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Ávalos writes:
Yesterday, I decided once again to start a journal/diary, but this time with a different approach. ... It shouldn't be a hassle or a responsibility, but rather a way to express myself and keep track of my mental health and progress, so days don't just go by forgotten and insignificant, purposeless.
My journal is physical, paper-based, offline. I wanted to keep it simple and stupid, expressive, I want to feel my hands moving, ink flowing. I need to connect with my writing directly, without technology in the way. Since the pandemic forced schools to go online, I stopped writing in paper, I have lost connection with my handwriting. It's time to get my hands off the keyboard at least for a moment.
gemini://avalos.me/gemlog/2021-01-19-starting-my-journal.gmi
Thanks for sharing.
I can confirm, /hand writing/ is a different thing than typing away. My hand writing had deteorated to the point, where I could not read it myself a few hours later. I abandoned ball points and got out my trusty fountain ink pen. It forces me to write slower. My handwriting definitely improved since then. Keep going!
As of journaling ... I have written extensive journals as a youth. I still have them, but I don't dare to read them :) I'm a little afraid of what long forgotten monsters to find in there. But I did not throw them out ... well, if so where are they? Hmmm. Maybe I threw them out after all. It does not matter.
Nowadays I keep two journals: one at work, one private. The WorkLog is a very detailed account of what I did, how I did it (org-babel to rescue), and more importantly "Why I decided to do it this way". I "think" in the WorkLog. And I read this somewhere about Richard Feynman, the thinking happens on paper. The WorkLog is my searchable memory. How did I flash some odd file onto an obscure controller last time? Rest assured, it's in there.
The PrivateLog is quite different. Some days I write a lot, somedays I don't. But I have trained the habit of a weekly review[a]. Every Sunday I collect together in one line items, what happened since the last review. And I'm often surprised, how much it is. I also collect, what I did with my hands, e.g. baking bread or doing something in the garden. And I also note, what books I read. Around Christmas I scan the whole year. And sure enough, a lot of things are long forgotten. Just going back once in a while and reminding me of all the good things that happened, is imho quite satisfying.
Cheers,
~ew
[a] inspired by Zen to Done, by Leo Babauta
https://zenhabits.net/zen-to-done-the-simple-productivity-e-book/