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I was spending a lot of time on Facebook.
I couldn't just drop FB because of family and work, so I decided to just skip whatever I was doing there that wasn't necessary. I made a simple inventory of my activities on FB and Marie Kondo'd with no shame.
One important thing I discovered was that I post about life events in order to remember them someday. Facebook's memories feature works that well! But, it dawned on me that I shouldn't have to post something on social media just to remember it. The proper tool for that would be a journal.
I had a problem, though: I'd never succeeded at keeping a journal. I'd tried many times and failed, even when I was a teenager who supposedly had all the time and energy in the world. "Dear Diary," I would write for several days, and then forget about apparently not-so-dear diary afterwards.
But, the times are different now: I always have my phone with me. I even take photos that serve as somewhat of a continuous record on its own. So, I decided to give journaling another go, but this time with a focus on tech-enabled ease.
I followed the easiest journaling process I could think of. I created a Blogger blog that I set to private. I installed the app on my phone. As I lay in bed each night, I wrote simple sentences, didn't edit much, and added whatever photos I'd taken that day. I kept in mind that I'm writing these things to remember them. I am the only reader. I wasn't addressing anyone else, not even the Diary. I spent only a few minutes on each entry to prioritize getting it done over writing well.
Given my disregard for language in the journaling process, I didn't anticipate what came next: I was suddenly raring to write. I finished more poetry and blog articles and with relative ease. How did that happen? I believe it's because journaling moved me to spend more time contemplating on my experiences. It gave me a chance to look at my day one more time and ask questions about it. This crude journal made me ruminate on life, and that was the step I was missing in getting writing done.
I liken it to how computers work: Input-Process-Output. I had a lot of input. I devoured articles, videos, and podcasts, even spent time understanding people's perspectives in comment sections. But, without any processing, there was hardly any output.
The same principle is exhibited by plants. They may need sunlight to grow, but they actually grow more at night. There's a time to catch the sun and a time to use what you get from it.
It's difficult to get into that processing mode because we're surrounded by so much input. Thankfully, writing in my journal shoves me into that mindset. If you also have a ton of input but very little processing, this daily habit might just work for you.
Written by Deintus | September 28, 2021
Story Sandbox Magazine, Volume 1 Issue 1 (1st quarter, 2022)
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