There are generally two schools of thought when documenting one’s experiences: Do it on a computer or do it on paper.
The argument for doing it on a computer is that you can save time and paper, not to mention the sheer amount of store on computers these days – well over 64 kilobytes of memory. Those who say paper is better is that the feeling of putting pen to paper is incredibly rewarding and you can’t trust a computer’s hard drive as far as you could throw it.
Today I’m going to throw a wrench into the whole debate: Don’t journal. EVER.
Journaling is often said to be “a lost art.” So why try to find it? There is a tremendous amount of effort involved when journaling. You have to remember not only what you did on that particular day, but also how it may or may not have profoundly affected you. This kind of “brain weight” can take up valuable time that you could be Effing The Dog. If the desire to remember the details of you day is either something you can’t escape or are having trouble eliminating from your life, I highly recommend using a well-known EffTD tool – alcohol.
Another drawback to journalling is the passing down of thought from generation to generation. The myth that your offspring and their offspring will read your journal is laughable, especially considering that paper is biodegradable. It will disappear. You can’t stop science.
There is an old saying: “Live as if there is no tomorrow.” I suggest you take that one step further: “Live as if there is no tomorrow and also no yesterday.” That way you can truly live with no regrets, no aspirations, no hope that the future will get brighter. That is yet another one of the benefits of Effing The Dog.
And, truthfully, no one really cares about your life anyway.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Um.
No.
The point of not journaling is to not journal.
Does that mean I can stop dusting those empty journals on the dresser?
Although, a nice thought, as anti-journaling as the world has become, is to keep a graditue "journal". It’s simple write/type or at least think of 5 things that you were thankful for that day.It helps you stay positive, motivated and greatful to those that make your day worth it