When I started tracking my own habits, I also started keeping a daily journal. My system is simple. On a different sheet in the same spreadsheet, there is a new row and cell for each day. The prompt is very simple:
“One highlight of this day I’d like to remember”
It is not expected to be a full recap or something that is time-consuming to write. Each entry is a sentence or less. When I update my habits, I also take a moment to recap something positive. Even with a bad day, there is always something to mention.
I have only been doing this for 280 days and it’s already fun to go back and look up a certain day. Some events I still remember, while others are so foreign it’s almost as if someone else wrote them. It’s funny what the brain chooses to remember.
In a few years, this will be even more interesting, since by that point I should expect some bigger life changes versus what has happened this year. I expect there to be notable differences in what I considered a top highlight of my day. How will I perceive the memories I write today?
Will I say, “Life seemed so simple then”?
One thing I hope I don’t say is, “Wow, those were the good days!”.
I still have a lot of life ahead of me. Each day is special, and I am certain that I can continue to enjoy myself to the same degree.