The Way I Journal: Wade Shearer

Consistent journaling leads to greater confidence and gratitude

Jacob Gibb
Jul 21, 2017 · 6 min read

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Wade Shearer. I live in Utah with my amazing wife and four kids. I’m a Latter-day Saint. I love cycling, gardening, and backpacking.

When and why did you start journaling?

My first journal entry was 31 August 1987. My teacher in second grade required us to write each day. This is what I wrote my first week:

What is your journaling routine?

For most of my life I’ve written in the evening before bed. Occasionally, I’ll write at work during a break. I also write occasionally on my phone when I’m waiting in line somewhere or traveling.

Do you focus on longform writing, or on capturing small memories of life?

My entries are usually a few paragraphs in length. I record notable events that occurred throughout the day and then push myself to recall emotions and thoughts that I have had. I also spend time capturing goals and long-term plans. I am a big believer in the value of deliberate and regular reflection and the positive results that come from writing things down. I find journaling to be very therapeutic — especially when done regularly. Journaling is something that I believe most people want to do but feel like they don’t have time for. Taking some time to think and reflect on what I have done — even just a few minutes — is more beneficial than using that time to try and cram in more work. It helps me to see progress and results in increased confidence and gratitude.

Do you have a favorite spot where you like to journal?

I don’t have a favorite place, but I do prefer a full keyboard. I’m getting better at dictation, but I’m still most proficient at typing. The less friction that exists inputting my thoughts, the better chance I have of getting into a flow and recalling more accurate and authentic emotions.

What was your first entry in Day One?

My first entry was 26 December 2013 and was about having found and purchased Day One. I was excited to have found an app that could easily import my existing journal (that I had kept in plain text files) and could export plain text or another standard format, such as JSON. It was a critical that I not be locked into a proprietary format, as it’s impossible to know how I will be journaling in the future. I was also excited about how Day One could export to a nicely-formatted version that I could print. I had started laying out the first few years of my journal in a desktop publishing application for printing, but it was tedious and something I kept procrastinating. My plan is to print five years together at a time in bound volumes.

How many entries do you have in your journal?

7,414

What is your favorite or most-used feature in Day One?

My favorite feature is that the app is on my Mac, iPhone, and iPad and that everything is in sync. This allows me to write or look things up anywhere I am and on whatever device is most convenient.

Do you write mostly on the iPhone, iPad, or the Mac?

I write mostly on the Mac.

Do you follow any journal organization rules?

Nope. I have one journal that contains all entries. I don’t tag, star, or organize them in any way.

Have you ever relied on Day One for something unexpected, or used it to recall details about a specific event or date?

All the time. This is one of the best things about having a digital journal. I use the search feature often to help me recall details about an event or to simply remember what day it happened on. Having a daily log of your life is incredibly valuable. I typed in notes my mother wrote down in my baby book and the journals I kept in elementary school, so Day One now contains everything I have on my life from my birth through today.

Day One

Thoughts about personal journaling and software engineering.

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Jacob Gibb

Written by

Writer. Designer. Storyteller. @_jgibbster

Day One

Day One

Thoughts about personal journaling and software engineering.

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