Life logging - a catalyst for change

Life is a journey filled with peaks and valleys. As we encounter more experiences, it becomes evident that change is necessary, and often, that change must start with ourselves. 

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

But, how do we identify what needs to change? In 2023, after deep thinking, I decided to revive my journaling habit to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of 2023, both personally and professionally. Imagine it as telemetry logging in a cloud system or a hospital's heartbeat monitoring—a record of what's happening within ourselves. In order to identify areas of change, I documented experiences, emotions, and pivotal moments, analyzing trends to pinpoint areas for growth. I jotted instances of being under or over-prepared, uncomfortable choices, and instances of lost trust, extracting valuable lessons from each. 

My approach to logging life events is fluid and not bounded by rigid schedules. I prefer to jot down my thoughts whenever inspiration strikes, similar to a real-time logger with no buffers. With Google Docs constantly at my fingertips, I capture ideas, subtle reflections, and potential projects as they arise. Initially, it was challenging to master this skill - losing motivation, energy, but with perseverance, it gradually evolved into my second nature.

To enhance quick retrieval, I employ hashtags within my entries, ensuring easy searchability for future reference. Additionally, I document noteworthy articles and lessons learned, creating a repository of valuable insights.

On a regular basis, each day's log is revisited, refined, and expanded upon, allowing for continuous growth and reflection. Looking ahead, I aim to establish weekly and monthly look back, facilitating faster analysis based on accumulated insights.

As I started reading more into my 2023 logs, it dawned upon me that many of these observations have common learnings, trends and patterns with repetitive behavior. At first, the recurrence pattern was surprising to me, further reflection led me to recognize that everyone has their own distinctive patterns. This no longer astonishes me. I plan to focus on the top hitters or mega trends or observations that led to growth and learning.

In the forthcoming articles, I’ll delve into those life trends and associated research and strategies around it including tools to internalize them. Self-improvement is the catalyst for transformation.