Wherever self-development comes up, the idea of journaling always pops up too.
I’ve often told myself I’d give it a shot. A bit excited, I thought: Yes, this is totally for me! My first try was digital. After some searching, I found dabble.me, a platform that sends you daily reminders to write something. I started with enthusiasm, kept it up for about 10 to 15 entries, and then… nothing. Even though it stayed on my mind, I didn’t do anything with it.
At one point, I even got a paid subscription to dabble.me. Every morning, a reminder email arrived right on time. But that didn’t change much either. I’d see the messages pop up and… do nothing with them again.
After a lot of hesitation, I decided to start fresh. Armed with a nice pen I’d had for years and a couple of Moleskine notebooks, I gave it another go. Our honeymoon in India seemed like the perfect time. I took a notebook with me everywhere, determined to write daily. You can guess what happened—I wrote nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Back home, in January 2025, I tried again. This time, I had some topics ready to write about. But my biggest challenge turned out to be my own handwriting. When my thoughts started flowing, my words turned into unreadable scribbles. So, I forced myself to write slower—with mixed results. Still, I kept it up for a few weeks.
Around the same time, I started waking up early, usually between 5 and 6 a.m. Instead of jumping straight to my computer, I’d sit at the kitchen table with my Moleskine. Journaling started to feel more meaningful. Flipping back to read earlier notes was valuable—what mattered in the past few days? What shouldn’t I forget? But despite all my efforts, my handwriting remained a mystery.
A New Direction
While out for a walk, I had an idea—why not go digital after all? Not on my big computer, but with something small and practical like a Chromebook. Perfect for my morning routine! No more struggling with hard-to-read notes. Everything digital, searchable, and printable if needed.
The thought wouldn’t leave me. A Chromebook with long battery life, lightweight, and quick to start up sounded ideal. As soon as I got home, I started looking for web-based journaling software. Of course, I ended up back at dabble.me and found alternatives like Daybook. While thinking it over, I realized something funny. Didn’t great writers use typewriters too? I can type almost as fast as I write—maybe even faster—and it’s way more readable.
The Simple Solution
Just as I was about to order the Chromebook, I paused. Why buy a new device when I’ve got three old laptops sitting in the closet? They still work fine, run Chrome, and handle everything I need.
Sometimes the solution is right under your nose. The idea of simple journaling on an old laptop suddenly felt perfect. No need for expensive gadgets. Whether it’s paper, a Chromebook, or an old laptop doesn’t matter. It’s all about the writing itself.
To be continued…