I began journaling in 2019. It’s not that I like keeping a journal, precisely. It’s extra that I discover my mind works higher if I spend just a little time dumping its contents onto paper each morning. This follow received me via 2020, an especially troublesome 12 months, and I’ve saved it up ever since.

My journal is not superior. I’ve received just a few sections really helpful by my therapist from across the time I began—there is a part I fill in each day with issues I’m wanting ahead to, for instance. I take advantage of one other part to suppose via what I’m going to eat and different issues I’m going to do this day. All of that is simple; I simply use a template that features headers for these issues.

But there is a bit of knowledge I like to assemble and embody. Each day’s climate, for instance. I’ve observed that I’m typically in a nasty temper on wet, grey days, so recording the climate together with my ideas provides me some useful context when I’m reviewing entries later. I additionally prefer to know what time I wrote my entry, the place I used to be once I wrote it, and—if doable—embody a quote of the day or one thing else to mirror on.

I may collect all the above info myself manually, each morning. But I’ve discovered it is lots sooner to make use of Apple Shortcuts for the job. This utility, which comes preinstalled on each Mac, iPhone, and iPad, can robotically pull in all types of knowledge and format it properly for my journal. I run a customized automation each morning. Here’s how I constructed it.

The Date, Weather, and Location

Fire up Apple Shortcuts in your machine of alternative and make a brand new shortcut. This software program could be a little complicated, however don’t fret, I’m going to speak you thru every little thing. In the suitable column you will notice quite a few totally different tiny automations you possibly can run. Drag as many of those as you need to the primary column, which is on the left. I prefer to seek for what I’m in search of, however in case you favor, you possibly can manually discover the choices to get a way of what Shortcuts can do.