Journaling

In the beginning of 2023, I decided to give journaling a try. I had used the Day One app for a bit before, but never got into it. Now my goal is to continue for at least for a year, writing down the events of every single day

Requirements

  • For my goal to work, the journaling environment has to be mobile first
  • Easy access is important - daily reminder, quick actions from home screen
  • Automations and metadata - add tags and as much metadata as possible, to make entries searchable, show locations on map etc.

Day One

I’ve had the app since before it switched to a Subscriptions-based revenue-model. Therefore I don’t have to pay continually to get the features I want (mainly iCloud backups and multi-device usage)

Setup

  • main journal for daily entries with “day summary” template
  • Prompts for answering daily prompts or other questions
# Day Summary

Any notable things happen today?
-

Highlight of the day?

I’ve been thinking about…
  • Place journal to document places I previously visited, lived at or want to remember in some way
# Title

What happened here?

Who was I here with?

iOS Journals app

After being a bit underwhelmed with iOS 17’s journaling app, I have decided to continue using Day One. After longer trips or special events, I might write down more detailed accounts in this app, depending on how good the suggestions work.

Shortcuts

The shortcuts integration lets me put a link to create a daily summary directly on my home screen, which I only display in my sleep focus.

I created this shortcut to quickly get and answer 40 questions to ask yourself each year.

Gratitude Journaling

  • Be specific about what made you happy (daily highlight)
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