So, who got a new 5 Year Diary for Christmas, and who’s starting a new year with their old one? I’m on my third year (my prototype runs July-June) and still managing to keep it going. It does look a bit of a state though!
I still really enjoy it, especially seeing what I was doing the previous two years so I thought I’d post some tips on how to keep up the diary habit.
Store it near wherever you’re most likely to update it
I keep mine in a drawer right by my bed so I usually update it when I get into bed. But maybe you have some downtime in front of the TV in the evening, or have a last cup of tea at the kitchen table. If your diary is nearby it’s much easier to do it every day.
Keep going!
I sometimes forget to update for days, but don’t give up if you do. I start by going to to the current date and updating that and then working backwards, trying to remember a few things I did. If you use social media, that can usually jog your memory. But sometimes I have no clue, so I just write that or leave it blank.
Keep it simple
You only get a small space so there’s no point trying to write about everything that happened. Pick a few themes and stick to them, so that you can compare them with previous years. I tend to do what I worked on, what I got in the post, where I went and what I watched on TV, plus anything unusually exciting in the news, weather etc.
I also came across a great thread on Metafilter recently, which has lots of interesting ideas for what to write about in your diary.
So, what do you write about in yours?
PS. Please someone, buy the ex-display diary! It will end up looking like mine in a couple of years anyway and it’s only £7.75 if you use the CHRISTMASHOLIDAY discount at checkout!
