New to Journaling? Learn to Date Your Entries Correctly

My 20-year journaling odyssey included many variations. 

I’ve started and stopped journaling, like trying new find the right fad diet to fit in a bikini.

My journaling adventure has included food and water logs, family stories, travel experiences, and even free journaling.

The result? Several half-used journals.

My partially used journals sat on my bookshelf, reminding me of my many failed attempts.

Two years ago, after developing a daily writing habit in my first Ship 30 cohort, I became a serious journaler. My old neglected journals had a new chance. My idea? Fill in the old journals before buying a new one.

Picking up the first of my collection, I discovered an important lesson about keeping a journal.

I read March 23. Then I had to read the entry to get an idea of which of the 15 possible years March 23 was.

Lesson 1: Date your entry, including the year.

I also write the day of the week.

Your entry may not contain hints about the day of the week. You may want to know what day for various reasons, such as looking for a pattern or the day of a special event.

If you stick to your new journaling habit, you’ll also start writing the date range on the outside of your journals.