Keep a Calendar Journal – Part 1

Listen up!  This idea is a winner, a very doable and fun way to add a few thoughtful words to your life.  It’s easy.  I’m adding this to all the other word things I am already doing in 2012.  You could try this yourself.  Really!  Here’s how.

First, go buy a 2012 wall calendar if you don’t already have one.  They usually go on sale early in January.  Find one with pictures you like, anything that will brighten your day.  Maybe your doctor or dentist is giving them out for free.  Even better.  If you would rather use a cyber calendar, open a new one in Google, Outlook, or whatever program you use.

Now, set your goal.  How many days out of a week could you write one sentence?  I mean just one simple sentence.  One day?  Three?  All seven?  I set four days as my goal.

O.K. so far?  Now write one sentence describing something you did today.  Don’t worry about  being fancy or brilliant.  Just write a sentence, possibly in a notebook or journal.  (Inside joke for Braveheart fans: You don’t keep a journal, do you?  We’ll have to remedy that.)

The next step: Read the sentence you just wrote.  For example, let’s say you wrote: Bought a calendar.  Maybe you should add a specific subject: I bought a calendar.  Try adding a little at the end: I bought a calendar at the stationery store.

Finally, after you are happy with the sentence, write it on the square with today’s date.  Or, if you are using a cyber calendar, type the sentence in the cell for today’s date.  On Google calendar, I am filling in the space allotted for 9 am (I’m doing this calendar thing with a paper and an online calendar).  I’m also tweeting my sentences.  Follow them on The Life Literary on Twitter.

And you’re done!  If you set a goal of one sentence per week, at the end of the year you will have a 52 sentence account of your year.  If you intend to write three per week, then next New Year’s Eve you’ll be able to reminisce about 165 things you did over the year.  Also, you will have added some deliberate, thoughtful writing to your life, just a tad, true, but enough.  Give it a try and let me know how it goes.