Basic AF #47: The Journaling Guide with Joe Moyer
I was pleased to return to the Basic AF Show and discuss journaling. This is my second guest spot with my friends Tom and Jeff (the first one here), and once again, they made me feel welcomed and valued. From the episode page:
_ Ever wondered if journaling could make a difference in your life? This week’s guest, Joe Moyer, believes it can. Joe shares his personal journey with journaling and practical advice on how to build a habit—even if you only have five minutes a day. We cover gratitude journaling, the benefits of recording daily thoughts, and how to avoid the “perfect journal” trap. He also provides tips for those who are new to journaling, with simple techniques to get started._
This was a fun conversation, and I hope you’ll listen. I think everyone, particularly young men, needs to hear some of what was said on the show and pay particular attention to the productive struggle, where we talk about being kind to ourselves, working through complicated feelings and emotions, and growing.
Charlie Deets Releases Quick Journal for iOS
Charlie Deets, a product designer at The Browser Company, has released Quick Journal.
From Charlie on Threads:
"It is a simple journaling app without any gimmicks, suggestions or distractions.
It is highly customizable and has widgets to help you keep track of your entries.
It also features custom icons from design friends such as @gabrielvaldivia and @cshdllr."
Quick journal is a beautiful, simple text based app with a nice level of customization. I like the option to auto open the composer window, so when you open the app you're immediately ready to journal. There are no suggestions, no photos, no frills. Quick Journal is all about text.
One important note—the entries are saved locally for now. I thought I saw Charlie mention on Threads he was looking at adding cloud storage, but I can't find that comment now. He's had lots of positive feedback!
I’ve been on the TestFlight for a few months and it’s been fun to watch the development evolution. Check out Quick Journal if you’re looking for a simple text based journaling tool for your iPhone, just remember that, at least for now, there’s no backup of your data. I hope Charlie adds that feature soon.
MacSparky Journals to 5,000
Speaking of hitting journaling milestones, my friend David Sparks hit a big one. 5,000 digital journal entries. Well done!
600 Days of Gratitude Journaling
Yesterday, Day One let me know that I had written my 600th consecutive entry in my daily gratitude journal. I'm proud of this achievement and hope it inspires some of you to start your journaling practice.
Like many apps, Day One likes to celebrate streaks to stay motivated and keep going on a goal. Streaks have a place in helping us build the version of ourselves we most want to be, although I have mixed feelings about them.
I'm sending more thoughts on the pros and cons of streaks to newsletter subscribers next week. You can subscribe below, and I'll send you my quick guide Seven Thought-Provoking Prompts for Your Journaling Practice, when you confirm your email.
If you haven't checked in on the newsletter lately, you’ll note that I’m refocusing it on journaling and working towards sending something to subscribers every two weeks. I'll have more on that soon.
New Features Coming to Apple Journal in iOS 18
At WWDC last month, Apple announced some new features coming to Journal with iOS 18 this fall. They include:
State of Mind Integration
State of Mind was released last year and is most easily accessed via the Mindfulness app on the Apple Watch. It can also be accessed through Health on iPad and iPhone.
I’ve been waiting for them to add this feature since they released it last fall. It just makes sense to integrate with a journaling app.
Insights
Insights will provide a calendar and stats like your current and longest streak, as well as general stats like how many entries you’ve done in a given year and how many words you’ve written. Based on the screenshots, Journal will also keep track of places you visit frequently and share that information.
I like to nerd out on insights like this, although I’m also a bit weary of streaks and urge people not to become too fixated on them. Streaks do have a place in helping you keep your journaling habit going.
Search
It’s hard to believe that Journal didn’t have this before. Search is kind of table stakes for making an app like this useful. I’m glad it’s being added.
Small Improvements Matter
I’ve recommended Journal to friends and family who are iPhone users and want an integrated tool for which they don’t have to pay extra. While not as advanced as third-party apps like Day One, features like the ones coming this fall will make Journal a better app and easier to keep recommending to people looking for a simple iPhone first journaling app.
Weekly Quote: Austin Kleon on Collecting Good Ideas
This week’s quote comes from Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon. Inspiration might be found everywhere. Whether reading a book, watching a classic film, chatting with some old friends, or taking a long hike, be ready to make a note in your project ideas list, journal, or commonplace book.
I’d argue the next step is actually going back and taking a look at these ideas. They’re easy to collect and forget about, yet I think you really start to find the influence and build a creative narrative from the ideas you’ve collected when you take a second (or third or fourth) pass and get another look at them.