is too broad, then start by using some of these journaling prompts:

• How am I feeling?

• Is anything worrying me? If so, what?

• What habits or practices boost my mood?

• How do I want to feel today?

• What did I learn today?

• Is there anything I would like to start doing?

• Is anything affecting my confidence? How can I increase it?

Handwritten vs. Digital

There is a never-ending debate on whether to journal by hand or digitally.

Some people prefer to write by hand, which is okay, but not as easily searchable.

I lean towards digital because it's accessible on both my phone and laptop instead of dozens of notebooks collecting dust on a shelf. I also love how easily I can sift through my memories and carry them with me everywhere.

I personally like Evernote, it’s what I’ve used since 2016 and has served me well.

While writing this article, I was able to go back and pluck memories out with ease.

For years I dreamed of moving to Barcelona and making a living online without having to commute to an office every day. I can proudly say I’ve accomplished that dream and I know for a fact that my journaling practice played a pivotal role.

Here’s an excerpt from January 2017 (two years before I actually made the move). All I had to do was jump into Evernote, type in “Barcelona”, and filter by date:

Reading this entry 6 years later, knowing that I accomplished what I set out to do, brings me endless amounts of joy and gratitude.

Recently I’ve started playing around with Airtable as an alternative. This is better designed to help track your habits and make decisions based on data, not emotions.

If you prefer to write by hand, then the Remarkable is a good alternative.

You’ll still get the feeling of writing by hand but you can turn everything digital for easy searchability later down the road.

With time and experience, you’ll find what works best for you and adapt accordingly.

Whether you choose handwritten or digital, the important thing is to just start.

I can’t say for sure whether or not it will help you achieve your goals.

What I do know is that if you stay consistent, at the very least, you will have a record of the most notable (and often hilarious) ups and downs along the way.

Until next time my friends :)

1. This is something I picked up from Penn Jillett on the Tim Ferriss Podcast:

I believe this is the part that may be the most useful, obviously not when I started, but since then, every morning I read 20 years ago, 10 years ago, and one year ago. Now those numbers for how long ago have, of course, changed. It used to be five, but I find that may be the most useful part of my journaling because I time travel. So every morning I talk to myself 20 years ago, I talk to myself 10 years ago, and I talk to myself last year. And I read that entry and I will tell you, back when I was dating, if you were a sexual partner of mine and you happen to have the exact same argument one year ago that you had that day, I can tell you right now it was over. Because if I look back and see the same problem in 2010 or one year ago, attention must be paid.