{"id":30728,"date":"2023-08-22T10:17:13","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T15:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dayoneapp.com\/?p=30728"},"modified":"2024-09-30T14:37:42","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T19:37:42","slug":"streak-story-ian-colquhoun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dayoneapp.com\/blog\/streak-story-ian-colquhoun\/","title":{"rendered":"5,000 Days with Ian Colquhoun"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Ian<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

From the picturesque shores of Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula, to the bustling environments of his on-set job, Ian Colquhoun has been weaving his narrative tapestry, one entry at a time. Venturing back to 2008, Ian’s journey with journaling speaks of consistency, adaptability, and the pivotal role that modern technology has played in documenting life’s minutiae. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With over 5,000 journal entries spanning various aspects of his life\u2014from work to personal travels\u2014Ian\u2019s story is a testament to the power of persistence. But what drives a person to maintain such a commitment? For Ian, it’s about memory preservation, documentation, and a love for an app that has made all the difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long have you been keeping a journal?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My journaling now goes back to mid 2008. I started using Day One in 2018 and gradually worked backwards from there, using work records, photos and diary entries to get me back to where I started my current job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes journaling important to you? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I like having a record of daily events, even trivial ones just for my own satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you usually journal about?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have kept journals on and off for many years but could never sustain the effort until Day One and a mobile phone made it so easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous attempts were usually very personal but tended to the long-winded and I had to have a functioning pen, the actual journal and the time to make notes. I found it was hard to keep that up for any length of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I discovered Day One I wanted the ability to keep a work journal as a sort of protection – a record of what I had done and the equipment used and so on in case there were questions at a later date, but it very quickly expanded and I now maintain some 20 journals for various reasons. The main work journal streak stretches from 1 August 2008 to the present (5,292 days as I write).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As I just noted, I now maintain multiple journals\u2014a daily diary, a journal noting activities relating to my family history clients, a couple that relate to some overseas trips taken for medical treatments and many more<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When do you journal each day?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At work, my journaling is an absolute. Once I have set up my camera and any alarms that I need for critical events on the shoot and I\u2019ve checked in with the crew I\u2019m responsible for, the next thing I do – without exception – is to journal the day so far. I have multiple templates set up for common circumstances and I use an appropriate one to give me consistency. Then, as the day progresses I can update the entry until the end of the day, when parts of it can function as a report, if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When not at work, I usually trigger an entry first thing in the morning using a template and then make notes as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What tips or advice would you give others who want to build a journaling habit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s simple. Consistency. As I noted above, I have made journaling each day a strict part of my routine. It\u2019s the only way that works for me. It takes me just a few seconds to make the initial entry, using a template, then I can add details as needed. Tags are a great help too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What have you learned from keeping a journal?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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My journals act as a memory aid. It doesn\u2019t take much – even just a brief note or a photo – to help in recalling more events from a given day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your favorite thing about the Day One app?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Where do I start? At the risk of sounding like an apologist for Day One, I simply love this app. I love that it is searchable. I love that it allows me to have multiple journals. I love that it allows me to have multiple templates. I love that it is cross-platform.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“My journals act as a memory aid. It doesn\u2019t take much\u2014even just a brief note or a photo\u2014to help in recalling more events from a given day.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I use journaling primarily as an aide m\u00e9moire. As such, I need it to be searchable. I have devoted a deal of time to setting up consistencies in format and wording to aid in those searches. For example, all of my work entries are titled by location so if I refer to a different location in any given area the spelling is altered so it doesn\u2019t affect any searches for that location<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have 13 custom-made journal templates<\/a> that cover most situations and provide me with an initial framework for each entry. After that, it\u2019s just a matter of adding details as required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has Day One helped you journal consistently? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ease of use. Day One simply makes it easy to journal. I can add information so easily, be it text or photos or audio that it promotes, at least for me, that consistency that means I canjournal consistently, at long last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n