Journaling

I’ve been journaling daily since January 2017. It started as a way for me to track my weight when I’d started a fitness regime to lose weight. At the end of each day, I would log my weight, exercises done, and meals eaten. A few days into this, I also started logging the amount of hours I studied. This was the beginning of what would become a part of my daily routine for years to come.

Along the years, I started logging other facts from the day: what I did or worked on, places I went to, new experiences I had, and more. Fast forward to today, I have a colour-coded format for my daily entries: day-to-day facts in black, social events in blue, travel in green, and achievements in red. I end my day by filling in my journal after recounting what I did during the day. A typical journal entry would look like:

• Saturday, 14 August, 2021: work on website, watch pending lectures

• Brunch: Canteen 11, Dinner: Tamarind Canteen

• Poker night with friends

This habit helps me reflect on my day, and puts into perspective that a bad day doesn’t take away from the good days I’ve had in the past. It also keeps me grounded and prevents me from getting complacent.

In fact, making this website and maintaining these blogs is also an extension of my interest in journaling to my professional work. I want to note down all the experiences and lessons I learn along the way, and keep track of things I’ve worked on.