Why I Stopped Journaling.

Summary

The author stopped journaling after realizing it had become a stressful obligation rather than a joyful and beneficial activity.

Abstract

The author previously engaged in Bullet Journaling for several years, appreciating its adaptability and customization. However, the practice evolved into a source of pressure, conflicting with the author's perfectionist tendencies. Recognizing that journaling had become merely a daily log without enhancing life quality or happiness, the author ceased the practice. Instead, the author now writes on Medium when inspired, uses calendars for activity logging, and employs index cards for to-do lists, discarding them daily. The author emphasizes that life is not about meticulous documentation but about living, and simplifying one's life can lead to a more joyful experience.

Opinions

Journaling, despite its benefits, turned into a burdensome task for the author.
The author's pursuit of perfection in journaling led to increased stress.
The author found that daily journaling was not contributing to personal improvement or happiness.
Writing on Medium and using simple tools like index cards and Bear Notes is preferred for efficiency and enjoyment.
The author believes that life should not be consumed by tools, life-hacking, or excessive record-keeping.
Expressing oneself and engaging in self-discovery is valued more than the act of journaling.
The author advocates for a minimalist approach, suggesting that not all activities deserve to be preserved or documented.
The author agrees with Bruce Lee's philosophy of adopting useful practices, discarding the unnecessary, and personalizing one's approach to life.

Why I Stopped Journaling.

The ends didn’t justify the means.

I journaled, specifically Bullet Journaled for about three to four years. Of all the journalling methodologies I used over the years, Bullet Journaling was the most effective for me. It offered ease of adaption, flexibility, cross-platform access, and customization I found useful.

It still became a chore. A thing I put pressure on myself to do, to get accomplished, and to check off the list for my daily tasks. Ironically, though journalling can be a means to manage and track one’s to-dos, for me journalling itself became its own to-do and hence a source of stress.

Given my tendency to perfectionism, I was always trying to improve and tweak my journaling to become “better” at it. Eventually, I said to myself, “what am I doing? Why am I actually doing this journalling thing?” The answer was it was no more than a daily log.

I found that in the end, it didn’t bring me joy. I wasn’t using daily journalling to improve the quality of my life, my happiness, my contentment. I was using it for the idea of what it represented without getting the benefit of the outcome desired.

What I did instead of journaling.

I write in Medium when the urge strikes me. I still occasionally “journal” a significant or milestone, but only when something occurs to merit the investment.

For essentially the logging of activity, I simply use my calendars. For to-do’s, I went analog and simply use 3x5 index cards, for which I mostly toss at the end of the day. There is no need to “record” or archive most of what I do every day. I’d rather spend my time enjoying the day than documenting the day.

For any ongoing to-do’s or project planning, I use long-form simple text using Bear Notes. Any tool will do.

My conclusion, which is hard for me to accept into use, is that life’s not about tools, life-hacking, or record keeping. Life is about doing life.

The exercise of simply writing this out now is more effective and satisfying than any dedicated daily journalling activity I’ve done before.

For this post, the concept or thought simply popped into my head without prompting. I simply stopped what I was doing and wrote, enjoying the process as I did so.

Whether one reads it or not is not the point. The point is to express myself and continue a journey of self-discovery that leads to a more joyful life experience. Not journalling simplifies my life.

In the words of Bruce Lee,

“Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own.”

Simplify and remove burdensome things from one’s life. The juice may not be worth the squeeze.