How to keep a journal with Workflow and Evernote
A journal is a great tool for being productive and keeping a peace of mind. But it’s undervalued due to its simple nature.
‘Why would I be more productive if I write down how I feel each night?’
It’s actually quite simple. You’ll be more productive because you’ll be on top of things going on in your life and mind.
What you actually write down in your journal is what defines it as a tool, it could be anything you want. I’ve tried to achieve a model that will keep me aware of what’s going on in both my work, personal and family life.
After about two weeks of journaling I’d forgot to do it one night and I got this quesy feeling of being lost the next day. That was the moment when I started seeing the benefit of keeping a journal. At this time I kept it in a Moleskine notebook, it was okay but I felt that I could improve my journaling.
Writing every day is a big ask for anyone
I realized it’s a really big ask to actually write something down each day. I needed to figure out my routine. So I started to develop a workflow designed to make it as effecient and easy as possible.
Since I always have my phone, and most of the times my iPad with me I decided that they should be my devices to write on. Keeping a physical notebook for journaling seemed unpractical for multiple reasons. And I didn’t even want to think about the organizational chaos it would turn out to after a while.
To keep all my entries I decided to create a new note notebook in my Evernote. I simply called it ‘Journal’. It would be easily searchable and ordered by date — keeping my journal organized and always with me. Of course, any similar note taking app would do. I’m heavliy invested in Evernote though, therefore my choice.
I also decided I wanted to journal during evenings. So I included it into my evening routine. It’s a great tool not only to summarize your day but also prepare you for the next one. I sleep so much better now when my brain is emptied of any thoughts or worries before going to bed.
An empty canvas is both liberating and overwhelming
From here I experimented with different apps. All the usual writing apps but in the end I settled on writing straight into Evernote. A few days went by and I started to feel tired of writing it. To see that empty note every night and knowing it needed to be filled before I could go to sleep felt awful.
My journal had become a boring chore. I figured I needed to remove some pressure of what I was writing and make sure I was writing down the right things.
So I created a template note with a few determined headings in my Evernote that I copied each night. This worked quite well and my morale for journaling started to grow again. It was so much easier not to have a blank canvas each night, and it relieved some pressure. But I wasn’t completely satisfied yet.
I thought I could automate this even further, and this is where Workflow became useful. If you haven’t used it before you can find out more on their website, or read Federico Viticcis guide on it.
Basically what I did was I transformed my static headings into personal questions. And created a workflow to ask me these questions in basic alerts. After I’ve answered the questions it will collect all answers into a note and save it in Evernote.
A quick rundown of my questions
- What was the weather like today?
This is to get my mind working and to find out if I’ve been aware about my surroundings during the day. Sometimes I actually don’t have a clue about how the weather was, which is terrifying.
- What did I get done today?
This question let’s me know if I’ve been productive. It also gives me a space to brag and feel proud of what I’ve accomplished during the day.
- What could I have done better today?
Well, there’s always room for improvement right? This let’s me evaluate some of my decisions during the day and see how I would have wanted them to turn out.
- What are three good things about today?
To be greatful for the small things in your life is important. This tiny question let’s me know about three good things each day. Trust me, it feels great!
- What did I do for my family today?
I have a wife, two kids and a dog. Combining that with running my own business it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important in life. So this question is here, every night, to remind me to do things for my family.
- What did I learn today?
A friendly reminder to remember what I’ve learned during the day. This also acts a carrot to keep learning every day.
- What am I worried about?
This question is my favourite. It let’s me put the finger on something that puts a dark cloud in my mind and more important — deal with that cloud.
- What are the six most important things for work tomorrow?
I’m a user of the Ivy Lee method. It’s simple, clean and gets things done. So every night, I list what’s important for the next day. Sometimes I move unfinished tasks over and if I have any, the worry from the previous question.
- What are the three most important personal things tomorrow?
Same thing, only I’ve reduced it to three things and they all concern me and my family.
- Anything else on your mind?
Well, sometimes there is something extra I want to jot down.
My journal is always evolving
I’m always changing these questions, trying to find a great balance of purpose and efficiency. The set of questions I’ve shared with you today has stuck with me for over 3 months now as I’m happy with them.
If you want to try my workflow you can get it here. Of course you can change the use of Evernote to Apple Notes, Bear, Dropbox or whatever service or app you prefer.
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