If you got one of my 5 Year Diaries for Christmas, I hope you’re enjoying keeping track of your daily doings. I’m still keeping mine going in my fourth year and it’s turning into a pretty great, if limited, record of my life.
If you’re struggling, here’s a few tips.
1. DON’T STOP!
Whatever happens, keep going. If you haven’t started yet, start today! If you filled it in for months and then stopped, start again today! You can always go back later with the help of your social media accounts. photos etc. and fill in some of the blank days. And if you got one another year and never touched it, just ignore the printed years and pretend it starts this year.
2. If you find it difficult, keep it short.
My entries have been getting more and more compact over the years and are now written in a kind of shorthand. A boring day can literally just say ‘Up late. Packed orders. Walked around town – P.O. Co-op. No post. (Client) work. Blogged. Cooked X. Watched (TV shows). It might be dull, but it means I keep the habit going for more interesting days.
3. Keep notes when you’re away.
I don’t take my diary on holiday, but instead either take notes (if it’s an exciting holiday that I might also want to blog about) or just make sure to take a few photos each day so I remember what I was doing. I can then fill out my diary when I get back.
4. Remember why you’re doing it
Keep thinking about how fun it will be when you’ve got a few years down and can compare what you’ve been doing on the same day. This is so awesomely fun that it keeps me going. I love when I see that I’ve been doing exactly the same thing, or being reminded of silly things I did a few years ago, or fun trips and my birthday outings. I forget so much, that it’s nice to have it all recorded.
5. Have fun!
If after all that, you’re still not enjoying it, then take a new tack. Why not just draw the weather each day, or write down everything you eat, or what book you’re reading, or do something different every week or month. It’ll still be fun to look back on. Here’s some other great ideas too.
If you didn’t get a diary and are kicking yourself, the spiral-bound diaries are available on-demand from Lulu so you can still catch up.
How are you getting on with your diaries?
