I’m going back to Bullet Journaling
Ok. So, some of you might have learned in my previous post where I’ve decided to say goodbye to journaling and solely rely on my newly minted habits.
I take all of that back.
I thought I had it, doing away with tracking my habits and to-do lists on paper and instead, putting everything to faith that my smartphone can do it at a much effortless way.
The first week felt liberating as I can easily stick to my usual routine. All seems predictable and simple and it does feel like I seem to have everything figured out.
But slowly, things changed.
I began to divert attention to other trivial matters. I was down the slippery slope towards complacency.
I catch-up on the morning news filled with trade wars and corporate espionage while eating crappy cereals, totally forgetting about that gratitude routine which I have impressed in my mornings.
I only realized this when I didn’t stow away my futon on the ground and simply let it be, encouraging me to laze around.
Looking back, I felt that these are the main reasons why I have decided to get back on journaling:
I lost my “triggers” for a productive day.
I used to open up my journal like some kind of old parchment, peeling the pages carefully on a dedicated spot on my worktable while steeping coffee off the French press.
My 2018 journal was filled with a customized daily routine, a collection of life tips and the quotes which resonates with me to a deeper level. These carefully curated content are the triggers for me to deliberate on productive actions.
Without these, I am basically in “reactive mode”, mindlessly consuming whatever that happens to me in the morning and acting accordingly with no sense of direction.
I stopped documenting.
I promised myself that I wanted to be a writer. To produce works that, someday may benefit my future me or like-minded folks who are in need of some advice.
While I tried to replace the journal with my smartphone, I often get distracted by a compelling app notification like “ my village was raided by Deathriku342” or “Blackout flights: 90% sale on Scoot” and all of a sudden, I forget what I come for.
I find that the journal is hands down, the best instrument for documenting stuff that might be forgotten easily.
Getting mentally bogged by thoughts and to-dos.
A human being has an average of 50,000 thoughts that cross their mind every single day.
That’s a staggering figure for thinking out loud. And because we can only concentrate on one thought at a time, they are often temporary.
“Thoughts are like transient sparks desperately trying to ignite your inner flame.”
Unless we pin it down, thoughts are nothing more than a momentary existence in your mental space.
My thoughts often flashed past me like a slide projector on an automatic carousel, barely recalling the last image unless I take a screenshot.
That’s right.
Penning down our thoughts on a journal is akin to taking a screenshot of our thoughts. That way, they are materialized on paper which one day might turn to reality.
So, I’m bringing sexy back…
What can I say? It felt like reuniting with an old flame when I started using my journal again, caressing the sleek black cover of my “Webbie” (Rhodia Webnotebook) while presenting it with a modified 5-year-old Parker Jotter to make up for the neglect.
Perhaps, it's simply old habits that refuse to die out.
What do you think about journaling? Do let me know in the comments below.
