Packed with real-life stories of history's greatest journalers, reflections from my own experiences studying how journaling helps improve our lives, and actionable insights for you, it's like having a close friend guide you on your journaling practice.
Time is Short, Start Today βοΈ
Published 7 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
The Journaling Guide
24 Letters
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People have journaled through some of the most consequential moments in history.
βMeriwether Lewis and William Clark wrote as they led the Corp of Discovery through the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains as they followed the Missouri River.
Full of fear of the unknown, Anne Frank journaled in her secret annex while the world burned outside her window.
With the weight of a strained empire on his shoulders, Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations on the frontier fighting Germanic tribes for Romeβs very survival.
βVoltaire, a prodigious writer who no doubt journaled during his own life, said it best, perfect is the enemy of the good.
Countless people who have long been forgotten and lived a quieter but no less meaningful life journaled in just the same way.
People like you and me.
All this is to say one simple thing:
Stop waiting for the perfect time to start something.
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If you want to start journaling, don't wait until the first day of the year or until after the busy back to school season ends.
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Anne Frank didn't wait until after the war. Lewis and Clark didn't wait until they sat comfortably in their studies at home.
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You are learning about yourself everyday; it's time to start capturing that reflection.
We can learn from history. Their stories mattered, and so does yours.
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Look mom, I'm on a podcast!
I had the pleasure of joining Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby on the Basic AF show this week to discuss the latest iPhone announcement event. It was the first podcast Iβve recorded, and I had so much fun! Be sure to give it a listen and let me know what you think!
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Speaking of the new iPhone, the latest operating system, iOS 18, is out and with it come a few new improvements to Journal. I wrote about them on the site when they were first announced last summer. In brief, they are:
Widget and audio transcription support
Search and see entries on a calendar view
Insights about your journaling streaks and number of days journaled
State of mind and well being integration
Journaling time being counted as mindful minutes
These are all really useful updates, and yet the biggest sticking point for Appleβs Journal app is that it remains iPhone only. I am SO curious why this is the case, and remain hopeful that they will move the app to other platforms over time.
I remain very happy with Day One for my digital journaling.
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Until next time, I'll see you on Threads, Bluesky, and at 24 Letters. Thanks as always for your time.
The Journaling Guide is not just a newsletter, it's a deeply personal journey.
Packed with real-life stories of history's greatest journalers, reflections from my own experiences studying how journaling helps improve our lives, and actionable insights for you, it's like having a close friend guide you on your journaling practice.