Peanuts In My Pocket

I like journaling. Actually, it’s more of an obsession that’s spanned decades. It started as notebooks in the ’80s, many of which didn’t survive, and evolved into a daily digital process. I think of journaling as an extension of my brain. I journal to remember, to think, and, more importantly, to forget.

Let’s say I had a bad day, like when a friend passed away a few days ago. I made a journal entry to remember her, another to process the injustice of her death, and finally, an entry to help me forget. I created a page for her, capturing all the good memories, facts about her life, and what little I knew about her, as she was a remote contractor.

Journaling to forget is therapeutic. It helps me process the loss while also getting it out of my head. Once I write it down, my tendency to ruminate fades. Over time, I’ll add more to her entry, link it to new ones, and build a knowledge base of memories that helps me remember her and others.

When I first started, I wrote long-form entries, typically a few paragraphs about my day. This approach was influenced by pop culture ideas of what journaling is “supposed” to be. I wasn’t very good at it, so I switched to a different method once digital journaling became available. I now focus on two types of entries: photo-based entries, where I write about an event or moment captured in a picture, and short, casual entries that make it easier to record my day. For a decade, I didn’t miss a single day.

If you’re new to journaling, here are a couple of tips to get you started. First, don’t feel pressured to write long, perfect entries—sometimes just jotting down a few thoughts or observations from the day is enough. Journaling is a personal process, and it doesn’t have to follow any specific rules. Second, make it easy on yourself by using whatever medium feels most natural. Whether it’s a simple notebook, an app like Day One, or even the Notes app on your phone, the important thing is to just start. You’ll figure out your style as you go.

From Day One:
Ten years ago: I spent the day with Flo while recovering from a sprained ankle. We ate ribs and did some household maintenance. I also watched the Raiders lose to the Texans in a frustrating game. The Raiders were booed off the field in what I correctly predicted was the start of another bad season. I spent some time writing for my blog.

A few years ago, I moved from Day One to Obsidian. My focus shifted to Interstitial Journaling using Active Externalism, a technique that helps me be more creative and solve problems. Interstitial journaling involves frequent, short check-ins and mindful reflection, while Active Externalism suggests that cognitive processes can extend beyond the brain to include external tools or environments. For me, this means my journal entries aren’t just records—they’re starting points for exploring ideas and capturing them in a way that I can later retrieve when writing or thinking.

For example, during the recent presidential debate, I noted that I didn’t watch it live because it tends to make me angry and frustrated. I watched it later and felt that Harris won convincingly, though I was embarrassed for my country. I then created an article to organize my debate notes. I’m not sure what I’ll do with them, but I wanted a place to collect and structure my thoughts. At the very least, I plan to explore why I found the debate so embarrassing.

How do you journal? Share your thoughts in the comments below.