I Started Journaling (2019)(herman.bearblog.dev)
herman.bearblog.dev
I Started Journaling (2019)
https://herman.bearblog.dev/why-i-journal/
38 comments
Do you find value in going back to read what you’ve journaled previously, or is the value mostly in the act of writing it down?
I love the Bear design and interface and curious about using it! Is dark mode available, or custom color schemes/fonts?
Have you noticed any memory improvement or other changes?
EDIT: I should read the article, before commenting :)
EDIT: I should read the article, before commenting :)
I've always journaled though only electronically, in markdown, saved into a private git repo. Many journaling proponents insist that this only works if it's hand written but I disagree. I get the same carthasis effect at the end of my writing, and the benefit is that it's actually legible compared to whatever squiggly lines my poor excuse of handwriting is.
And most importantly, because it's electronic, I can go back and easily find how many times I've written on the same subject with a simple grep command. That tells me that this topic is important and I need to take action on it. Hard to do that with a paper journal.
And most importantly, because it's electronic, I can go back and easily find how many times I've written on the same subject with a simple grep command. That tells me that this topic is important and I need to take action on it. Hard to do that with a paper journal.
I go back and forth between digital and hand-written. Hand-written seems more thoughtful and I can more easily include diagrams (a lot of my journals are about game designs and how the game rules have been altered between playtests, so diagrams help illustrate the game there), but it just takes so damn long to write and my hand often cramped up.
There'd be days I'd be writing for 90 minutes straight, the same amount of text I could type in probably a third of that time. I also eventually like to transcribe the handwritten to digital as well, so I'm typing it eventually anyway.
Pandemic really fucked with the habit though, and so far I haven't been able to get back into the groove again. Maybe switching to handwritten again will help.
Here are my stats by year: 2016(Hand):9K, 2017(Hand):47k, 2018(Hand):>9k (not all transcribed), 2019(Digital):123k, 2020(Digital):47k, 2021(Digital):11k, 2022(Digital):7.5k
There'd be days I'd be writing for 90 minutes straight, the same amount of text I could type in probably a third of that time. I also eventually like to transcribe the handwritten to digital as well, so I'm typing it eventually anyway.
Pandemic really fucked with the habit though, and so far I haven't been able to get back into the groove again. Maybe switching to handwritten again will help.
Here are my stats by year: 2016(Hand):9K, 2017(Hand):47k, 2018(Hand):>9k (not all transcribed), 2019(Digital):123k, 2020(Digital):47k, 2021(Digital):11k, 2022(Digital):7.5k
An iPad can work as a digital journal pretty well. With the Pencil you can handwrite on the days you want to handwrite and you can sketch. The days you want to type, you can do that as well. You can also paste in images, videos, sound recordings, or just about anything.
Yup. Switched to the iPad Mini just for that 2nd gen pencil support.
My usual preferences are digital-first; I'm quicker at it, and my writing is abysmal. I have started carrying a notebook in my backpack, because sometimes typing is just not convenient. I don't want to sit in some settings, poking at my phone, as it is both inefficient and anti-social in ways that scribbling in a note book isn't perceived to be.
It's all pretty new to me, but I think the paper supplement to text interfaces works where it gets transcribed in some form later. The paper can be disposed of, I won't be keeping that once it's served its purpose.
It's all pretty new to me, but I think the paper supplement to text interfaces works where it gets transcribed in some form later. The paper can be disposed of, I won't be keeping that once it's served its purpose.
I think its absolutely fine to switch up mediums. Sometimes I think we get a bit caught up with the mentality of 'this is the way', but when it comes to thoughts getting them out however you can is what you need to.
+1
+1
That's interesting. I mostly had the opposite experience.
I tried journaling electronically many times over the years, from basic text files with zero format, to markdown files... even a private Tumblr blog. I couldn't make any of them work for more than a couple of weeks.
The electronic thing just kinda disappeared from my vision.
I started a bullet journal about 12 months ago, and it's the first thing I've ever managed to use consistently for journaling. Partly because of the very short-form bullet points that a day of journaling is made up of, but the act of hand writing the entries and having a physical journal was the magic for me.
I tried journaling electronically many times over the years, from basic text files with zero format, to markdown files... even a private Tumblr blog. I couldn't make any of them work for more than a couple of weeks.
The electronic thing just kinda disappeared from my vision.
