I can’t be the only one who has noticed how quickly time is flying by. It seems like 2024 just started but we’re already in March! With school keeping us all busy it can be hard to keep track of all the little things that make our day-to-day lives enjoyable. So, to encourage slowing down and reflecting in this fast world, I’ve compiled a list of different ways (that I think) are the best ways to commemorate your life.
Physical Logs
Let’s start with physical logs: photo albums, diaries, scrapbooks and journals. Investing time in them can help you unplug and disconnect from the online world while also logging and reflect on your life. As long as they are kept safe, your physical logs can last forever and will be wonderful keepsakes.
Photo Albums – Simple – Low Energy
Photo albums are a classic and quick way for you to choose snapshots of your life to be compiled into one simple book. You can print pictures from your mobile device, or you can use a polaroid camera that prints them instantly. Either way it is a low cost and low energy way to keep your photographed memories in one place.
Diary – Mindfulness – Variable Energy
Diaries are another classic way to document your life. Just buy a journal or gather some paper and start writing. With a diary there are no rules, you can write about your day, your feelings, your dreams, and anything else you wish to remember. A diary can also double as a way to work towards your goals and to work through your problems; it helps with mindfulness. It might be difficult to find time to write and to motivate yourself, I can definitely relate to that, but once you move past these barriers it will become a very fulfilling way to reflect on and document your life.
Scrapbook – Creative Outlet – Variable Energy
Scrapbooking is another versatile and multipurpose way to celebrate moments in your life that you’d like to remember. You have full creative control on your scrapbook. You can choose to add pictures, words, colourful drawings, stickers, patterned papers, and more. You can put as much or as little time and energy in it as you want, no matter what it will be a book with a celebration on each page.
Bullet Journal – Tracking – Medium Energy
Bullet journals are becoming increasingly popular recently. The creative freedom of bullet journaling is similar to scrapbooking, but the concept of it is a little different. Bullet journaling is a way to track and log your everyday life. Popular spreads (pages) include logs about the weather, your mood, and stress. There are also trackers for things like which shows you’re watching, habit trackers, and gratitude logs. Again, it is completely customisable, and you can add or leave out anything you want. This is also a way to appreciate small things in your everyday life. You don’t have to have big events to log, your everyday life is enough. It may take some time to make the spreads, but it will only take 10-15 minutes to fill them out every day. Bullet journaling also triples as a log, a way to disconnect, and a way to be more mindful.
Digital Logs
Digital logs are somewhat new, they are not as well known or used as much as physical logs but can still prove to be useful in documenting and romanticizing your life. The only problem is that it’s possible for them to get lost digitally, and if you don’t have a device or lose your passwords for them, they will be gone forever. So naturally, it’s important to protect your digital logs as you would your physical ones.
Social Medias – Easy – Low Energy
It might be surprising to see social media on this list but used correctly, it can arguable be the most efficient way to document your life, as long as you don’t lose your login passwords. Since everyone uses at least one type of social media, this method is easy because it’s already familiar and doesn’t cost anything. Once you use posting as a way to journal and log events in your life, social media feels less like a place to influence and be influenced, and more like a private online diary. Keeping your accounts on private mode can also help with posting without fear of judgement. Personally, I use TikTok as my online diary. I have a private account where I post vlogs, get ready with me’s, and just recaps of good days that I can look back on at any time. Snapchat would also be a great place to film videos or take pictures and easily find them again, especially with the flashback memories feature. Even Instagram can be used like an online journal, and it’s great because you can add comments to your old posts.
Digital Diary – Efficient – Low Energy
If using social media as your online diary doesn’t seem appealing, then maybe a real digital diary app is for you. There are thousands out there all with different features, but the one I use is included in the new apple iPhone update: Journal. You can add entries with pictures, videos, and voice notes from your phone. It is so quick and easy to use, and you can use it on the go. It also has suggestions for entries with prompts like ‘what’s something that made you smile today’ and ‘what is one thing you’ve read that really inspired you’. It can actively remind you to write, that is something physical journals can’t do.
With life moving so fast, it’s important to slow down and appreciate every big and little thing that happens in our lives. I hope something on this list resonates with you and inspires you to document your life, happy journaling! <3