One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book

“I’ve been doing this for eight years now, and it’s become an integral part of my daily life, as well as a yearly practice. Every day I simply jot down what happened and how it made me feel—just a few sentences or phrases, and it takes only a few minutes. As I write, I can glance at previous years above (since each page will hold 5 years of the same date) and notice what has stayed the same and what has changed. A tiny reflection. At the end of the whole year, I read through the entire journal (the lines for that year) cover to cover. As I’m reading, I take notes on what I like and what I don’t like. What I want to see change, what I would like to do more of. The people and events that brought me joy. And those that didn’t. It can be so easy to forget the small things. The mundane smiles of a Tuesday in February. I then use those notes to help cohere my thoughts around any changes I’d like to make in my life for the next year and anything I’d like to double down on. These journals to me are such a great example of “little big change”: some small adjustment that, when done every day, makes a big difference!”

“This is the only journaling habit I’ve been able to sustain for more than a few months. It’s been a little over two years since @Sommer Panage introduced me to this habit, and as I start my third “lap” around the journal, I love seeing the temporal slice of what I was thinking of on that day a year ago, and two years ago. It makes it easier to detect and reflect on patterns and make adjustments as you see fit. Such a great rec!”