The Journal App Making Journal: Day 20
App dev in a fasted state, and reviewing the Clear Habit Journal
What have I learned about app development today?
Another day, another app. Tipsy app. An app for spliting a bill with tips added. In this app, we practice connecting two screens and navigating them back and forth.
The feeling at this point is like you know a certain delicious recipe, but when it comes time to put it together, it takes a while to find each tool and ingredient you need.
Today, I adopted the recommendation by Angela, to do the difficult learning in a fasted state. i.e. before I ate in the morning. This is meant to take advantage of the mind when it is the clearest. The main problem then became to stop myself and actually go to have the breakfast before it turned into lunch.
What have I learned about the technology for journaling today?
I chose to first look into The Clear Habit Journal today. It is a journaling system designed and created by James Clear, the author of the bestselling book, Atomic Habits, and an expert on habitual behaviours.
It looks to be a great candidate to begin looking at the technology for journaling since it is modern, researched, expert, well made, bestselling, and appears to have to be perfect.
> What I like:
Immediately, I loved the stories and observations he made about the common journaling experience. They are very accurate.
“Most regular notebooks are too minimal. They leave it up to you to write page numbers, count dots, draw lines, and establish a structure on your own. …
Meanwhile, most guided notebooks and productivity systems are too structured. They lock you into their format and give you no room for flexibility. You’re forced to answer specific questions or fit your answers …
I was tired of choosing between no flexibility and unlimited flexibility. I needed a journal that gave me the white space I needed to think and the structure I needed to take action.”
It still does break the day down into 5 essential questions,
- What happened today? (Daily journal)
- What am I grateful for today? (Gratitude journal)
- What is my most important task today? (Productivity journal)
- How did I sleep last night? (Sleep journal)
- How do I feel today? (Mood journal)
I also like the separate system of a habit tracker, that is very much like the idea of a Linear Calendar.
> What I am surprised by:
That the author chose not to implement any of these systems via digital technology! In 2020. No apps. Shocking.
It does I guess honour the observation that pen and paper are enduring technologies intrinsically human in nature.
The disappointments however are also a few. Capturing for one, weight / portability for another, and the inconvenience come time for reviewing is a third reason.
Nonetheless, I put in an order =) Beginner’s mind, open mind. Journals are always very interesting.