I started a bullet journal about 12 months ago, and it's the first thing I've ever managed to use consistently for journaling. Partly because of the very short-form bullet points that a day of journaling is made up of, but the act of hand writing the entries and having a physical journal was the magic for me.
The biggest draw back of physical journals is your hand hurting after writing too much.
It's easier to get ergonomic keyboards and chairs compared to writing gear.
It's easier to get ergonomic keyboards and chairs compared to writing gear.
If your hand hurts after writing with a pen you're probably holding it wrong. There are a lot of complex biomechanics going on and very little attention is paid to building proper form any more. Proper form costs nothing beyond a little of your time training yourself out of whatever bad form you happen to have adopted.
The most common reason for your hand hurting after an extended writing session is a death grip on the writing tool; ideally you should be holding it just hard enough to put it where you want. Someone should be able to lean over your shoulder and snatch the tool from your hand with little resistance.
Also very common is putting weight on your wrist. Your whole arm should be a little bit active, carrying your hand around the page as you write or draw. Ideally your wrist is completely stiff; this does little for control, but it helps lower the chances of the tendons that control your fingers rubbing up against the bones of your wrist and deteriorating. You could get a wrist brace to help you practice this.
If you want more of this stuff you will find it in vintage "penmanship manuals", from the days when the most convenient method of writing was a fountain pen. I largely got it by word of mouth when I was working in animation next to old pros who routinely passed on their secrets of proper form as a way to help the new kids avoid career-ending wrist injuries from bad form.
The most common reason for your hand hurting after an extended writing session is a death grip on the writing tool; ideally you should be holding it just hard enough to put it where you want. Someone should be able to lean over your shoulder and snatch the tool from your hand with little resistance.
Also very common is putting weight on your wrist. Your whole arm should be a little bit active, carrying your hand around the page as you write or draw. Ideally your wrist is completely stiff; this does little for control, but it helps lower the chances of the tendons that control your fingers rubbing up against the bones of your wrist and deteriorating. You could get a wrist brace to help you practice this.
If you want more of this stuff you will find it in vintage "penmanship manuals", from the days when the most convenient method of writing was a fountain pen. I largely got it by word of mouth when I was working in animation next to old pros who routinely passed on their secrets of proper form as a way to help the new kids avoid career-ending wrist injuries from bad form.
I keep a work journal in markdown on the computer. Like you said, it has the benefit of being easily searched.
I also keep a personal journal that I write in more freely once a week. I don't have the "search" requirement there. Reading and writing with pen and paper is more soothing to me for whatever reason. I do like the freedom of pen on paper when compared to typing. I can quickly sketch out a graph or diagram for example.
Each has its benefits and drawbacks. Use what fits your use case best :)
I also keep a personal journal that I write in more freely once a week. I don't have the "search" requirement there. Reading and writing with pen and paper is more soothing to me for whatever reason. I do like the freedom of pen on paper when compared to typing. I can quickly sketch out a graph or diagram for example.
Each has its benefits and drawbacks. Use what fits your use case best :)
"Many journaling proponents insist that this only works if it's hand written but I disagree."
This is one of those things where people mistake what works for THEM as universally the best option. It's tedious.
I journal longhand in notebooks. I enjoy that aspect of it, and I like fountain pens, and at this point it's one of the only times I actually WRITE vs type. But that doesn't mean MY approach is best for YOU.
Off my soapbox now.
(Have you tried Org?)
This is one of those things where people mistake what works for THEM as universally the best option. It's tedious.
I journal longhand in notebooks. I enjoy that aspect of it, and I like fountain pens, and at this point it's one of the only times I actually WRITE vs type. But that doesn't mean MY approach is best for YOU.
Off my soapbox now.
(Have you tried Org?)
I have the same justification with study notes, and prefer typing most of the time for the speed and easy referencing.
Some people just like the tactility of writing. I have a fountain pen I enjoy writing with, and the process is fun, and result can be more pleasing to look at.
The slowness of writing also lets you stew in your thoughts a bit more. It really depends on how you like your catharsis.
Some people just like the tactility of writing. I have a fountain pen I enjoy writing with, and the process is fun, and result can be more pleasing to look at.
The slowness of writing also lets you stew in your thoughts a bit more. It really depends on how you like your catharsis.
I started journaling the last couple of years and found it helped to take a moment to check in, notice various patterns of behavior, and set intentions for the next day. This resulted in some tangible changes and didn't require a lot of time or large narratives to get the benefit. I scratched an itch and created an app to allow of quick digital journaling, if you want to give it a go you're welcome to at https://mindmix.me/
Looks nice. I have a few questions, if you don’t mind answering.
