Archive for Family
“Mom, it looks like your butts growing.”
My wife was tucking in our 8 year old boy tonight, and as she left he says, “Mom, it looks like your butts growing.”
“What!” says she. “Your butt, it’s glowing.” He says. She looks and realizes she had just stuck her cell phone in her back pocket and the screen was shining through.
It’s a good thing, because I really like that little guy, and he was about 5 seconds away from leaving the planet. 
Cross Country Skiing At Soldier Hollow
Went with my son Tyler and his scout troop to Soldier Hollow, site of the 2002 Winter Olympics, made this video using the Flip “Magic Video” option:
A life worth living…
Jim Rohn says, “A life worth living is worth recording.” I think it’s the most powerful quote on journal keeping that’s ever been said. Of course, it’s impossible for me to know that, as I haven’t read every quote on journal keeping, but I’ll stick to my guns until I see something better.
I have been a sporadic and undisciplined “journaler” (is that a word?) but in 43 years I have managed to fill the 11 volumes you see in the picture above.
I often only write once a week. At the end of each year I usually do a recap, writing about all the highs and lows, accomplishments and misses, and whatever else I feel like. I also set yearly goals, then, between Christmas and New Years, I review my old journals and see how well I did on my goals. This has become a valuable experience. Sometimes I laugh as I look back on what seemed so important, and now isn’t. Or goals I set that I totally missed, or even forgot about. Other times I have a great feeling of satisfaction as I review goals I hit, especially if they were hard.
In the picture above, the journals are piled in order of age, from oldest on the bottom, to newest on top. Unfortunately, some of the older journals are of low quality construction, so I don’t know how well they’ll keep over the years. The top 3 are high quality leather bound journals with archive quality paper. I expect them to last several generations. Whether my posterity can read my writing or not is another question! But I will continue to buy that same type of journal from now on and forever.
Here are the most valuable lessons I have learned about journaling:
-Buy a high quality journal that’s built to last. $25 may see like a lot of money for a book with no writing in it, but if it captures two years of your life and lasts forever, it’s worth it.
-Choose a size that’s convenient to take with you. If you don’t have it with you, you don’t write in it.
-Thoughts, impressions, and relationships are much more valuable than chronological details. Some of my old journals are flat out boring.
-Important names, places, and details are easier to find later if written in ALL CAPS.
-Be yourself. If you can’t be who you are in your own journal, get professional help.
-Write legibly!
-Once a year, interview your kids, and write notes in your journal. Here’s the questions I ask:
1. Who are your friends?
2. What do you like to do?
3. What are your favorite things? (possessions)
4. How much money do you have in your savings account?
5. What do you like most about our family?
6. How are things spiritually?
7. How is school going?
8. What else is going on in your life?
I have all of these discussions recorded in my journals. They love to hear about last years interview, and are often surprised at things they said, who their friends were, etc.
So there you have it. Thoughts and ideas on journal keeping. Hopefully you’ll pick up a nugget or two that will inspire you to do a better job of recording your life!