Keeping a diary

The last couple of years I have been writing a diary. I have off and on periods when I write a lot, and other periods where there isn’t much happening or I’m just not in the mood to write anything. In general it’s a great way to keep track of what is happening – the big lines in life. It’s also a way for me to work through issues in my life. Whenever I need to deal with a situation, I take the journal to a cafe and start writing myself through it. What the problem is, how I got there, and steps I can take to deal with it.

I have used a diary called “The sacred journey” that have been ingenious. For every week there is a blank page where one can write whatever one want – perfect for those issues. There is also space after each month where one can write down a recap of what happened that month.  What I don’t like about having a diary is that it is too available. A physical diary is easy to read by other people, and I like my thoughts to be private.

I have looked for diary applications to use on the computer before, but never gotten comfortable with anyone until now. I found an application named Chronories and it does so much more than just being a diary. It gathers a chart on your mood every day, the mail I receive, appointments, how much I use the computer and what applications. I can add pictures, and it shows the weather that day.

The thing I like the most is the mood chart. I have used Chronories for about two months, so the chart so far only gives an indication of how my days play out. When I wake up each morning my mood is average, I’m not happy and not in a bad mood. The mood of the day is dictated by how the days play out. When looking at the graph I get a very clear view of my mood that is mostly happy, second by an average mood that I keep during the day. What is interesting about this chart is that I have more really bad days, than really good days. There is some specific reasons for it ,but it also shows that I need to do more activities I love like going to cafe, exercise and go hiking. I would also like to reduce the number of average days.

The diary can be password protected, and having the diary on the computer makes it more likely that I bother to write anything.

There is also things I’m missing:

• Monthly or yearly summary, one that I can write or just an easy view of the entries that month.
• I would like to be able to attach files, not just images.
• A table of follow-ups, like an big “X” on which days I take vitamins or the days I exercise.

I’m really happy with this application, and can recommend it for anybody who likes to keep track of the days, months and years.