Have you ever been asked about a holiday destination you visited a while back and surprised yourself at how few details you could recall? You may have been able to visualise elements but the names of places or whole days might be missing from your memory.
If not holiday memories, our brains do filter out other aspects of our lives from, information to ideas, as we move on to new things. After all, as David Allen said ‘Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them’.
The side effect of this is that we lose the moments and ideas that we haven’t taken the time to commit to memory, even if they brought us joy or that we intended to explore further. And once you forget something with no further proof of its occurrence, it’s almost like it never happened.
My journaling journey
In 2017, while living in Singapore, I started keeping a journal in which I pencilled daily summaries of what was happening in my life, however mundane.
I partly started this to always remember the incredible year I was living; the food, the travel, the people from around the world, and also to remind myself of the simpler moments that I cherished but that I would doubtlessly forget.
Recently, when a bout of nostalgia hit, I read back through my journal entries which brought with them a flood of memories and emotions. There were stories in there that I had completely forgotten about, had no other account of, and I don’t think I would have ever remembered unless I’d read what I had written. It jogged my memory and let me bathe in the warmth of nostalgia.
The alternative, I realised, would’ve been that I went through the year without documenting anything and when people ask me about the experience I would have a vague notion about what it was like and share some rehearsed stories but the details would be lost.
When I finished reading my last entry there was a sea of blanks as I had stopped writing once my year abroad was up, thinking that the good times were behind me and as I was returning to ‘normal’ what was there to write? But now I wish I had kept at it. There are moments we have in our everyday lives that are worth remembering. While I had written the odd entry from when I had an extraordinary day, I had lost the habit and my documentation was patchy. So, I’ve committed to journaling again. To capture the moments in my life, big and small. Every day.
Some benefits of journaling
- It helps to focus your mind. Reflecting on your day and putting your thoughts on paper can help to sort through your thoughts and feelings.
- It frees up the mind. Once you stop holding information in your head your brain is free to connect dots and think in the background.
- It helps you to track your goals and keep motivated. If you’re working towards a larger goal, charting your progress is a great way to stay motivated. By committing to writing in a journal you give yourself the opportunity to habitually track progress and can also help you plan ahead as you realise what there left to do.
An extra benefit is if you ever decide to write a biography you’ll have a perfect account of all the events in your life!
I challenge you
Start keeping a journal about your day. A great time to do it is just before bed, as it’s a quiet time to sit and reflect about your day.
I use the app Journey which I would recommend. As it’s on your phone it’s super convenient. Also, you can set reminders, add images, locations and other information and entries are searchable. A fun feature is that it also shows you throwbacks to add a bit of nostalgia.
Remember, this doesn’t have to be a ‘dear diary’ sort of situation. It doesn’t even have to be very long. Something as simple as bullet points about what occurred during the day to jog your memory is enough. If you want to go further, adding details and feelings then great, whatever works for you.
Want more info? Check these out:
- The journaling experience of one of my favourite minimalism YouTubers, Matt D’Avella.
- I’ve talked about one type of journaling here. Check out these other types you might want to try.
- If you’re not yet convinced, explore some of the medical benefits of journaling.
