Anyone keep a journal?

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dgdevil
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Anyone keep a journal?

Post by dgdevil »

For the first time in 25 years, I have not bought a large diary in which to record my daily thoughts and deeds. I had gotten a little lazy over the past 5 years - as marriage + Internet took over my life, but now I've decided to call it a day and free myself of the guilt that enveloped me if I was a few days behind. It was a good run, though. I can go back to any random day in my stack and see what time I got up, what I ate and did at work, who annoyed me, what movies I saw, where I traveled. Scintillating stuff, I know. Still, they will all be burnt with me. The diaries have come in useful for various research purposes, such as settling arguments. Overall, they are a great snapshot of someone I may have trouble recognizing today -- and may not even want to associate with!
livesoft
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by livesoft »

So you finally signed up for Facebook?
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dgdevil
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by dgdevil »

livesoft wrote:So you finally signed up for Facebook?
Hell no! I saw The Social Network.
umfundi
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by umfundi »

Actually, I have multiple journals, you might call them log books.

One is for finances. I jot down sites and statistics, decisions made on kids' investments, balances , ...

Another is for personal and contacts. Phone numbers, e-mail addresses of friends, ...

A third is for my hobby, genealogy. Questions, resources, clues, ideas for new research, ...

And, finally, one for work. Who I met, contact details, meeting notes, ...

These are all little notebooks that I keep for myself in addition to other records. Very useful.

Keith.
Déjà Vu is not a prediction
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FrugalInvestor
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by FrugalInvestor »

My wife has received multiple journals recently as gifts. They must be in vogue these days. She has found them to be useful for re-gifting.

On the other hand, an early well known and relatively well-to-do resident of a nearby small town kept a daily journal in the 1930's which has been published in our local newspaper for a few years now. The dates/days happen to match the current calendar. My wife reads it religiously and I do sometimes. It's very interesting to see how similar and how different peoples' lives were at that time. Not having the breadth of choices in electronic entertainment certainly seemed to make for much more interesting and engaged social lives.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by VictoriaF »

I keep notebooks to capture my thoughts and ideas rather than meals or films. When I travel or move in the fast lane I also record key events. It's not useful for settling arguments ("Did we eat fried or boiled potatoes on 27 March 1991?") but may contribute to creative work when I am done with my current work.

Victoria
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shmidds
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by shmidds »

Yes. I print out my Outlook calendar for the week. Each morning I sit at my desk and take a minute or two to write down the previous day's activities. It's a nice way to start the day.
I tried it electronically and didn't enjoy it.
MP173
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by MP173 »

I began on May 26, 1980 and have recorded daily (probably missed about 10 days in those years) ever since. Recently I began volume 34.

Since 1985 the book has been At a Glance Standard Diary/Daily Reminder. The pages are 8.25" x 5.5" with 28 lines per page. Typically I will write 20 to 25 lines per day or about 200 words per day. I am NOT very good at recording world or national events, nor my "feelings" but rather my daily events and significant events of family members. Probably 50% of the page is devoted to work events. I record daily workouts (today was 45 min. statuary bike, pushups - 50, situps 130, Kettlebells).

I have found my 27 year old son enjoys reading them, as it covers his entire life. My diaries are copywrite protected (the first thing written on January 1st). There are extra pages at the front and back. In the front I record each book read during the year along with a short description of the book.

In addition I have the Daytimer calendar system which is used for appointments and also print out a daily Outlook calendar page which is used for notes while working.

Other "journals" include financial notebooks with various notes and projections (such as 10 year projections of dividend income for all stocks owned, YTD returns for investments in order to monitor holdings, etc), and very personal random writings which dealt primarily with the death of my wife years ago...this was a form of self prescribed therapy for me (last year I discovered these and discarded them, as the "feelings" were rather dark). Another journal were random discussions of the financial meltdown during the 2008 era.

As you can see, most of my writings are very abstract, dealing with events of the day, numbers (returns and projections) and similar types of quantifiable stuff. I never go to an office supply store without looking for new and interesting notebooks.

Ed
umfundi
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by umfundi »

MP173 wrote: I never go to an office supply store without looking for new and interesting notebooks.

Ed
One thing that was great while the kids were growing up was to have a diary that has days but no year.

We'd record family events: Christmas menus, the first snowfall, the migrating mergansers, and other seasonal things. It laid out in the family room, for anyone to record what they wished.

