“I will keep constant watch over myself and – most usefully – will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil – that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past.”
- Seneca, Moral Letters, 83.2
January 22, 2021 7:00 AM
Bullet journaling is something that I have been doing on and off for just a few years. When actively journaling, this method works well for creating daily tasks and keeping track of what needs to be done and what gets shuffled around.
My work journal is filled with much more content than my personal journal, and this is because most tasks during the day are work-related. The personal journal is more of a collection of stories and feelings.
After reading today's antidote from "The Daily Stoic", the light popped on in my head that I am not doing this correctly. While it is fine to journal the history of the day, the real magic can likely be found by journaling about what items were in my control and how they affected the outcome of the day.
Today I learned to ask questions such as What bad habit did I curb today? How am I better? Were my actions just? How can I improve?
Conclusion
Meditation and journaling can be positive ways to reflect on a day, but if we want to grow, we need to ask ourselves the difficult questions. While journaling disappointment about an argument, for example, it would be prudent to ask Were my actions just? Perhaps we don't accomplish all the tasks we set out to complete. How can I improve? Question what choices were made and the impact of those choices.