This year, I thought I would help you all start the new year off by sharing a compilation of ways to help you document your new year!
I know lots of people who say they will record what goes on later (honey, are you reading this?) but I know that time dims memories. How many times have you read something that you wrote down just a few months or years earlier, and you smile because you totally forgot? Well, I hope this year, you will make a resolution to do better at recording your life!
You can use these ideas for personal or family history. These are not my ideas (except one), so I’ve included the links for you to click on if you wish to see more! These are not in any specific order, just in the order I found them. Ready? Here we go!
#1: Perpetual Journal. You just write the day on top of the card, and every year you write a bit about what you did that day, then start over the next year on the same cards. I found this here on the Design Sponge blog.
I’m going to do this with my family starting in a few days, and I’m so excited for the years to come…and what fun it will be to see what we did that same day on the previous year(s). I didn’t cut my cards in half, and I want to make or find a fun little container for it still. (I will have to post it on here when I get it all done.) A fun ready option would be to buy those index cards that are already bound together. There won’t be 365 cards, but you could have 3 or 4 sets. Another idea I had was to buy the 4x6 index cards and put them in the 6 spot page protectors, but that would require a little extra work in taking out and putting in, but it would also protect from dirty hands and make for easier viewing.
#2: A Journal Jar. One of our Team Members, Robin, made a whole jar where you pull out one question a day and write the answer.
This is great for someone who has a bit more time and wants to record things from the past. Robin has even typed up 366 questions (go here) that you can get via email for just $5, and print them out. Write or type up your answers!
#3: The One Line A Day—A Five Year Memory Book. If you are short on time and want something all in one place that is easily portable, this looks like a wonderful option!
The days are already there, and you just write a bit a day! The journal is $16.95 + shipping. Check it out here.
#4: Project Life. I’m sure most of you have heard about Becky Higgins’ amazing brain child, Project Life. If you haven’t, basically you take a picture each day and do a bit of journaling. I’ve done this for 3 years now, and I love that it really showcases the regular things you do each and every day…basically, life! Becky says, “Take a picture on each of the 365 days this year. Some pictures will illustrate bigger moments and some shots will be routine stuff in your life. It all adds up to paint the full picture of your life right now.” (Don’t know what you would take a picture of everyday? Check out Becky’s list here.)
There is the physical version, the digital goodies to make a digital version, or you can even do it through a photo book. Check out the details here!
#5: 3-A-Day. This one is actually my own idea…I have written in my journal faithfully for almost everyday since I was 10, but I went through a period of time when life was “boring” (aka, I had 4 kids and stayed at home all day long feeding said children and changing diapers) and I felt I didn’t have much to write about, nor the time. So, I decided I would just jot down 3 things that happened that day, and they had to be positive, even if it was a positive spin on something bad that happened. Now, I don’t feel like I have to do this everyday, so if I have a day where I want to write, I can! I found a few pages from my journal that doesn’t give away too much, and this is what it looks like.
#6: Peaks, Pits, Praises & Prayers. It’s similar to what I do…this is where you write something good that happened, something bad, a praise to God, and a prayer that you have about something in your life or for someone else.
This is something that you wouldn’t have to do on an everyday basis, but it would be fun to do on a weekly or monthly basis if that is more keen to your style and time available. You can see how Deana did it here.
#7: Year in Review Jar. (This is an idea from Pinterest without a good link…sigh…this is why Pinterest etiquette is GOOD!) This one had a picture, and I’m posting it on here, though I don’t know who to give the credit to. (If you know, please let me know and I will put it on here!)
For this one, you have an empty jar and when something happens you want to remember, write it down. Then at the end of the year, go through and read them all! I thought this one would be fun to do as a family! You could write down things kids say, good news, bad news, funny things that anyone does, etc.
#8: 365 Things I’m Grateful For Journal. Simple and easy…just write down one thing that you are grateful for everyday! I’ve seen these all over Pinterest, and I’m sure you have too! They range from super scrapbook-y types to a simple store-bought journal. I did find one journal by Monika Wright that I really loved here. Plus you can link through to her store and buy your own journal just for this.
#9: A “Currently” Journal. I thought this was a really fun idea, and I’m totally doing this one this next year! You have a random list of things or topics and record once a month what you are currently doing/wanting/liking at that time. Then you compile it at the end of the year and have a cute little album of your life! It doesn’t have to be scrapbooked…it could just be written or typed up.
Check out Paula Gilarde’s blog here to see this in more detail.
#10: 25-Day Photo Challenge. This is a wonderful alternative or addition to Project Life. Photographer Katie Evans came up with this wonderful list of ways you can document your life right now in just 25 photos. You could do them all in one day or one week if you don’t want to do just one a day. This looks so fun, plus it can help you improve your photography skills!
#11: Fast Fact Friday. Of course I couldn’t make this list and not include what we do here on this blog! The 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month (minus December) we have what is called “Fast Fact Friday”. It’s just 5 questions that you can answer as quickly or as in-depth as you would like. If you do every F.F.F. this year, you will have approximately 130 facts and/or stories recorded about you and your life by the end of the year!
#12: This Is Me Challenges. Yes, the whole point of this blog is to help you record about you…because sometimes we forget to do that. The weeks that there aren’t Fast Fact Fridays, there will be a challenge question to help get your mind going about something that you can record about. Plus, there are always ideas from Team Members and sometimes there are freebies to help you out! We hope you’ll join us in writing your story!
Well, there you have it! Which idea(s) are you going to do this year to get your history written? I’d also love to hear about any other ideas that you may have, so feel free to leave a comment/link about something that you do that others may benefit from!
Happy New Year, and remember to have fun recording your life!