Keith
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NAVigator
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by NAVigator »

I have kept a journal for many years. I started with notes in a Franklin-Covey planner which was mostly work related with some personal data. More recently I have used a simple text file with a date for each day. In retirement, I now have more thoughts, feelings, things learned, and health issues recorded. I find that I write more interesting things when I start with a topic than if I simply record data. I have a matching text file with dates to schedule and record events. I often look up information regarding what I have written in the journal and in the event log. The search function of a text editor has been invaluable.

Jerry
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Fallible
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by Fallible »

When I start a new project or when I have a major transition coming up I use journals to write down thoughts and ideas, pros and cons, etc., because it helps organize my thinking. It's a visual aid to be able to see what I'm thinking and somehow just the act of writing it out is helpful because it releases a kind of nervous energy. When the project is well underway or when I've made a decision, I usually no longer need the journal though I keep it if it contains the basics of something that I may need to return to.
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by magicmom »

I try to write in my journal several times a week. I have been doing so for around 7 years. I also keep track of what books I read each year.
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celia
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by celia »

My most successful journals have been kept during travels. It's not too hard to fill up a page a day but sometimes I'll just keep on writing. I might record where we stayed or ate or how much things costs (for future reference). Since I'm a genealogist, when we are visiting relatives or where relatives once lived, I record everything that might have family history value, even if it's not substantiated. I have a few hand-drawn maps in them and addresses and phone numbers of people we just met.
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reggiesimpson
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by reggiesimpson »

I have used a "day planning" method for decades when i worked. Very effective. It made my working activities far more functional. Now in retirement i use a real day planner that i carry with me . I dont put anything personal in there as i am too paranoid. The paranoia comes from running various businesses in my life and the thought of someone else reading personal entries doesnt exactly enthrall me. At the end of the year i look at my day planner and i see that every line is filled up with my own personal "to do" list like vacations, chores, appointments etc. Thats very satisfying.
I just bought my adult children their own planners and of course i couldnt resist the opportunity to plug in a few "dates" for them. Everyones birthdays
, anniversaries and the like. Just my 2 cents.
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by sschullo »

Since the 70s. I write about 100 entries a year on random thoughts on everyday events, family, work and educational issues and historical events. There are institutions that will accept personal journals for future historians who want data on the lives of regular people.
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KarlJ
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by KarlJ »

I have kept informal paper and electronic journals for decades, organized by subject area. I use these entries to track the evolution of my thoughts on various subjects important to me over time. The primary purpose of the journals is to examine my own life. My thought is to take into account what Socrates said:
"The unexamined life is not worth living".
davebo
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by davebo »

I don't keep a journal but this thread has made me start. Specifically I want to record daily notes with my kids. I've found that I'm already forgetting things that my 4.5 year old did when he was younger.
umfundi
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by umfundi »

umfundi wrote:
MP173 wrote: I never go to an office supply store without looking for new and interesting notebooks.

Ed
One thing that was great while the kids were growing up was to have a diary that has days but no year.

We'd record family events: Christmas menus, the first snowfall, the migrating mergansers, and other seasonal things. It laid out in the family room, for anyone to record what they wished.

Keith
Which reminds me: Do you have a visitors' book for guests to record their thoughts?

Keith
Déjà Vu is not a prediction
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dianna
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by dianna »

I don't keep a journal for/about myself. Haven't been into that since I was an angst-ridden teenager. But I do keep a journal about my child. I don't write in it every day. I started it at her birth and am now writing in it 1-2x/mo, sometimes more, sometimes less; it depends on other demands at the time or if a significant milestone has happened. I write it to her, about her, about life, about things that are going on. I don't know when or if it will be given to her, but I have really enjoyed keeping it and re-reading it. It helps keep fresh the amazing memories she has helped to build.
reggiesimpson
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by reggiesimpson »

davebo wrote:I don't keep a journal but this thread has made me start. Specifically I want to record daily notes with my kids. I've found that I'm already forgetting things that my 4.5 year old did when he was younger.
Great idea and not just for yourselves. We did this when the kids were small and now they love to read about their younger selves.
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Re: Anyone keep a journal?

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

I started writing one from the beginning, then a couple of times more. My wife is better at keeping notes. I on the other hand, am more proficient with the use of a video recorder. Lots of great memories on media (backed up just in case).
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