Have you ever discovered something and then you see it everywhere?
That’s what happened when I learned about the five-year journal.
I heard Katie Linder mention it in one of her podcasts and then I heard about it in other podcasts and articles. How can it be that it took me this long to discover such a fantastic approach to journaling?
The idea is that you write a few lines each day and once you get into years 2, 3, 4, and 5 you compare your entries. I have dabbled in journaling since childhood when my mom gave me a shiny yellow diary with a mini padlock. I rarely go back and read what I wrote, though. I’m excited to have this tool that will make it easy to reflect as time passes (I guess it is a low-tech version of Your Memories on Facebook, right?).
My family and I will experience transitions and new adventures over the next five years, and it will be fun to reflect on them in this way. Also, I have a terrible memory and I have heard using this journal is a helpful technique to remember past events.
I started my five-year journal on New Year’s Day. Considering we are living in unprecedented times (yes, those words are overused but they are true!), I feel it is important to document our lives. I will still stick with my morning pages, so this is adding a quick evening journaling practice. I’m excited to add this routine to track my life in a historic period.
When my future grandchildren need to interview an old person who lived through the pandemic, I’ll be ready!