1. How is the work for the app funded, and will it continue to be free? What’s the business model to ensure longevity? Is that a hosted service to store/sync information?
2. How did you author your website (what tools are you using)? I looked at the page source and found comments for different blocks, and the code looks relatively bloat free, IMO.
1. How is the work for the app funded, and will it continue to be free? What’s the business model to ensure longevity? Is that a hosted service to store/sync information?
2. How did you author your website (what tools are you using)? I looked at the page source and found comments for different blocks, and the code looks relatively bloat free, IMO.
Looks like the website is from fiverr https://www.fiverr.com/asmi2022/create-responsive-mobile-app...
Would have been quite perfect app… if it worked. I have lost two out of two records. First one because after writing it I decided to create my profile and after logging in the post was gone. Second - well, there was something wrong with servers and apparently no way to save data locally
I do two things to do with journalling.
1. Therapise myself. Going to therapy is expensive, and honestly I think the main benefit is to just talk through thoughts in your head with an interface to the outside world (the therapist). So when I was low on money I thought that journalling could basically provide the same sort of interface between my thoughts and the world. However, writing speed and typing speed are limiting factors. So bumping up my touch typing speed means that now when I sit at my computer to journal, I just blast out whatever is on my mind like a therapy session. It helps. Probably do this once a week, more or less depending on the situation.
2. Quick and easy memory recording through this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Line-Day-Five-Memory/dp/0811870.... My partner bought me one and its really fun and low effort.
1. Therapise myself. Going to therapy is expensive, and honestly I think the main benefit is to just talk through thoughts in your head with an interface to the outside world (the therapist). So when I was low on money I thought that journalling could basically provide the same sort of interface between my thoughts and the world. However, writing speed and typing speed are limiting factors. So bumping up my touch typing speed means that now when I sit at my computer to journal, I just blast out whatever is on my mind like a therapy session. It helps. Probably do this once a week, more or less depending on the situation.
2. Quick and easy memory recording through this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Line-Day-Five-Memory/dp/0811870.... My partner bought me one and its really fun and low effort.
This reminds me a lot of homework for life. You write a few sentences everyday on the most story worthy moment from that day.
https://matthewdicks.com/homework-for-life/
https://matthewdicks.com/homework-for-life/
I found this journal book in a store[1], each page is a date and has place for 5 years' worth of entries, the line limits make it easy to do every night (it takes 1-2 minutes and you don't think "There's so much I have to write..!") but also limits the amount of stuff I can fit in.
I've noticed I've been writing "Unproductive at work" for many many years now, I should change either the productivity level or my perception of it.
[1] https://undertherowantrees.co.uk/shop/some-lines-a-day-5-yea...
I've noticed I've been writing "Unproductive at work" for many many years now, I should change either the productivity level or my perception of it.
[1] https://undertherowantrees.co.uk/shop/some-lines-a-day-5-yea...
I have the same one and am now in year 4 of my first book. I started it because I have a hard time remembering what I've done and it's fun to be able to read the entries from the last years before you write a new entry.
Not trying to write a lot or comparing your work to others is the easiest way to start.
A few sentences every day is all you need. Thinking that you need to write pages is where trouble begins, the thought of future work overwhelms people and they stop completely.
Such a beneficial activity, to get those incessant thoughts out of our mind, so we can have peace and quiet. Or perhaps that's just me xD
It also helps that nobody else will see it. I have a personal blog, https://langsoul.com, for public thoughts. Whist private ones, say on motivation and why I get out of bed each morning is kept private.
A few sentences every day is all you need. Thinking that you need to write pages is where trouble begins, the thought of future work overwhelms people and they stop completely.
Such a beneficial activity, to get those incessant thoughts out of our mind, so we can have peace and quiet. Or perhaps that's just me xD
It also helps that nobody else will see it. I have a personal blog, https://langsoul.com, for public thoughts. Whist private ones, say on motivation and why I get out of bed each morning is kept private.
I found writing out how my ideal day will go (by the hour) when I wake up helps me focus and avoid distractions.
Just one column of hours from 6h00 to 20h00 for example and then write an activity associated with that time in second column (eg finish this document).
Even if I don’t look at the page throughout my day my mind has already been primed to do what I would want to do in an ideal day. Deviations from ideal are expected, but I find the deviations are smaller than when I don’t anything on paper.
