Line a Day Journal Spreadsheet

I have occasionally shared ideas I've had to try to keep some sort of daily journal. For different reasons nothing has really stuck. Although I think I may have finally found a system that works for me.

I've been searching for a perfect solution for a while. I like the idea of pen and paper, but in reality this doesn't work for me. If I'm actually going to do it every day, I need it be accessible on my phone, which I can be guaranteed to have nearby. I also like the idea of doing it digitally because then the journal should be automatically backed up and I don't have to consider where to store my journal once it's full. Since I want to have easy access to my journal entries in the years to come, I've been hesitant about committing to any journal apps, which I’m not confident will save my entries in a way I can access without the app.

These desires left me in a tight spot for a while. Also, whenever I would come across one of those "line a day" journals, which often have space for five years on a page (example here) I would really want it. The limited space appeals to my disinclination for journaling, and I love the idea of quickly being able to glance at a day and see it fill up over the years. For a while I wished someone would make an app that would do the same thing, although that would violate one of my own principles I just laid out.

But then I realized I could just do it using a Google spreadsheet (cue angels singing). I have now completed an entry every day since the middle of August. It's easy enough to do since I can save the spreadsheet on my phone for easy access. I also have a nightly reminder set so I don't have to remember to do it. The time investment is minimal, I just make little notes about what we did in a day. And I'm pretty excited to see the entries add up, so I think I may be in for the long haul. Only time will tell.

I've created a sample spreadsheet here if you want to use it. Since this document has public access, save a copy for yourself if you want to use it.