I Journal

I’m one of those weirdos that likes to journal. It’s like talking to yourself in print form. Which is good because talking yourself verbally makes you look insane.

I hadn’t realized just how long I’ve been journalling for. I started in 2011! I was still in my first marriage and was working as a Manager for Apple Retail. It feels like a lifetime ago (I’m old).

My Journalling Workflow

I’ve tried using paper and pen/pencil numerous times but I keep coming back to digital. I mainly write on my iPad Pro and use the Day One app. I’ve been using it since the app icon looked like this:

Day One

Journalling digitally is very convenient since it syncs across all of my devices. I have Day One on my Mac, iPad Pro, and iPhone. I almost always have at least one of the devices on me at all times. Journalling this way also allows you attach different things to your posts. Things like photos, geotags, or even what music you’re currently listening to. You can also tag your posts which makes it incredibly easy to search or stuff from the past.

Why Journal?

I don’t know? Decide for yourself, I’m not the boss of you.

I can tell you why I do it. Change.

“Ask yourself honestly: are you looking for a steady, predictable life? Is this what you want? If so, you must realize that the world cannot offer you this. Everything in the world is in the process of change. Nothing is steady. Nothing is predictable. Nothing will give you anything other than temporary security. Thoughts come and go. Relationships begin and end. Bodies are born and pass away. This is all the world can offer you: impermanence, growth, change.”
— Paul Ferrini

It’s cliche but it’s true, the only constant in life is change. For me journalling has two main benefits.

  1. A way to look back and discover just how much I’ve grown over the years.
  2. A way to look back and discover just how much I’ve stayed the same.

It’s a way to track my progress and a way to discover patterns in my behaviour. We all have blind spots and journalling can be a great way to shed light on them. Having said that if you don’t like feeling cringe maybe never look back at old entries. Some aspects of past me were rough! It’s humbling to look at parts of your past through the lens of the present.