Diary

[Ned]

I decided to ask, 'Does anyone keep a diary?'
Two reasons:
1. As an organiser. Because I'm crap without a reminder. I know Jimmy prefers a smartphone but I
bloody HATE technology I work with it all the time. A big old-fashioned hard-bound A4 book, new one every year, is mine. Something to do with being a bit muddled but although I can remember incidents 20-odd years ago in precise frame-by-frame detail I have trouble remembering what I'd decided to do tomorrow.
2. As a record. If I have a good day, I make damn sure I write it down and tell myself why. For future reference. If I have a bad day, I do the same, so that perhaps I can work out why.....
Without the reminders I'd both cock-up and not have a proper recollection.
Is that OCD or does it make sense?

 

[BV101]

I started to. As part of my mental help. But it just fell by the wayside...

 

[Ned]

f*cking mains tripped out just as I was answering this. Never mind.
Alan mate, the remedial help a diary gives me is definitely second to the fact that without a script I wouldn't have a clue what I was doing from one day to the next! I need the programme.
I can see why your mental suggested it though. Good things I highlight in green or blue (very eco) and they are steps, solid points on the road up. Bad things, bad triggers, I try and record in red, they are warnings or cautions, (don't do again).
I teach, lecture, and instruct. One of the things in that line of business is take notes, write it down. The mere act of doing so seems to engrave it better on the memory. Perhaps that's why it was suggested. The other thing is it puts you in a quiet spot while you take up the pen and look at the page. Like back in school. That works for me.

 

[Jimmy1]

Margaret is a bit of a control freak with that regard, which is great by me.
We have a huge mother f*cking whiteboard with appointments on the left side. Miscellaneous top middle, things to do, bottom middle, and the childrens names and what they have on, on the right side.
If I ring for an appointment, I go there to read. My I-Phone is to save me losing the appt card or when I am out, its transcribed straight away when I get home anyway.

I used to keep a diary, but I ended up leaving it a lot of places.

 

[BV101]

Maybe I should have a go at it again. I walked out of my old job in part because I couldn't keep my shit together. My ex boss said I was ace 10% of the time and then shite the rest. I am so disorganised. I just don't seem to get putting good and bad down. I will have another go.

 

[Ted Moen]

I used to use Day-Timers little wire bound monthly planners. They came with a wallet that fit nicely in the side pocket of BDU trousers. Worked well for years. Now I use a combination of my google calendar and a notepad app on my smartphone (Motorola Atrix). Of course now there's not so much to remember. I've been retired for 10 years now and my challenges with the VA and SSD and OPM are 6-7 years behind me and life is generally good these days (not at war with anyone anymore) :)

Ted

 

[abnvet]

I started keeping a diary of sorts when my wife was going through cancer treatment. Then I tapped off from writing but again have returned to it this summer b/c of stuff that has been on my mind.

 

[Ned]

OK. I put thoughts down, if I think they're good. Sometimes, when I look back at them, they are useful insights.
Sometimes I can almost see why things get tangled. Another hindsight tool.

 

[reddevil1111]

I have a calender. I writ things on it to keep things going. The trouble is I dont always look at it.
I dont like cell phones and all the devices that people are using. I cant keep calm with them and I also think it keeps people from being engaged with thier surroundings. I just dont feel safe texting or talking on a phone. You cant keep aware of the things going on around you. So I stick with the calender and yeah I do mess thigs up sometimes but nothing else works.
I used to have a sales job and I had to carry 3 phones and a pager. That didnt work out well. I wonder why?! lol

 

[Ned]

I dont like cell phones and all the devices that people are using. I cant keep calm with them and I also think it keeps people from being engaged with thier surroundings. I just dont feel safe texting or talking on a phone. You cant keep aware of the things going on around you. So I stick with the calender and yeah I do mess thigs up sometimes but nothing else works.
I used to have a sales job and I had to carry 3 phones and a pager. That didnt work out well. I wonder why?! lol

If you don't write it down you don't remember it. Basic school lesson. You are right Dan and I suspect it explains a lot of what is wrong with today's texting-emailing-twittering society.
I love writing and getting letters, it doesn't mean someone blanking you halfway through a face to face conversation. Never got used to that with mobiles, why can't they just acknowledge the beep and carry on talking to the person in front of them?

 

[Jimmy1]

I was having this exact same conversation with my 13 year old not so long back. I told him the only way to remember something properly was to read and write it over and over. I actually remember practicing for procedural drill for my warrant officer course. I had the whole coffin from the hearse to the grave site, folding the flag etc.
I was up to 4 am reading, writing and practicing it.

Nowadays, if you tell a child something, or ask them something, you might as well just say 'Blah, Blah, Blah' as they don't listen. If I want something done immediately, I text them. lmao. It sounds funny, but it works. And if I want to tell them a few things, I write a letter.

It would be great to be able to interrupt a DVD, or a video game with a scrolling text that goes across the screen.