My 5 Minute Journal Daily Routine

Nov 7, 2021 11:44 · 374 words · 2 minutes read howto life

I’ve been maintaining a Bullet Journal since around 2018. A former boss– someone I looked up to a lot– introduced me to the world of rapid journalling. This seemed to work out well for some time. However, this past one year(at the time of this writing), I’ve been inconsistent with my journalling; and that made me feel anxious. The 5 Minute Journal system helped me get back to regular journalling.

I started the 5 Minute Journalling system some time in September when I stumbled upon an article in HackerNews that described it. In summary, it’s the process of answering the following 3 questions at the beginning of your day:

  1. What I’m I grateful for?
  2. What would make today great?
  3. What I’m I worried about?

I have been consistent with answering the aforementioned questions; and below I outline some things I’ve learnt:

  • Question (1) has helped me articulate what’s good in my life at that particular time. Sometimes, there isn’t much, and I’m forced to be a bit optimistic. This has been useful, particularly on days when I feel overwhelmed or depressed.
  • Question (2) forces me to work through my day with purpose. This is a difficult question to answer since you have to be honest with yourself. It’s tempting to substitute this question for: “What would X want me to do today?”
  • Question (3) makes me be aware of what’s troubling me. I’ve noticed that a good way to tackle problems is by first being aware of them. Articulating(or trying to) helps in this process.

One thing I’ve noticed is that it’s difficult to be honest with yourself; and it’s a skill worth practising. The 5 minute journalling system I’ve been doing daily is some form of deliberate practice for myself to put in the work of figuring myself out in an honest way.

Some thing that I would like to add in this 5 Minute Journalling System is a set of follow-up questions at the end of my work day:

  1. How I’m I feeling?
  2. What did I do well?
  3. What could I have done better?

In conclusion, if you have trouble aligning your goals with your actions, give the 5 Minute Journal a shot. Thus far, it seems to be working for me!