An unexpected benefit to keeping notes

I keep a weekly journal of notable events, my feelings, and ideas. Most of the time, the value I get out of doing this comes from the act of writing it down in the moment. Writing notable events helps my memory, writing my feelings helps me understand and let them go, and writing my ideas helps me refine them.

This is largely unsurprising and overall very valuable to my mental health, but occasionally I look back over the years of notes and regain a perspective of myself that I so easily forget: I’m awesome. I’m not saying this to brag! Living day by day and falling into the rhythm of life really makes me forget all of the awesome shit I’ve done in the past. When I read about all of that in my own words, I often think, “how the hell did I do that?”

Memory is a funny thing. I think it’s in our nature as humans to simplify details of our past. We did what we did and moved on. We remember a general time period, but the day-to-day blurs into a feeling, and we forget all of the small trials, tribulations, and triumphs of those days.

I find that looking back with a new perspective makes me realize I’ve done cool and hard things in the past, and I’m capable of doing cool and hard things now.