{"id":61920,"date":"2019-01-13T21:52:20","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T05:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=61920"},"modified":"2019-01-17T22:14:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-18T06:14:00","slug":"how-recapping-my-days-changed-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-recapping-my-days-changed-my-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How Recapping My Days Changed My Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

In 2015, I made a New Years resolution. At the start of each day, I would review what I had done the previous day and log it in a text file. This wouldn\u2019t be literally everything (Otherwise it would get rather tedious); just things that were worth remembering or indicated some kind of action had been taken that would move me forward, no matter how small. If I made a new recipe, it would go in. If I saw a new movie, it would go in. Four years later, and I can safely say that this is one of the best decisions I have ever made. These are some of the ways recapping my days has changed my life.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Gives my life an arc<\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There\u2019s a famous quote from C.S. Lewis: \u201cIsn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different?\u201d Life can feel like it\u2019s rushing by you, and you can easily lose of track and how you got to where you are. By logging my days (usefully in single sentences; this isn\u2019t a lengthy diary), I can more easily trace how I got to where I am now When did I move into my current residence? When did I leave a previous job? When I look back on my logs, I can see that my life is a journey, rather than just being a Groundhog Day where everything is always the same.<\/p>\n

    2. Keeps me accountable<\/h1>\n

    When I don\u2019t feel like doing anything, I remember that I\u2019m sabotaging the \u201ctomorrow version\u201d of myself, who\u2019s going to wake up and not have anything to put in the log. Occasionally, I\u2019ll have to cop to not doing anything and log a \u201c?\u201d for those days. If the day is almost over and I\u2019m scrambling to do something, I\u2019ll add a sentence or two to a short story I\u2019m working on. Then, I can wake up the next day and put \u201cI worked on my short story\u201d for that day\u2019s log. It might not be writing a novel, but it\u2019s still something I can be proud of.<\/p>\n

    3. Lets me cherish the really important days<\/h1>\n

    At the end of each month, I mark especially notable days in bold. These \u201cBold Days\u201d don\u2019t have any specific criteria; they\u2019re just ones that were especially important in terms of development or effort. For instance, if I complete an important project or go to a new place, that can be considered a Bold Day. The hope is to make every day a Bold Day. It doesn\u2019t always happen, but I\u2019ve been doing pretty well.<\/p>\n

    4. Allows me to reflect<\/h1>\n

    Another aspect of this project is reflections. At the end of each month (and year), I consider what has happened and how it has affected me. This has been things like the start of a romantic relationship, adapting to a new living situation, or simply dealing with mental frustrations. Being able to write how I\u2019m feeling without judgment of said feelings allows me to bring more mindfulness into my life.<\/p>\n

    5. Helps me remember things<\/h1>\n

    I\u2019m not going to say that I have a perfect memory, but I can confidently say that recapping my days has helped to make my memory stronger. When I look back on previous logs, I can better recall past experiences. As we get older, life can feel like it\u2019s going by in a flash and that there\u2019s a lack of meaningful experiences. Taking note of my experiences lets me play movies of my life in my head. Plus, if I ever want to write my memoirs, I\u2019ll already have extensive notes available.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Brody Kenny is a freelance writer. He focuses on self-improvement and mental development, as well as arts & culture. Learn more at brodykenny.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In 2015, I made a New Years resolution. At the start of each day, I would review what I had done the previous day and log it in a text file. This wouldn\u2019t be literally everything (Otherwise it would get … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14022,"featured_media":61971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[17,6],"tags":[66,4634,6846,4647],"yoast_head":"\nHow Recapping My Days Changed My Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In 2015, I made a New Years resolution. 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