Why document your life?

It’s about decision-making. Where you wanna put your focus on. It’s a pillar of mental health. Helps you identify trends in your life. Makes you an observer. Moments pass away but those important moments can be captured and remembered. Know yourself

Principles for intentional documentation

1. Don’t worry about keeping it organized. Trying to make it perfect will mess it up. Keep it simple.
2. Date everything. Make it easy to get back to it.
3. Be as clear as possible. Be mindful. Some things might not seem important. But be specific.
4. Make sure you enjoy doing it. try new ways. Experiment with different things and see what works for you.
5. Make it accessible. Always have the tools to document even when you think you don’t need them.
6. There’s no right way of doing it. use any method you want.
7. Think long-term. It isn’t a marathon. You don’t have to do everything now.

Mindset

1. It’s about a feeling – A moment can be important/ valuable because you say it is. You don’t need to have anyone’s permission. Go for it.
2. Capture now, think/edit/judge later – take action. Capture it. don’t think about whether you should document it or not. Don’t think. If you have a feeling to document it, document it.
3. Developing a killer instinct – an ongoing process. Not everything you capture will have a meaning or teach you something. Don’t worry about it in the beginning. Less often times (not always) is more. Don’t capture everything you see. Let there be gaps. Let there be dots that people can connect.

Method 1 – Ultra simple vlogging

Film yourself, your thoughts, your feelings. express what you’re experiencing. don’t be afraid to say anything. It can be dumb, it can be weird, it can be childish – you can edit it later.

Film your surroundings. Back up what you’ve documented. Online (google photos) and offline (external hard drive)

Method 2 – Journaling reimagined

Write in a foreign language. It’ll make it more exciting.

Method 3 – Film photography made simple

Use point-and-shoot cameras

Method 4 – Become a reporter of your own life

Use audio for:

1. Capturing the ambient sounds of a particular place
2. Capturing pieces of conversation or time with other people
3. Speaking out your thoughts

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is today.