Where the Days Went By

People regret it when they look back and can’t recall how they spent their days. So, they assume that they’ve wasted another year aimlessly. But how valid is that conclusion?

What I’ve realized over the years (BTW I turned 25 this year) is that we easily overlook a lot of stuff that ate into our time.

Instead, we use our achievements as the sole criteria to decide whether our year was exceptional or not. We blame ourselves when we can’t find enough wins and the year slips away.

Been there; done that.

I’ve had those times where I thought how I could’ve done more and then made new resolutions as I sighed, hoping to do better the next year. However, this practice is somewhat flawed, as it takes everything else we did out of consideration.

What I did differently this year

I started a bullet journal in August. My process was rather simple: I jotted a few words that described and summed up my day.

Keeping a journal can be of substantial advantage whenever your self-deprecating feelings take over. Those few pages present a clear reflection of what you did each day.

A journal presents a more honest, less judgmental picture. When I open the one in front of me, I can see everything that I did. The day I watched Koyaanisqatsi, the day I played Among Us till my eyes burned, and the day I went to get groceries.

It’s all here – so what can I possibly complain about? This hopefully prepares me to look ahead and move on.

Sometimes we do well but we just can’t remember it. The takeaway? We can be a bit easy on ourselves.