# Actually Structured Journaling (Jan 2025)

Original: https://swyx.io/structured-journaling-jan-2025
Published: 2025-01-06

> I was very excited when I saw Cal Newport's episode on Structured Journaling come up, but I was disappointed by the recommendations:

I was very excited when I saw Cal Newport's episode on [Structured Journaling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptcgqoMQ33A) come up, but I was disappointed by the recommendations:

- Daily: capture everything you like/see/think/feel on a moleskeine you carry around
- Monthly: distil from moleskeine
- Annually (Oct ish) reflect on learnings and build new personal narrative/goals

This is not quite the kind of structure I want in my life. Journaling is a daily practice, an accountability, reflection, and memory tool. Yes there can be larger structure on the monthly/annual horizons, but there is not enough structure on the daily. I think there should be structure to the point of being able to quantify across days, and to correlate performance/emotions/wellbeing accordingly:

![image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e33de91d-7102-4327-b726-7b90d73597e1)

I am going to use this to map out the stuff i have mapped for myself.

- Health
	- Have I slept well?
	- Have I eaten well?
	- Have I exercised?
	- Have I socialized?
	- Have I reduced entropy in my environment?
- Habits
	- Did I do morning pages?
	- Did I answer emails/texts?
	- Did I create music/writing?
	- Did I ship code?
	- Did I plan the next day/week?

and track mood. aella uses [daylio](https://x.com/Aella_Girl/status/1760379089041633642)