Perhaps a next step would be a section below that reflects on the day.
Just one column of hours from 6h00 to 20h00 for example and then write an activity associated with that time in second column (eg finish this document).
Even if I don’t look at the page throughout my day my mind has already been primed to do what I would want to do in an ideal day. Deviations from ideal are expected, but I find the deviations are smaller than when I don’t anything on paper.
Perhaps a next step would be a section below that reflects on the day.
Great read! Motivates me to start journaling again. The modern day work tiredness is the only friction I can think of that made me go off the track from journaling.
I keep a journal for all my professional work (IC and consulting). It is extremely useful:
- Detailed invoices for free
- Identify and communicate accomplishments over past X time frame
- Identify problems. i.e. we've been working on this for weeks and it's gone nowhere
I use Tap[0], my own creation, to send me a text reminder to capture a log for the day, and relay a digest back to me via email monthly.
[0] https://tatatap.com
edit: formatting
- Detailed invoices for free
- Identify and communicate accomplishments over past X time frame
- Identify problems. i.e. we've been working on this for weeks and it's gone nowhere
I use Tap[0], my own creation, to send me a text reminder to capture a log for the day, and relay a digest back to me via email monthly.
[0] https://tatatap.com
edit: formatting
[deleted]
I have found that journaling in Day One and then having my journal entries printed and bound as a book every year (Day One offers this service in their app) has been a good trade off.
Writing on my phone, adding pictures, copy-pasting passages from the internet are easy to do.
Once printed and bound as a hardcover volume, I know it’ll outlive the app, my phones and probably myself.
Writing on my phone, adding pictures, copy-pasting passages from the internet are easy to do.
Once printed and bound as a hardcover volume, I know it’ll outlive the app, my phones and probably myself.
I hand-write stuff down obsessively, basically any idea or feeling worth remembering I write down.
I don't have a particular template that I follow because I find to be too repetitive and low value instead it's of whatever's the most important is what I write down.
I prefer to hand-write but in order to have a digital copy, I transcribe it with Otter.AI.
I don't have a particular template that I follow because I find to be too repetitive and low value instead it's of whatever's the most important is what I write down.
I prefer to hand-write but in order to have a digital copy, I transcribe it with Otter.AI.
Do you transribe it by hand? Or via software?
By voice using Otter.AI, it's not perfect but usually it's good enough and then I can refine it if I want to.
It's a bit time-consuming but also fun for me to dictate my notes.
It's a bit time-consuming but also fun for me to dictate my notes.
Similar thoughts, but using an electronic journal. Unexpected side-effect is searchability. I have found myself on multiple occasions searching for information I knew I had written about - and then actually finding it.
When I started, I didn't foresee that as a use case.
When I started, I didn't foresee that as a use case.
That search functionality sounds good. Do you feel like you have offloaded memory or now find you have better or worse memory of that information?
Im curious how journaling effects memory.
Im curious how journaling effects memory.
Not so much offloaded as augmented. I remember a tweet from PG to the effect that he could compile his parenting advice by collecting his tweets about his kids. That works for things you're ok sharing on Twitter, but no so much for everything else. Search functionality means it's much easier to spot patterns, not just find the stuff I know is there. I'm often surprised when I do a search how many other times I've mentioned the word without realizing it.
I need to get back to this. Unfortunately the power of journaling I learned while sysadmining for scientists has been a victim of the chilling effect due to the corporate approach to text.
Journaling is a superpower and heavily underrated!
I started journaling ~ 2 years ago, after 2 years in therapy and they complement each other.
I lacked the “framework” to easily reflect on the past self and see how I am changing and growing over the years so I created one:
https://5yearsback.com
(It’s nice to see other people find it usable as well!)
I started journaling ~ 2 years ago, after 2 years in therapy and they complement each other.
I lacked the “framework” to easily reflect on the past self and see how I am changing and growing over the years so I created one:
https://5yearsback.com
(It’s nice to see other people find it usable as well!)
One interesting observation is that I have inadvertently been writing longer and longer journal entries. In 2019 the average entry was about half a page (I have pretty cramped handwriting), and I'm currently writing about a page and a half. I believe I've also gotten a lot better at expressing myself to myself (I've had a lot of practise).
I also tried using a digital journal for a while, but found I needed a distraction free environment that only pen and paper could provide. My handwriting hasn't improved though.