Every year at this time I like to spend some time reviewing what I did over the past year. Not just accomplishments, but just things like concerts I saw, movies, vacations etc. Last year as I was making the list I really struggled to remember. I went through my calendar and email to give me hints, but it kind of freaked me out how little I could remember.
That got me to thinking about how quickly time seems to fly by. As they saying goes, “the days are long but the years are short.” I thought that maybe it seems to go by so quickly because I, I forget what happened. I don’t retain the memories (at least not without prodding) so everything becomes a blur.
As it happens, there was an article in the New Yorker about this (alas, I can’t find the link). But it focused more on novelty of experience. The researcher who was the subject of that article posits that when we are children, time goes slowly because every day is a new adventure. But as we get older we tend to do the same things over and over (same job, same commute, same co-workers etc), and so nothing stands out.
Anyway, here’s my point. In 2011 I started recording novel events in a Google Doc, which I linked from my toolbar. I didn’t do a diary per se, more a listing of things I did out of the ordinary: a date, dinner with a friend, a party I attended, a movie I watched etc. I kept each entry very short, the idea being that it should be just enough to trigger the memory. I also added especially notable current events such as the Arab Spring and the earthquake in Japan.
I got two things out of it.
- My year end review was much more rewarding. It was a blast to relive the highs and lows (yes, I record those too)
- As I worked on it during the year I would occasionally look back over the document. I was amazed at how often I would forget something that happened just one month before. Or conversely, how much time had passed since an event that seemed like had only happened yesterday.
In short, this little journal slows down time and increases the resolution of my life. I plan to do this for the rest of my life.
I strongly recommend everyone try this.
A couple other things I started:
A journal of happy memories. That is, when I remembered something from my childhood or adult life that I hadn’t thought about for a long time, I would write it down.
A journal of “imprints” that other people have left on me. For example, a girl I dated for a while back in the early nineties was a huge Garrison Keillor fan. After dating her for a couple months I became one too. And every now and then when listening to his show I think about how, if not for her, I may not have discovered him for many years, perhaps never. Since his show makes me laugh at least a couple times every week, I’ve probably experienced thousands of laughs because of something she introduced me to almost twenty years ago.
So even though that particular relationship didn’t last for the long term, I consider it a success. In fact, I consider practically all of my intimate relationships a success for similar reasons.
I was not as diligent about these journals as the first one, but I hope to do a better job in 2012.