On Keeping a Five-Year Journal

Entering year number two plus some tips for filling in the blanks

The five-year journal that stays beside my bed along with my Caran D'ache ballpoint pen.

Dear Reader,

I can’t say for sure how I first came across the idea of a five-year journal but for Christmas two years ago I put this version by LEUCHTTURM1917 on my wish list. A few weeks later I unwrapped it on Christmas morning and began a new habit of capturing thoughts and memories.

If you haven’t seen this type of journal before, it’s pretty straightforward. Here’s the description from the company website:

“Each page in this book is dedicated to the same date across five years…This layout offers a unique perspective on how both extraordinary and everyday events unfold over time-”

For the first few days I felt pressure from the small space available, like I had to make it count by adding something profound every day. Shouldn’t I be writing deep reflections? Or just a summary of my day?

I texted a friend about my dilemma. She’d mentioned before that she had her grandmother’s five-year journal, something her grandmother filled out long before these journals were officially designed and printed. My friend told me that it was reading about the mundane details of her grandmother’s life she enjoyed so much. Okay! Mundane details were something I could do.

Like most new habits, I didn’t miss an entry for the first several weeks and then occasionally I started missing a night if I was too tired. I told myself it was okay to skip some days but the blank spots still bothered me. Sometimes I would go back and fill in an empty space when I found a quote I liked. When I went on trips I would try to keep track of my thoughts in my Notes app and then transcribe them into the journal when I arrived back home. I ended up doing some of this catch-up work at the end of the year if I’m being honest.

I’m now several months into my second year of nightly journaling and the payoff of seeing an entry from last year and this year on the same page has been completely worth it. I can only imagine what it will be like when I’m in year number four or five. When I write my entry each night before bed, I read the one above it from last year. Let me share a few examples of interesting connections.

These days I’ve been feeling pretty overwhelmed as I look ahead and see a stream of busy days ahead of me. Last fall I took on a teaching job, which includes directing a school theater production as well as continuing to keep tabs on my own kids¹. All of this means I have a checklist that continues to grow longer instead of getting shorter. When I opened up my journal to write about a particularly full day, I read last year’s entry first:

“[Today was] one of those days that feels long and I long for something more to direct my day. What’s next?”

Ha! What a difference a year can make. Plenty of direction to my days in 2025.

This week I spent an evening with a dear friend. When I read my journal later that night I realized I’d been with that friend on the exact same date two years in a row. Both times I’d felt compelled to write how much her friendship meant to me. I love seeing that pattern thanks to the design of the five-year journal.

In addition to adding quotes in spaces left blank, this year I’ve started printing photo stickers with my Canon Ivy mini printer. Now my journal is also part scrapbook and I know I’m going to enjoy looking back on the photos in the years to come.

Occasionally I want to write more than a few brief lines about my day, when that happens I get out my sketchbook and I have more than enough room to record my thoughts. Other than that one limitation, I like everything about my journal. I certainly journal more than I have in a long time, knowing it’s just a brief time commitment before bed.

We gave my daughter a five-year journal for Christmas this year and she loved it. She likes this more compact version and the fact that it has lines instead of open spaces for each entry. If she keeps up with her journal, she’ll have an overview of her sophomore year of high school through her sophomore year of college. That will make interesting reading for sure.

I’d love to hear about your own journaling experience. Have you tried this type of journal? Why or why not? If you keep a similar journal, do you have any more tips?

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Continue the Journey

A few other places I’ve written about journals/journaling.

The Afterlife of a Journal

When Older Me Met Younger Me

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This Week’s Beauty Hunt

The sweet reward of walking outside at the end of the day.

"Finn" sleeping, "Chirp" NOT sleeping, petting a kangaroo, finding a new friend in my husband's office

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Blessings from the Guest Nest,

Aimee

P.S.-Thanks so much for reading, sharing, and contributing to the conversation. You can support my art and writing by donating to my art supply fund and by sharing this newsletter with friends who might enjoy it.

1. Can I get an honorary letter grade for supporting my daughter through her college thesis?!