2025-05-09
I used to think that a journal was something that’s supposed to be written in every day.
As befits the name ('jour' is French for 'day').
It felt like homework, so I didn’t even give it a proper shot.
Over the last two years, I’ve realized that journaling is actually taking notes.
Saving whatever crosses my mind in the Notes app of my phone. Creating a reference point I can come back to when I need it.
Sometimes a single word I’ve jotted down helps me see the topic from an entirely different perspective from today’s.
Instead of sitting for hours trying to rediscover where I stand, I hold on to the anchor I dropped back when I first thought about it.
And for allowing those thoughts to be useful today, I thank my past self.
Some days I write for thirty seconds, other days for four hours. Sometimes I don’t write for weeks, or even months.
And I never start any of it saying “Dear journal.”